The Day We Lost Our Instagram Account

I never thought I’d be writing this.

Our main Instagram account — the one we’ve poured our hearts into for five years — was disabled. No warning. No explanation. No point of contact. Just gone.

This account wasn’t just a page. It was our storefront, our community, our history. Over 60,000 real followers. Thousands of stories, reels, posts, DMs, and memories. All disappeared in an instant. I’m heartbroken. I’m sick over it. And I’m still in disbelief.

But what hurts most is that this wasn’t sudden. It’s been a slow burn. And for months, we saw the writing on the wall.

 

The Sanctions Started Quietly

Months ago, we noticed Instagram was flagging our content more frequently. Posts were removed for vague reasons. Some were never reinstated, even after being appealed. Others sat "under review" for 6 months—sometimes even a year.

Despite being a Meta Verified business, we got no help. And here’s the frustrating part: you can only request help from within the account that’s verified. Once it's disabled, there is no way to access support. Verification means nothing if it disappears with your profile.

Then we lost the ability to go LIVE. Then we couldn’t collaborate with other accounts. Then our subscriber tools were removed.

And finally, they disabled the account altogether.

No explanation. No opportunity to fix it. Just silence.

 

The Emotional Toll

Glow Luxury is my passion, my therapy, and my family’s livelihood. Watching it be silenced without cause has been devastating.

For the last year, I was walking on eggshells every time I posted. Was this caption okay? Was this bag going to get flagged? Every decision was filtered through fear. It made me anxious, exhausted, and honestly—defeated.

To have built a platform with integrity and community-first values, only to be shut down without a reason, is infuriating.

 

The Illusion of Support

Being Meta Verified gave us nothing. There was no fast track, no live person, no accountability. We followed all the rules. We created original content. We paid for ads. We answered every appeal. And still—nothing.

Meta Verification is a paid service. And once you're locked out of the account you verified, there’s no path forward. The irony is clear: Instagram is a free platform. And beyond the small fee for that little blue checkmark, they owe us nothing. That’s the hard truth.

 

A Broken Ecosystem

There’s an entire black-market whisper network of "recovery agents" who claim they can get your account back—for a price. Some are rumored to be ex-Meta employees. Others say they have inside contacts. Most charge thousands, and there’s no transparency, no guarantee. It feels like an internal Ponzi scheme, with small businesses footing the bill.

We chose not to engage. It felt wrong, risky, and predatory. And frankly, we don’t believe anyone should have to pay a ransom to access something they built.

 

A Bigger Wake-Up Call

This has forced us to reckon with something bigger: We don’t own social media. At any moment, a platform can disappear your business without explanation or recourse. We spent five years growing a community that could be deleted in five seconds.

If you’re a small business or creator reading this, please hear me: Build your own list. Get emails. Get phone numbers. Drive traffic to your own site. Because your Instagram is not yours.

 

So What Now?

We’re not quitting. We’re rebuilding. And honestly, we’re excited.

• Our five-year anniversary is coming up — and we have some incredible events in the works.
• We’re investing heavily in our email and SMS list.
• We’re expanding our eBay LIVE presence.
• And we’re launching something huge: a LIVE event feature built directly into our website.

 

This is about building a business that can’t be silenced by a single platform. We’re building smarter, stronger, and more independently than ever. Please go give our "backup" (aka new account) a follow here. 

 

If you’ve ever supported us: thank you. We’re still here. We’re still glowing. And this story isn’t over.

 

Not even close.