Issue With Gaining Access to Verified Google Listings

[Adzzup Inc]

We are running into problems with gaining access to verified Google listings. Maybe someone on here will be able to shed some light and help us come up with a resolution.

Here?s a rundown of our dilemma:
A business owner signs up to use our SEO and Local services, but they already have a verified Google listing that was created by the company that they were previously using. If our client does not have access to this listing, we have to go through the Request Admin Rights process to try and get their old marketing company to hand over the listing, but this is where we are running into our problem. If that old marketing company declines to give us access, there seems to be nothing we can do about it. Even if we have a Google rep contact us, contact the business owner via the phone number on the listing to verify our working relationship, they will not give us access because the other company has declined our request.

Is there any way around this?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Sorry to hear that you are having this issue. Why would this company be denying the business owner access to their own listing? Dang shady ass mo fo's.

See if you can get anywhere with the Google Small Biz Twitter Handle - https://twitter.com/GoogleSmallBiz

 

[Eric Rohrback]

I'll add that you should be prepared with an email address from the client's domain. It will make it easier for Google to verify they're able to own it. Are the hostage pages under a generic gmail account the previous "agency" company set up?

Also, I don't get why companies decide to hold the pages hostage. Do they think the customer will miraculously decide to start paying them again for service? Are they trying to flip the page for another client? Or are they going to use it as blackmail to trash the former client? Nasty people out there in the world...

 

[James Watt]

A lot of SEO agencies are fly-by-night unfortunately (especially if they're this shady) but if they do happen to have an online presence, you can always go on and leave 1 star reviews at a few pertinent sites. The reviews deserve to stay up there it sounds like, but I'm sure if you agreed to pull them down in exchange for the login and password they'd figure it out in a hurry.

Getting even more aggressive, if they're one of those companies that leaves a footer link in all current client sites (of if they use a single cheap hosting account, you can do a reverse IP lookup) you might be able to make some subtle threats that hit even closer to home. I'm sure current clients would be disturbed to hear from a former client about problem's they're having with such a shady company. Hopefully @googlesmallbiz can get it figured out for you though instead of your having to waste time finding creative ways to twist someone's arm.

 

[Adzzup Inc]

We do have domain based emails for each of our clients, and the Google supports reps go that route sometimes, but not always. Maybe we can request that they let us use the email verification/approval each time?
Is there any other workaround that someone can suggest?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Casey,

If the account owner is currently a Gmail account and it's been 2 weeks and they won't grant you access, I think Google would definitely unverify it and allow you to claim it with a company-domain email. I've run into this before and had no issues getting access. Have you waited the 2 weeks? If so, I strongly recommend reaching out on Twitter but if you don't use Twitter you can use phone support.

 

[Tim Colling]

...If the account owner is currently a Gmail account and it's been 2 weeks and they won't grant you access, I think Google would definitely unverify it and allow you to claim it with a company-domain email. ...

That has been my experience too, twice in the past year or so. It's irritating to have to wait that long but I suppose it's not unreasonable.