Very confused right now, I have copied the Google Mod @MashaPS into this message, which i hope finds its way to her? Ive been advised to ‘Tag’ a moderator but have no idea what ‘Tagging’ is - everyone is offering advise assuming the reader is an internet expert, we are told by other Google departments (i.e Business) that the ONLY option we have to receive guidance for Google Guide is to come here. I have no choice, but i also have no idea what some of your advice means because i don’t always understand tech language, forums (rarley use one) or Google methods? I am not here through choice, your other departments direct us here after insisting no other options are available and this is the only support option, i do however appreciate your advice, i have not other options available, please help.
PROBLEM 1 > I posted my issue here, and the moderator ( @MashaPS ) kindly responded, but the crazy thing is, the forum then appears to prevent me from ‘replying’, the ‘reply’ button is grey and non responsive, yet no mention as to why ? i would like to continue my thread but do not understand how?. I sent a private message to @MashaPS but that didn’t work, @MashaPS mention in her post that she cannot respond privately (sorry, but im blocked out from the post, did’nt know what to do - hence this new thread). The moderator did advise that “i that you exit the program on this email when you’ve signed up on your other email.” Maybe this has something to do with it? but i need to action this my end first before being locked out surely?
PROBLEM 2 > What i wanted to follow up with was to point out that my other Google accounts were set up over a period stemming back 10 years, i am demonstrating the right course of action in trying to merge them, then deleting the old ones (surely this shows good will). I also have NEVER intended to post on multiply Google Guide accounts, admittedly it has occurred on a very small level purely my mistake when i was logged in with the wrong account and posted a Guide review. (hence why i am merging accounts into the main one).
SOLUTION > I am so concerned when posting here that i will break the rules unknowingly, even this post or private messaging is something i worry might be incorrect. I am trying to simply connect with a Mod who is willing to guide me (ideally via private chat), so that i can ultimately follow the correct steps to close my other accounts whilst ensuring i retain my hard earnt Guide Status back. I don’t want to do anything against Google rules so am hesitant to make any moves without solid support, i do need to ask questions though and appreciate this is free time from Google Mods (presumably your staff?) if it helps Google gauge my financial value, i do spend money via Google Ads and can offer account details, with ads Google kindly gives me unlimited telephone support and all the time in the world. But with Guides i don’t spend money and left with a very confusing forum only option, which has locked me out (i think) and which is Alien to me? Please can someone help me on a 1 v 1 basis. This exercise has taken me all day : (
Systemtechs > thank you for liking my post, its good to hear another user relating to my plight, thank you for sharing this with others by liking this.
For your privacy, please edit your post, removing the contact informations in there. The team will not use this post to contact you.
Close this account now. Having two account is against the Program Rules, so your other account will not be verified while this account still open. Many people say “I will close the second account when the first one will be restored”. The only result that they will have, in this way, is to have also the second account banned.- The link provided by @MashaPS for closing your account is esactly what she said. following this link: “exit the program” you will reach the setting page of your profile in Google Maps. Scroll the page and click on “exit from the program” button.
You cannot reply from the thread where she moved your post because is a “no reply” area.
Thank you for stepping in and guiding @lostinspace .
@lostinspace , in addition to @ErmesT 's words, I would like to clear for you that when you ad an “@” in front of someones name this is actually tagging. Like you did in your post. This way the person who was tagged receive a notification.
Thank you so much for taking the effort to reply, without you i am lost. This forum is so confusing but you have offered a glimmer of hope.
May i ask for a responce, relating to your bullet points:
The link you kidnly provided doesnt appear to offer any instructions to know how to contact the Local Guides Team? it takes me to page 2 of some type of conversations featureing random others, and there ‘REPLY’ buttons are all greyed out ? did you add the wrong link by mistake perhaps? i would love to recieve a simple form of contact, somethign direct like an email would be ideal. Please anythign to make this task a little easier would be much appreciated. all i see is a sea of posts, starting at page 2 ? > Why was I removed from the Local Guides program?
I will happily edit the post your refering to, where is it? how do i get back to it?
This one i fully understand. BUT, are you aware that if i close this account, i am not then able to access this forum to follow step 1 (assuming you reply includes a method of contact that requires me to log-in to this forum to follow after i cancel this account?). My other MAIN account is not recognised as a Guide account so wont allow me back in here. its a bit like catch22 - if i cancel this account then how do i access your responce to bullet point 1 and engage with this illusive Local Guides Team ?
MashaPS - thank you for teaching me Tags. I dont think you guys have any idea what its like arriving in a web forum like this which has an infinate volume of pages and systems and then being expected to instantly understand how to use it? Mods seem to expect this, but why should everyone be experienced, maybe a video tutorial would be a good idea right
In any event, please do respond, your the only chance i have. Its rather demorilising and counter productive to offer Google years of hard work building a guide status, to then have it taken away WITHOUT NOTICE (wouldnt you agree)
We the Google Moderators are here to help and guide you and other fellow Local Guides when difficulty is faced.
I would like to explain once again what you are suppose to do in your case. As it was written in the article provided by me and @ErmesT - Why was I removed from the Local Guides program?, you should follow this: “If you think you may have been wrongfully removed from the program and your account hasn’t been reinstated for more than 10 days, don’t create a new account to post on Connect (since that’s against our program rules, too). Mention @localguides on Twitter or write on our Facebook wall letting us know you’ve been banned and we will follow up with you over private message”.
@ErmesT thank you for your message, but you have not responded to the underline question/s? You started by kindly pointing me towards a way of contacting The Guide Team. Surely ‘read only’ is NOT going to work because i am guessing it requires me to send a message to the Guide Team? The underline question was to provide me with a clear set of contact instructions, as expressed previously your link sent me to a Page 2 on a post with lots of regular users without any explaination, no sign of any form of Contact for The Guide Team. Unless you explian otherwise, my expectation for recieving a form of contact would be just like anyone else, i.e a email, telephone number, contact page etc (not page 2 of some conversation filled with other people ??)
