Business Moved Before GMB Verification (Postcard is Being Sent to Old Location)

[jpayne7]

Hello!

We have a client who has a GMB that has never been verified. They have since moved from the location listed on GMB and now we cannot verify the business, because the postcard is being sent to the old address.

Has anyone experienced this and found a way to workaround this?

 

[Phil Rozek]

@jpayne7, just log into the GMB dashboard, update the address, and request a postcard to the new address. (Yep, you'll need to wait for it to show up.)

If the status in the GMB dashboard says "Code requested," click on your listing, scroll down to the "Pending verification" box, click "I don't have a code,' and click "Mail again."

 

[jpayne7]

I keep updating the address, but it reverts back to the old one. I can't send it to the updated address.

 

[Phil Rozek]

How about if you click the "Change method" link and then fill out the form under "Please enter your mailing address to verify" with the new address? Does Google show the new address on the postcard then?

 

[jpayne7]

When I click on "change Method" it returns me to this screen.

 

[Brock1321M]

If it's a brand new listing, just create a new account and close the old one. (worst-case scenario)

 

[JoyHawkins]

Do not create a new listing. This should work:

1. Click “claim this business”.
2. Click the “verify later” icon at the bottom or just close the screen.
   
   
3. Go into the Google My Business dashboard and click on the location to edit it.
4. Go to the info tab and enter the new address in the address field.
5. Go back to overview page in the Google My Business dashboard click to verify the listing.
6. The page showing your postcard option will still list the old/wrong address but the postcard will go to the right address that you entered in step 4. Go ahead and send the postcard and it should arrive properly.
   

 

[LouA]

Do not create a new listing. This should work:

1. Click “claim this business”.
2. Click the “verify later” icon at the bottom or just close the screen.
   
   
3. Go into the Google My Business dashboard and click on the location to edit it.
4. Go to the info tab and enter the new address in the address field.
5. Go back to overview page in the Google My Business dashboard click to verify the listing.
6. The page showing your postcard option will still list the old/wrong address but the postcard will go to the right address that you entered in step 4. Go ahead and send the postcard and it should arrive properly.
   

I too had been going around in circles with this same issue.
I have followed your steps @JoyHawkins and can already see the company address in the listing has changed now I have seemingly sent the postcard to the old address. Fingers crossed they actually see the postcard in the post! Life saver thanks so much!

 

[Scott ClientClicks]

I too had been going around in circles with this same issue.
I have followed your steps @JoyHawkins and can already see the company address in the listing has changed now I have seemingly sent the postcard to the old address. Fingers crossed they actually see the postcard in the post! Life saver thanks so much!

LouA, did it work for you? I now have this same situation as well with an unclaimed listing with an old address. Once again @JoyHawkins to the rescue!

 

[LouA]

LouA, did it work for you? I now have this same situation as well with an unclaimed listing with an old address. Once again @JoyHawkins to the rescue!

Hi, no it didn't work but it may be because the postcard wasn't intercepted by the company or wasn't sent. I will re-try!

 

[Scott ClientClicks]

Unfortunately this strategy didn't work for me either. At least my client didn't receive a postcard at her new address and it's been three weeks now. I'm not too surprised that it didn't work. If it did, it would be a loophole that would allow unscrupulous people to take over an existing unclaimed listing with reviews and move it to a new location.

I wonder whether GMB will allow you to mark an unclaimed listing as moved?

 

[Professor M]

Unfortunately this strategy didn't work for me either. At least my client didn't receive a postcard at her new address and it's been three weeks now. I'm not too surprised that it didn't work. If it did, it would be a loophole that would allow unscrupulous people to take over an existing unclaimed listing with reviews and move it to a new location.

I wonder whether GMB will allow you to mark an unclaimed listing as moved?

Have you tried to verify manually through the contact form (https://support.google.com/business/gethelp)?


Thanks

Professor M

 

[JoyHawkins]

I wonder whether GMB will allow you to mark an unclaimed listing as moved?

Google can definitely mark a listing as moved. This would be the right option if there is already a verified listing at the new location.

 

[LouA]

In case anyone is still following this I did in the end create a new listing in the actual location, it automatically verified without a postcard and then managed to merged the two other unverified listings with the verified listing. However the reviews were lost in the process but there were only 3 so not a massive problem. GMB Support would not move the unverified listings to the new address until we created and verified a new listing.