I love efficiency, but this Google Ads lockout is a nightmare. Here's the framework I've pieced together from this mess.

The scenario: Account compromised a month ago - unauthorized campaign, admin access stripped. Reported immediately, then support hell: 7+ case numbers, one rep promised a 3-4 day response then vanished for two weeks, phone/chat just transfers and disconnects.

The kicker: Internal case notes say the account "was restored after a security investigation." Still can't access it at all.

The actual blocker: A bug in their Account Access Request Form. The Customer ID field is a dropdown that only shows accounts your current login can already see. Since my access was stripped, my real account never shows up - only a brand new empty shell account that Google auto-generates every time I log in while locked out (different empty CID each time).

The known gap: "Restored after security review" usually means the backend ticket got closed, not that access actually got resynced to your login. Different teams, different databases. The form assumes your current login can already see the account - structurally incapable of pointing back to your real CID. Submitting it again won't fix that, it's a broken assumption baked into the form itself.

What actually works (from what I've seen): Stop looping through standard form and chat support. Push specifically for a callback or escalation from a Trust & Safety or Restricted Accounts specialist. Reference all 7+ case numbers together in one message so it doesn't get treated as a fresh ticket every time. Also check every previous admin inbox for the re-invite or change-log email - Google's own recovery docs say legitimate admins who were removed should be re-invited after the account is secured.

Honest downside: Even escalated properly, this can take weeks. It needs a human to manually resync access outside the normal flow - not a button anyone can click.

Has anyone actually gotten through this specific scenario? What finally worked?