Can't update a phone number on our GBP

[paulak]

We are not able to change the phone number for our location. Google is still showing our old phone number on a location that has been closed for years. When we try to change it, it's wanting to call the old number to verify? Logged in to our account It says "Pending" but then says "Not Approved". Any suggestions on the path to take to get this corrected?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Thank you for the question. Can you clarify why you are trying to update a phone number on an old listing?

 

[paulak]

Thank you for the question. Can you clarify why you are trying to update a phone number on an old listing?

Our office has re-opened in a new location and the number has changed. We were able to change the address but not the phone number.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

You will need to contact GBP support in that case. Sounds like a spam related measure that's blocking the ability to update the phone number.

 

[JS Girard]

It's also possible that you're running into the "phone/text message validation locks the number" bug, which also requires going through Google Support.

 

[Lanerizz]

Can you elaborate on that bug, is there a post about that? We're running into this issue with using tracking numbers, but if its a bug we'd hope it would get resolved soon, as opposed to a feature that we have to adjust around.

 

[JS Girard]

That's literally what it says: sometimes when the GBP was validated by phone or text messages, Google will just not allow the phone number to be changed subsequently whatsoever. The edit is just silently rejected within minutes.

When that happens, you have to go through Google Support, which quality has degraded since we started encountering this bug. I genuinely do not know how capable they are of handling the bug when you don't have a track record like my agency does, with documented ticket numbers of seven different clients with the EXACT same problem over the last three years.

This is why I'm very confident that this bug exists. It does not occur on every GBPs that uses these validation methods, but we only see it when that's what was used. It's frequent enough that it should be part of the automatic email that they send out (no human ever reads the initial support request).

BTW, I should also warn you that the solution Google applies is literally to reset validation status and force you to revalidate via postcard.

 

[Lanerizz]

Have you seen this bug mentioned anywhere else?

 

[JS Girard]

Not really. It's the kind of bug that is spotty by its very nature for various reasons and very few people are going to run into it more than once (unlike say the Kansas bug). I've discussed it several times on this forum though.

 

[bluetech2003]

Have you seen this bug mentioned anywhere else?

Were you able to update your gbp phone number?

 

[Lanerizz]

Yes