Jan 23, 2024
I'm stuck - Cannot verify or delete Google My Business listing
I created a Google My Business listing, added photos, website, a description and a private mailbox address. All was well. Google said I would receive a postcard to verify. I never did. I received an email from Google saying I was verified. I could still edit my listing until a 're-verification' notice became evident on my listing two months later, and I was disallowed from adding information and editing.
All my photos were removed by Google however the description remains. I cannot verify because they ask for photos of signage, which I do not have with a home business. I'm afraid to provide my home address to Google for security reasons. If they made a mistake and posted my home address publicly I could be at risk. They ask for video, however is providing a video of my home office/computer going to do anything? My company is a tour operator, there is no special software used to identify my company, would an itinerary on my computer suffice?
Somewhere in the midst of this duplicates occurred, it is such a mess.
All of my emails to Google remain unresolved or ignored, the most recent email from them telling me they cannot help me until I verify the listing, which is the problem. I'm in an endless doom loop for a year now!
Is it true the only way forward is to mark my company as 'permanently closed' even though I am a new company? This is beyond absurd.
How does Google help humans with companies who are trapped like this? Thank you in advance for anyone who may be able to offer any kind of assistance.
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Jan 23, 2024
Yes I am the manager of the listing and as I mentioned at the beginning, after claiming and verifying my listing Google disabled my ability to edit, asking for a re-verification that I cannot do.
So with my current manager (but unverified) status can I respond to reviews? Thanks so much.
Gold Product Expert Claire Carlile recommended this
You can request to have a business removed from Maps if the business:
- Never existed
- Has the wrong address
Even if you don’t manage a business, you can request to remove the business.
- On your computer, go to Google Maps.
- Sign in with the same account that you used to sign up for a Business Profile.
- On your map, click the business that you want to remove.
- On the left, click ‘Suggest an edit’.
- Click ‘Close’ or ‘remove’.
- Follow the onscreen instructions.
After you submit the request, it goes through the review process. You may get a status email with follow-up questions from our review team. If approved, the business is removed from Maps.
Claire Carlile, BrightLocal
If this answer helped, please click "Recommend” or “Yes” to help others with similar issues find solutions. Please note this is a peer-to-peer community forum and we are volunteers and not Google employees. We only advise on Business Profile best practices and Google's Guidelines.
Original Poster LP24 marked this as an answer
All Replies
First, I'd recommend clarifying if you are eligible for a Google Business Listing. Google Business Listings are for those who have a bricks and mortar location and serve customers at that location, or for businesses who do not have a bricks and mortar location and instead serve customers in a specific geographic area usually in the customers home - for example a plumber, or a cleaner.
As a tour operator do you fit into either of those business types? If not, and if you are an online only business, you don't qualify for a business listing.
If you do make in person contact with your customers in the specific geographic area in which you are located you can indeed hide your business address and verify your business accordingly - this is a useful document that explains the video verification process
https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242?sjid=12248701184580386726-EU#zippy=%2Cvideo-recording%2Clive-video-call
and here
Hope that helps,
Claire Carlile, BrightLocal
If this answer helped, please click "Recommend” or “Yes” to help others with similar issues find solutions. Please note this is a peer-to-peer community forum and we are volunteers and not Google employees. We only advise on Business Profile best practices and Google's Guidelines.
Jan 23, 2024
Hi Claire,
An update, after selecting 'other' in the deletion process we discussed above, I received notification that
my company was marked permanently closed. Exactly what I did not want.
So I
tried again, using the delete option 'doesn't exist.' I received an email
saying "Your business profile has been disabled, your business is not eligible for a Business Profile." As far as I can see now, the GMB listing for my company is gone. This is such a relief. Better to have no GMB profile than one that looks disreputable and that I was unable to edit, respond to reviews etc. Thanks so much for your help!! You were better help than Google itself! :)
Claire Carlile, BrightLocal
If this answer helped, please click "Recommend” or “Yes” to help others with similar issues find solutions. Please note this is a peer-to-peer community forum and we are volunteers and not Google employees. We only advise on Business Profile best practices and Google's Guidelines.