Please, we can save a lot of time if you would be kind enough to send me the actual contact details direct? Would you mind. Once i can contact the team without log in i can leave you guys to spend your valauebl time elsewhere.
Thank you again for taking time to reply, this is much clearer advise. I hope you recognise that it was non productive and confusing to be redirected to contact a Guide Moderator page that soley relies upon me beign able to log in and enagage with one, when in fact, the advice removes my ability to log-in, in fact you kindly confirm DO NOT create a new account to log back in and engange. I am glad i questioned this, had i followed this advice i would be lead down a blind alley. Also if you are the Google Moderator here to help me, why was i being sent eleswhere in the first place?
Anyhow, i have you now and i understand what i am supossed to do. As we have covered much ground here, would there be merit in me sending this request to you @MashaPS via facebook or twitter or some other form? email perhaps? It jsyt seems logical to assign this to you as you know the background already and have been very helpful.
Upon your responce, i will follow the instructions and close this account
I’m writing on behalf of my client @lostinspace . He has now removed his guide status from that account and would like to request that you review this and reinstate his guide status on his other account (I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to post that email address here or not).
Please could you take a look and reinstate this as soon as possible.
Please note that we are not responsible to share any part of investigations we are doing on Local Guides’ accounts.
Your client will be contacted privately if the procedures where followed by him/her.
Also I would like to thank you for not sharing his personal information publicly. We do not encourage Local Guides to share private information publicly on Connect in order to protect yours and other users’ privacy and safety.
I completely understand that you cannot share the details with me - could I please just ask that you contact him and he is unable to reach out on here anymore due to having removed his status - as required.
He is having a problem contacting anyone via Twitter/Facebook and has not received any response. Hopefully now I have sent this message to let you know he has done was he was requested to do, you will be able to do what is needed from Google’s side.
The only way to start the procedure for troubleshooting account related issues is the one we’ve pointed several times.
Your client should reach out the team responsible for this via @localguides on Twitter or write on our Facebook wall explaining his account issue. Then they will follow up with them over private message.
@MashaPS thanks for the advice, I do understand what the instructions are however the advice of contacting through Twitter/Facebook doesn’t work in reality. We have contacted local guides on both social channels and no one has responded. The FB page is full of people who have been given the same advice - to contact via the page, but haven’t had any response. It’s not that we haven’t followed the instructions you have given, it’s that no one appears to be dealing with the enquiries on Twitter/Facebook.
Are there any other Google Moderators that can help or perhaps the marketing team as I guess they are responsible for your social channels? @David_K
The responsible team will reach out back as soon as they have this possibility. There might be a lot of cases like yours and it may take a certain time.
Your patience in this matter is highly appreciated.
@MashaPS can you not see how ridiculous this is? Everyone is being told the same thing but the system DOES NOT WORK. You can see his tweets to @localguides below and he still hasn’t had a reply.
Someone needs to raise this with someone senior so the system for resolving this kind of issue can be reviewed. Whoever monitors the social accounts clearly doesn’t know what they are supposed to do, otherwise why else would they not simply reply to the tweets that have been sent.
On Facebook loads of people are all posting the same to say that they are receiving no response. Telling us that it might take some time is not a solution to the problem, can you not see that this is clearly not working?
I know that it’s not your fault and you don’t personally run those platforms but there must be something you can do to help? Even if it’s reporting to someone higher up that this system doesn’t work and that no one is getting any form of response on social media - it looks terrible for Google. I can’t imagine that Google would be happy if they knew that hundreds of people that are supposed to be valued as ‘Google Guides’, who help them develop and improve their platform for FREE, are being completely ignored when they follow the process! It makes no sense.
I felt compelled to send you this message to complete the circle…
I have today, finally been reinstated as a Google Guide, hence why i can FINALLY jump back in on this support post. As you know my friend @StinaStone was kind enough to use her account to track you down and communicate.
Firstly i must thank you for sending the email address to Guide support which instantly resolved the issue for me. But equally i feel you must know that the advise you are giving out is completely flawed ! You may recall from my posts, that experience taught me to question the reassurances you were giving me in that ‘once i had disconnected my account for Google reconsideration, and would no longer be able to reach you again, i would be picked up by the Guide Support team on the Social Media’ - I stated several times i felt concerned that i would find myself locked out ion the dark - and despite your reassuracnes, thats exactly what happened !
You should know, your Social Media pages are full of other Google members who have presumably followed yours and other moderators advice, finding themselves left shut out from all communications with absolutely NO RESPONSE FROM GOOGLE SUPPORT on these social pages. In fact if you took 30 seconds to view the pages you are directing users to, then your see its obviously flawed.
What has made this more difficult was the extent we have had to go to convince you that we needed you to provide an alternative. Having said that, i am grateful that you did eventually listen and was decent enough to get us straight to support. Quite why we couldn’t have taken this route to begin with i’d never know? Support was perfectly happy receiving an email from us, you should give everyone this option. Please stop sending others to this useless Social Pages and tell other Moderators why they shouldn’t either. We are supposed to harness the power of communications, not prevent it. Clearly your sat on the email address others could benefit from, and clearly Google permit you/ Moderators to send it, the outcome is al the same in as far as we the Google users end up at Guide Support having our case dealt with, so why not post this email to make everything easier for the so called valued users? It is ridiculous offering out a time consuming, dysfunctional process when you have a easier route at your disposal
Thank you once again for seeing this through to fruition. I genuinely appreciate your assistance and the only reason i have spent further valuable time in writing this is to benefit you and your fellow Moderators with valuable feed back.
