Duplicate GBP Hurting HVAC Business - Help

[LocalInquirer]

Hi, I am helping a HVAC client with a duplicate GBP that popped up 3 weeks ago. We've worked very hard to get over 200+ reviews and 5.0 stars on our real profile, and I think a competitor is trying to hurt our business, because the fake profile has just 1 review and it's 1 star (and talks about food... nothing to do w HVAC). Calls have dropped off a cliff since the duplicate was created, and he's about to move locations so I want to get the duplicate GBP removed before we switch addresses going from a service area business to a physical store location. Right now he's a SAB, but the duplicate GBP is a physical location - the address showing on the duplicate GBP is the correct address that the SAB was verified at, so the addresses should match on the backend.
I've already reached out to GBP support and at first they confirmed that they deleted the duplicate profile, but then 2 weeks later when it was still there they said I had to submit a report via the Help Center. Very confusing. The duplicate GBP still has not been claimed, should I claim it and then request to merge them? Or what should I do if I've already reported "inaccurate info" on the listing?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[ElizabethRule]

Do not claim it. Try to suggest an edit on Google maps to get it removed. Choose "does not exist" and have other people with good standing Google accounts (local guides) suggest the edit too. Since it is unclaimed, that may work.

If it does not, reply to the email you received from Google where they said they would remove it and ask for an update. Sometimes, you need to follow up with support to get things done - and the best way to do that is in the original email thread they sent. If they continue to not be helpful, submit a new ticket and reference the old case ID. You should not need to claim the profile though to get it merged/removed.

 

[LocalInquirer]

hey @ElizabethRule thank you for the reply! I did suggest an edit on Google Maps, but no luck so far and I don't personally know any Local Guides to help flag it either. I did reply back to the Google email too, but the only update form them was that I had to suggest the edit on Google Maps too, which I did. Still no actual progress from them though just yet unfortunately. Here's the fake/duplicate profile if it helps: GBP Duplicate/Fake Profile

 

[JS Girard]

Good news: the profile seems to have disappeared as of right now.

Until your edit has been explicitly ejected, you can't assume it has been unsuccessful. I've seen (though this is a rarity) edits take weeks to get cleared.

 

[ElizabethRule]

Just like that, poof!!

 

[LocalInquirer]

Thank you @ElizabethRule and @JS Girard - the duplicate profile has been removed! I appreciate you both, thanks again!