I was threatened after adding the missing place

Google Maps tips & tricks
1

Hello everyone,

Here is a story of me, getting threatened after adding the missing place on Google Maps.

I live in Georgia (country) and there are lots of missing places to be added on maps even though the country itself is quite small. For example, you can’t find a hospital on maps in my hometown even though it was opened 10 years ago. (I am trying to add it, still waiting for the confirmation).

So, back to the main story.

One sunny day, I was traveling from capital city to my hometown and decided to take photos of missing places on google maps and add them. (Places like petrol stations, fast food cafes, small convenient shops). On that day, I added 5 to 6 places on the maps (maybe they got confirmed easily,because I was adding gps tags while taking photos with my smartphone). One of the places I added was a small fast food cafe. I took 2 normal photos of it with the clear view of the front of the shop and the name of it. Added usual georgian working times and that was it.

After about 2 weeks, I got a notification that the owner of that place has a question in a q/a section. I also got notifications about the comments of my other reviews on different locations. The owner of that place was threatening me with suing me in a court for interfering in his business and calling me crazy. I was very confused and asked him, why was he talking like this instead of saying “thank you” for helping him to attract hungry tourists or locals easily. I explained that I add missing places for people to make their businesses more reachable through different sources. He understood my motive and asked me to remove the place, because he didn’t like the photos I added woth the place. He said that tourists might not like this kind of photos and he wanted better ones. Eventually, I helped him to remove the place.

I have question, should I remove places I have added just because the owner wants better pictures and he doesn’t know how to do it by himself and I can’t go to that city anytime soon? He insisted to remove it and I just couldn’t ignore him.

6 Likes
2

Since you are anyhow doing this to help them, you may well ask their choice of the photos you took.

3

I would if i could. Could you please tell me, what do you mean by “anyhow”?

4

@Vakhox First fo all I do not understand how he knew that you added the place. Nobody can know who added a place on maps. And if someone doesn’t want their business to be on Google Maps that’s their choice and we have nothing to do with it. Instead, you can tell him to claim the business using Googe M Business so he can upload his own choice of photos.

And personally, I’d refrain from doing anything that will result in a threat.

2 Likes
5

When I added the place, I also added the review about it. That’s how he found me. We bought food on the road but we had no time to wait for the owner of the cafe to come and discuss the photos he would like for his business.

6

What a strange reaction. Why removing the place if he just doesn’t like photos? YOu could have suggested deleting the photos he didn’t like, and then later he could ask someone to make and upload better pictures. I wonder if that man will contact each person who tried to add his place of pictures.

Even when I published some unpleasant pictures and reviews, no one asked to remove them, and for critical reviews I received polite answers about their intentions to improve the situation.

7

I didn’t want to remove the place but he asked me several times.