Can someone leave a review if we did not provide them service

Question

Someone left us and 2 other companies in the same industry (construction) as us with 3 star ratings. We did not do work for this person. Nor did the other companies.
They had work done by another competitor which they left a 4 star rating and good review.
I asked google to remove it and  they said that they have not found a violation of policies.

Mike Blumenthal · Accepted Answer

Yes someone that has not done business with you but did interact with you in some way can leave a review. It could have been an unanswered phone call, a pothole in your parking lot or something else. 
Here are the steps to attempt to have a review taken down. Figure out exactly where you are in the process and go from there:
 
1- Read The Guidelines - familiarize yourself with Google Maps’s user generated content guidelines  as to the reasons for them to remove a review
 
2- You need to report them via the reporting tool: 
Login to Google as the business listing owner or manager
Go to this page: https://support.google.com/business/answer/4596773?hl=en&amp;co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
Select Request review removal button
Confirm that the email address showing is the correct email address & click "confirm"
Either select the correct business from the list or search for it and then select it
Click through to the list of reviews and click on the "Report" link
Select the correct reason for disputing the review from the list provided.
3- Google will immediately email you and indicate that they have received the request for removal and the status of your request and that the review may take up to 3 days
 
4- If the review is still there after five days you can check on the status here - https://support.google.com/business/workflow/9945796
 
If the review hasn't been removed, select the "appeal" option at the above URL. 
 
5-When you appeal Google will send you a case number visible on the reporting screen and in the email subject line that they send you. 
 
6- Wait for a resolution of the appeal and a final decision. This might take another 5-7 days. 
 
7- If you provide us (here in the forum) with 
your business name
your Google Maps profile URL
the case numbers and 
the links to the reviews
After all of that, we can try one more time to get Google to assess them.

Mike Blumenthal
 
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