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safetyswitch · ‎03-14-2018

I came onto Google Local guides because I ran out of petrol once on a lonely highway last year. I was certain there was a fuel stop up the road but Google maps didn't show it so in doubt I turned back to the previous town and didn't quite make it. At the end of a long day I set off again only to pass the fuel stop that didn't show up on Google. I later duly put the 'petrol station' as we call them in Australia, onto Google Maps. I'm sure their business improved due to that. Now as a Fremantle electrical contractor, it is so frustrating because I went to an enormous lengths and cost to set up a web site and list on Google as a local Fremantle electrician only to find a lot of other competitors, some not even bonafide electrical contractors, put up fake listings claiming to be electricians with businesses located in Fremantle. I will do what I can to have these fake listings removed. I also see this on Bing. Any help and advice appreciated. This is not for my financial gain in any way but to save face. These people are giving honest electrical contractors a bad name.

safetyswitch · ‎03-15-2018

Very interesting to find a lot of electricians and other companies such as plumbers and handymen falsely claiming to be located in Fremantle. Can any one else help out here? Being a Fremantle Electrician I am very keen to remove the fake and false listings as some are not even licenced tradespeople. I think the initiative set up by Google is going to help keep them at the top of their game and I'm happy to help out not just for my own business but mainly because these shonky operators are giving us local Fremantle electricians a bad name. One client I spoke to called a 'Fremantle electrician' who came down from the city of Perth and charged her a $195 call out fee. We don't charge call out fees and local clients get a discount so it is vital Google root out these dodgy folks otherwise it erodes the very essence of what Google is all about. Black Hat web sites etc are rife despite Google's attempts to overcome it. Here in this LOCAL GUIDES we can help eliminate this and help others. But Google need to do more to remove the false businesses listed on GOOGLE MAPS and this is a great start but I'm a busy person too. I'm here to help.

Osaka78forTRUMP · ‎04-04-2018

Dear @safetyswitch, hope all's well. If you see spam on Maps report it. Kind regards from Osaka78

ErmesT · ‎04-04-2018

Hi @safetyswitch

A Warm Welcome in Connect, the Official Community of Google Local Guides.

Please follow the instructions given by @Osaka78forTRUMP to know how to report content in Google maps.

On the other side, I would like to show you the opportunity of Google Mybusiness

Local Guides is a program for individuals only. Business activities are not allowed in here. So, being a Business activity, you should not be in this program

The good news is that, for business activities, you can register in the free program of Google Mybusiness, so please:

follow this link:

https://www.google.com/business/. With Mybusiness you can also have more control of your page in Google Maps

As this seems to be one of your first post in here, I take the opportunity to give you some information to know now to interact with the community:

The 5 core values of Connect

Need Help?: The help area give you a lot of solutions if you need to "know how to ...."

Explore the Forum menu, to see what the various sections are about. You will find many interesting parts regarding, for example, meet-up, or photographic technique.