This has been a problem on Google Maps for a long time, not only with online businesses but also with 'service area businesses' such as plumbers or builders. The most recent guidance I read is that for non-verified listings (ones without a green checkmark in Map Maker) it's okay to delete them, selecting 'Other' as the reason, then explaining in a text box that is a online-only/service area business without a public storefront.
Unfortunately, verified listings just have to be ignored for now as there's stuff going on behind-the-scenes at Google where they're trying to solve the problem through the Google My Business tool. After claiming their listing, business have toggle in Google My Business where they can state that they provide a service at the customer's location (not a fixed address) and Google Maps is supposed to handle these properly. Unfortunately, many business owners don't turn this on so they end up showing as markers on Google Maps.
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Slight hijack. There are several buildings in my area that offer services to businesses that don't actually have an office. For a monthly fee the business can use the address and a secretary will answer the phone as if the business actually exists. (she knows based on the number that is called and adjusts her greeting appropriately) With appointments, he/she will great you as the company representative. You are called that your "client" is there and get to bound out of an office that really is not yours. In reality, they have a mailbox at the location. They are allowed to use the facility and its rooms for meetings. The customer never actually knows that they don't have any staff there. One building has about 30 offices but 300+ companies use the address.
It's totally legit. You are paying for the services. However, saying the business offices out of that location is a bit of a stretch.
I see it both ways. For a customer of an e business it is important for them to see that there is a point on the map that gives them some presence. Even if it is just the owners home it gives customers some reassurance and if they Google the business it will give map location and a website which makes customers more likely to visit the site. But I have seen businesses put markers on the homes of employees to make them look like they have multiple offices and this is not ok imo.
AndrewW is correct, we remove businesses that have no physical presence using the reason "Does not exist". We are marking them as such because this is a map, and they to not exist there. We are not necessarily saying that the business doesn't exist, but rather that the location does not exist (and never did, otherwise we'd use Closed as the reason).
This removes them from the map and from local results, not from the internet.
If a business does do local face-to-face business with it's customers but does not have a physical location, such as a plumber, then they have the option to sign up via Google My Business. If they truthfully answer the questions they are asked there, they will appear in local searches but will not have a marker on the map. These businesses are known as Service Area Businesses without a storefront. Within the Map Maker and GMB communities they are often just referred to as SABs, but it's important to note that a SAB with a storefront is allowable (an example would be a pizza restaurant that also has delivery). When deleting such a business if you are asked to comment then "SAB without a storefront" will be all that a reviewer needs to understand why you are deleting the feature.
For SABs without a storefront that are claimed in GMB (green shield visible in Map Maker) that have not hidden their address Google is currently asking that we don't delete them as it loses all the GMB information. You can instead submit other feedback to say they are an SAB without a storefront and should have a hidden address.
ThomasM is describing a virtual office, and those are also not permitted. Virtual offices sometimes do have places that people can work; and very, very rarely a business will work completely out of a virtual office (that is, they actually sit at their rented desks 40 hours a week). Those rare cases are permitted on the map if you can verify it, but unless you can verify it then it should be removed from the map.
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
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As this thread has shown, there are what the OP called e-stores. The solution says these are not allowe - which is good, IMHO!! So how do we remove these
Hey guys, I am glad that this topic is well discused on this forum. So, it is some time I posted this thread and some solution came in. So I started to apply that in Prague where I live. But after the month of deleting this places all over the Prague it is just a half success because my arrangements to delte them are being rejected in mapmaker. I am not sure how the google map application algorithm works but sometimes my application is approved in a second by system so it is not going to map maker. But the most of biggest places etc. are going to mapmaker where they have to be approved, but the most of the people there don't know about this thing and they decline it so not a lot of changed so far.
I have the same problem from time to time, my first one was a Exxon gas station was where a cowboys was supposed to be, I just added the Exxon and all the info for that address and did the same thing the next time I had the same problem. I take a picture ask who ever work there for the demographics and I update to the best of my knowledge.
in last few days I am walking around Prague and adding informations through maps application. But I disovered one big issue in this thing. There are a lot fo places in maps e.g. e-shops which are marked in a map in some adress but they are phisically not there. So I was wondering what to do with this places, should I mark them that they don't exist and let delete them or let them there? Because I thing it is really confusing that places like this are in map (e.g. I am finding toy store, I come to the place marked in map like toy store but there isn't any toy store because it is just e-shop registered on that adress and there is no showroom available).
As this thread has shown, there are what the OP called e-stores. The solution says these are not allowe - which is good, IMHO!! So how do we remove these
@ThomasLee See my reply here on how to deal with service-area business - e-stores should be dealt with in the same way.
As this thread has shown, there are what the OP called e-stores. The solution says these are not allowe - which is good, IMHO!! So how do we remove these
@ThomasLee See my reply here on how to deal with service-area business - e-stores should be dealt with in the same way.
Thanks for the reply. But...
1. I'd like to see an official answer from Google on this. How do THEY want us to deal with it.
2. I've read the post, but it does not give us, IMHO,. a resolution.
3. Assuming e-stores like this are NOT allowed, how can we best report them?
2022
