Who Can Change An Address On Google Maps?

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Rickles

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#306125 29-Jun-2023 22:30

Recently I got notified from Google concerning the location of an organisation that I have an operational interest in.

The message says -

Thanks XXXXXX

The place that you modified on Google Maps is really popular!

Since you let us know that the location of xxxxxxxx has moved, it has been seen more than 10,000 times! Your update is not only helping people, but the business as well. Keep it up!

The email account it was sent to is only used by two people, and neither of us did anything in respect of this matter, viz. never edited, or advised Google of the address or requested a change to Maps.

Is this usual? Does Google go through and occasionally re-check every mapped address that has a 'named' Google/Gmail account?

stick

357 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3097508 30-Jun-2023 04:28

Does your Gmail account have a . in it? I'm pretty sure Gmail ignores periods in email addresses, so it may have just been sent to the wrong person?

sidefx

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#3097519 30-Jun-2023 07:48

I think anyone can but there are processes to claim a business I think? Just google it :)

https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop

Edit: sorry re-read original post and I guess you've already claimed it? Have you checked email headers to see if anything looks off?

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xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#3097523 30-Jun-2023 08:07

Entry I put in has never bothered me with anything like that.....

And my email has multiple "." in it and never caused a problem :)

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Silvrav

469 posts

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#3097535 30-Jun-2023 09:00

Who? anyone can for a business who didnt claim the business/address.

Generally, Google will try and verify it via their crawl bots but in essence it does not stop people from submitting the change.

And if enough people submit the same, google bots take it as being "correct". there are instances where business names on google has been changed to troll businesses.

MadEngineer

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#3097587 30-Jun-2023 10:49

To answer the content of your question, I’m pretty sure somewhere on google maps you’ll find an area to view your edits. They’ll most certainly be under the google account associated with that email address that received the message unless there’s some kind of forwarding on that.

To answer the subject, anyone can submit a request. From the dozens that I’ve done, this will either be done instantly (based on your prior editing history?) or goes into a pool of edits pending approval. Again, there’s a section for that on Google Maps where you can go to review other people’s edits.

Further, you can register your google account as the owner of a business - you’ll be posted a letter to the address of the business with a validation code to enter.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Rickles

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#3097618 30-Jun-2023 11:10

Thanks all ... I did access the account and looked for Edits etc, but nothing there. I'll check the other Gmail account that is used by others in the organisation later today ... some one may have used the same email address as a contact etc.

Canuckabroad

177 posts

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#3097629 30-Jun-2023 11:27

xpd:

Entry I put in has never bothered me with anything like that.....

And my email has multiple "." in it and never caused a problem :)

It doesn't cause a 'problem' for there to be a "." in your Gmail address, however Gmail handles that '." as an alias to help you determine the source of an email address - while many other companies will see them as completely distinct. If your address was johnsmith@gmail.com and you signed up for a mailing list using johnsmith.mailinglist@gmail.com - that email would come to you...and you would know if you started getting spam to that address that they resulted because of that mailing list selling your contact details (or being hacked etc) since the alias used was unique.

The problem exists because you can sign up a different account in services using a gmail alias and the other service doesn't recognise that it's not a unique address. I had an issue on PayPal where someone signed up a new account overseas with a credit card that wasn't being paid - using an alias of my gmail address. I received the notifications from Paypal about purchases I didn't make - but when I (repeatedly) contacted them about the notifications they just kept telling me to ignore them because they were about somebody else's account. They then would send an email to that alias (which arrived to me) about the account status - because their systems (and staff) weren't aware about Gmail aliases using ".".

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MadEngineer

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#3097984 30-Jun-2023 18:45

Now that I'm home, pictures for clairity -

head to google maps and click the hamburger menu at the top left. Click Your contributions:

Then click Edits:

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

antant

115 posts

Master Geek

#3098061 30-Jun-2023 22:58

Canuckabroad:

It doesn't cause a 'problem' for there to be a "." in your Gmail address, however Gmail handles that '." as an alias to help you determine the source of an email address - while many other companies will see them as completely distinct. If your address was johnsmith@gmail.com and you signed up for a mailing list using johnsmith.mailinglist@gmail.com - that email would come to you...and you would know if you started getting spam to that address that they resulted because of that mailing list selling your contact details (or being hacked etc) since the alias used was unique.

The problem exists because you can sign up a different account in services using a gmail alias and the other service doesn't recognise that it's not a unique address. I had an issue on PayPal where someone signed up a new account overseas with a credit card that wasn't being paid - using an alias of my gmail address. I received the notifications from Paypal about purchases I didn't make - but when I (repeatedly) contacted them about the notifications they just kept telling me to ignore them because they were about somebody else's account. They then would send an email to that alias (which arrived to me) about the account status - because their systems (and staff) weren't aware about Gmail aliases using ".".

Agree that Gmail completely ignores periods, so johnsmith@gmail.com = john.smith@gmail.com = john.s.m.ith@gmail.com , and that most companies on the other hand see those addresses as completely unique.

However, johnsmith.mailinglist@gmail.com wouldn't still come to you, that's a different address (i.e. = johnsmithmailinglist@gmail.com ) ... for those kinds of aliases you need the + (i.e. johnsmith+mailinglist@gmail.com ).

https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-more-from-your.html

Canuckabroad

177 posts

Master Geek

#3098064 30-Jun-2023 23:09

Ah right - something didn't seem quite right about what I was saying - I had forgotten the +

Thanks for correcting!