Reporting a Residential Property Mistakenly Listed as a Public Business

Google Maps tips & tricks
1

Hi Local Guides,

I’ve come across an interesting situation and I’m hoping to get some guidance from this community.

There’s a listing that claims to be open to the public, however, upon visiting, it’s clear that it’s a residential property. The homeowners were equally surprised and unaware of any business association with their address.

You can see the listing here: https://goo.gl/maps/UdT6W6HTy7eV2ZUEA

I attempted to rectify this by using the “Suggest an edit” feature, specifically the “not open to the public” option. But, to my surprise, my edit was denied in a matter of seconds. It seems like an automated response, as it was too quick for a manual review.

Further investigation on Google Street View confirmed my suspicions: it’s a typical residential property.

Moreover, after checking tax records for the property, it seems like that this address doesn’t even hold a commercial zoning license, making it unlikely to be a legitimate business location.

I’m concerned about the accuracy and integrity of the listings we rely on. Has anyone else encountered similar issues? How did you navigate them?

How can I actually report this?

Thank you for your insights and assistance.

2

Hi @Bardia

This is an issue that takes a bit of research to fix.

But first please know that “Not open to the public” is probably not the best option to use.

This could be the business in Atlanta wanting to show off an extra (non existing?) branch office. This would clearly be spam if the business does not serve customers at the Woodstock address. In that case I would remove it using the Does not exist here option.

Or it could be a legit business run from someones home. If there is no signage this is alsi a sign the listing could be spam.

Before doing anything I would check the public business directory and see if the business is there. Also checking the website and an online phone directory can help you determine if this is spam or legit.

I could not find the Woodstock address on the website. This could support it being fake.

If this pin was in Denmark I could quickly determine if it is fake or not because I know how to check, but you will need to do your own research.

This could also include checking the reviews if they look like they could be fake or describe the business as not located in Woodstock.

It can be a lot of work to fix such listings.

Alternatively, you could ask the Google Business profile program to look into it.

Cheers

Morten

3

Hi @MortenCopenhagen ,

Thank you for the comprehensive response. I appreciate the time you took to provide such detailed insights.

So to be honest, I initially reported the location as “not open to the public.” But after seeing it was instantly denied, I tried the “Does not exist here” option, as you suggested. Unfortunately, that too was immediately rejected and denied. Maybe if someone else tries it it would be different.

It should be noted that I have actually done an extensive researched this business, primarily because I was genuinely interested in their services and wanted to try it. After lots of research, checking directories and local documents, it appears that the Woodstock address is their only location.

What’s even more concerning is my personal experience. When I visited and knocked, the homeowner seemed completely unaware of any business operations at that address. You can also check on Google Street View and confirm that it’s a regular residential property with no external business signage.

Also further research with the Woodstock tax office confirmed that the property isn’t zoned for commercial use and can’t legally operate as a business.

Additionally, the reviews raised some red flags. Many were from accounts with peculiar names, lacking profile pictures and account history. The pattern of reviews being clustered on specific days, with gaps in between, seemed unusual.

A website named “AskForTransparency.com” also did a report on them and deemed their reviews “fake”

You can check out their report here.

Moreover, I noticed that this business bears a striking resemblance in name and website layout to a well-established local business offering similar services. This mimicry, combined with the other inconsistencies, raises several red flags about the legitimacy of this business.

It’s concerning that they list an address, claim to be open for business, and even specify opening and closing times when the reality seems to be quite different.

You mentioned the option of reaching out to the Google Business profile program to address this issue.

How can I get in touch with them? I did try to contact them before resorting to this forum, but the only available option I found was this community forum.

Thank you again for your guidance and appreciate the response!

4

The place is gone from Google Maps now, @Bardia .

You successfully removed it. Congrats.

Cheers

Morten

PS The Business profile program can he reached here:

https://support.google.com/business/gethelp?hl=en

5

@Bardia and @MortenCopenhagen

Not sure the original problem is really solved.

Out curiosity, I checked the place via the link given by Bardia last night and found the Website , supposedly a business site which at the bottom does indeed say “3105 Royal Troon, Woodstock, GA 30189”. Even now, that site still shows a map of the same area without the marker “Stain Door”, however. Mistake or fraud?

WilfriedB_0-1694499561050.png
WilfriedB_0-1694499561050.png607×506 56.2 KB

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@WilfriedB and @Bardia

Are you guys still able to open the pin on Google Maps?

@WilfriedB

Do you think the business was legit?

Cheers

Morten

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@MortenCopenhagen

no, the pin disappeared from map.

I still had the Business Web site open in a another tab and since you said “I could not find the Woodstock address on the website.”, I remembered having seen it yesterday so, I verified. Even though, the pin disappeared from the map now, the Web site of that business still points to the very same address. So, I think @Bardia should try to contact them to clarify.

8

Thanks, @WilfriedB .

There are a lot of guidelines to know and consider in this case.

Online only businesses are not entitled to a Maps pin. Ditto for lead generation Businesses. Calling the business might not solve the issue. They could be aware of the Maps rules and would say anything to keep their pin for marketing.

I think this discussion is interesting but we are amateurs on Google Business Profiles rules. And the correct forum is not this one but:

Here is the GBP help center and you find the GBP forum here.

Cheers
Morten

9

Thank you @MortenCopenhagen for your diligent efforts and the update. It’s reassuring to know that our report made a difference!

@WilfriedB , regarding the map on the website, it is essentially a basic WordPress plugin that utilizes the Google Map API to display a location pin.

When the business listing is removed from Google Maps, the WordPress plugin can still show the location, but it won’t be able to fetch the business profile pin anymore. As a result, it’ll just present an empty map with no profile pin.

In today’s digital age, setting up a website, especially on platforms like WordPress, is quite straightforward. Just because an address is displayed on a site doesn’t necessarily vouch for its authenticity.

Being a local, I took the initiative to visit the Woodstock location in person. The homeowners there were clueless about any business operations linked to their address. I also reached out to the business via phone. After several attempts and hours of waiting, they finally responded, only to inform me that the business isn’t open to the public…

Regardless, I’m relieved we’ve addressed this issue and eliminated a potentially misleading listing from Google.

Thank you for all the help!

Cheers!