Oliver Bryant Photography - Blog

Since my last post, I have done further research into the “Ad account disabled” and “Insufficient Funds”….

Now it seems like some of you seem to be experiencing these problems too.

Today I talked to a Meta “Enhanced” customer support representative who I’ll call “J”, Now “J” started off by telling me it was MY bank that was at fault (which it wasn’t as the Boost happily was taken by Meta via Apple Pay).

So I’ve discovered why my ad account was disabled, it took a bit of digging but I finally got to it.

In 2023 I decided to run some ads, No clue what they was or why but in the end Meta tried to take $15 from my account and couldn’t do so. In retalation Meta suspended my ability to make ads from the account.

So adding new payment information isn’t going to help in these circumstances. I was told to use a Facebook Business account, again it didn’t help. I was told to duplicate and create an ad and then hope that it will be used as default funding. No results. Someone somewhere at Meta decided I would no longer be allowed to advertise on their platform. I wasted/donated $40 to Meta in the end for this experience as they refuse to provide me a refund.

Here’s what Meta says…

“_After careful review, we regret to inform you that we're unable to take further action regarding this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue.

We strive to give you the best information and tools we can provide, but we're unable to provide more assistance for this issue. If you have any new information that may help us assist you better, please feel free to contact us again for any of your billing needs._”

So if your ad account has been suspended in the past and you attempt to boost your account via Apple Pay please BEWARE. Meta will not help refund you if those funds get stuck and won’t help you. They don’t disable boosts for accounts tired to Ad accounts, no matter how many payments methods you put forward Meta doesn’t care, they have blocked you and your not invited back.

Over the last 48 hours I have had nothing but troubles with Instagram/Meta.

Let’s begin with the basics…

I decided to boost a lovely portrait I recently took just in time for international women’s day, I used mobile in-app payment to make the boost payment and things seem to be going well until I checked back a few days later…

“Ad account disabled: We were unable to place a temporary hold on your card. Try again, or update your default payment method. If you try again, make sure that your card has sufficient funds first.”

So i add a new card… green tick, refresh page

“Ad account disabled: We were unable to place a temporary hold on your card. Try again, or update your default payment method. If you try again, make sure that your card has sufficient funds first.”

I end up emailing support asking them to provide some answers as to why my account has been disabled.

“I'm sorry you're having trouble with your Instagram ad account. It looks like you've been routed to the incorrect team for this issue. Please fill out the form in the link below so we can make sure your request gets routed to the appropriate team”

The link is just to the instagram help/support area. No specific form is mentioned… things go radio silent so I decide to reward Meta with more of my money with the hopes they will either refund my original ad funds that are doing absolutely nothing or hope they will explain what’s going on…

So getting a blue tick is now a paid for option, not to be outdone by “that other guy” the verification tick could be yours for only £11.99 a month.

I begrudlingly agree to sign up to the service with the hopes of “enhanced support” but again the customer support options are extremely limited, Oh and Meta felt the need to try and get me to change the name of my Instagram page which I refused to do. They also got me to change my profile pic which again I begrudlingly accepted with the hopes I could speak to an actual human but at the end of it all…

No customer support, no resolution. Down £43.68 Thanks Zuck!

My new gallery “The City” is now open on my website.

In 2024 I took a trip to London Docklands and spent some time learning about the history of the Docklands at the London Docklands Museum. Although the area is now jammed full of high rise buildings it’s one of my favourite places in London.

The photos taken in the gallery “The City” was all taken just off the jetty that leads to the uber ferry at the Doubletree Hilton Docklands Riverside.

During the session I took over 200 shots and then decided on the final group of 5. I included one image that has “water exit” I discovered this graffiti when I was standing on the dock gate, the sign next to it showed the “fire exit” a bit of a mystery but worth capturing especially for the humour!

These are also my first shots with my brand new FujiFilm TX30 II which is a joy to use. It’s more light weight than my Nikon ZF c that I recently used in my Norway/Santorini and Iceland Gallery but the camera lenses are more expensive so it’s a trade off!

Wishing you all a happy holidays and a fantastic 2025! I’ve got trips to lots of new places planned and I can’t wait to take you along with me!

Main Gallery – Showcasing local photography, wildlife photography and my generic portfolio.

“The Sky at Night” Gallery – My “Virtual Gallery” for Astrophotography.

Iceland Gallery – My gallery dedicated to photos I took in Iceland in 2022 and 2023. This gallery also includes a “Virtual” gallery that you can explore including some 360 degree photos. Step into the Orbs to see the photo in full 360 degrees and a beautiful image of the Northern Lights taken from the Harbour.

Honeymoon Gallery – My 2024 gallery is dedicated to my Honeymoon to Iceland, Santorini and Norway. Using the Nikon ZFc Mirrorless camera with amazing close ups of Bees, Puffins and stunning landscapes and sunsets.

Prints? – If your interested in a Print please contact me. My gallery webpage has prints configured but I have direct trade pricing available which means cheaper prints if you reach out direct!

Commerical Licencing – If you wish to use my photos for commerical usage please get in touch to obtain a licence.

My Next Project? – In 2025 I am planning my next trip. If you want to learn more about it when it drops follow this blog (rss) and my Instagram

I have added some additional photos to the Honeymoon Through The Lens gallery in the Iceland and Norway Gallery.

Iceland

More Puffins and wildlife! Who doesn’t love Puffins?

Norway

A night photo of a 4x4 and a portrait photo of a glacier and a photo from the MS Iona, one day I was on the promanade deck and I saw a person on the bridge sitting by the Window. I decided to take a photo in the moment and I’m very glad with how it came out!

Honeymoon Through The Lens has drawn to a close. If you would like to see some of my previous art and virtual galleries visit this post to learn more.