Suspended Listing for longtime service area business

[ValerieM]

Hello, I am at wit's end about what to do next and would LOVE some help since Google is not providing any helpful info. My client's GMB was suspended because his POBox address was mistakenly listed in the profile (not sure how it happened since I had removed the address months ago but I just switched to other support staff who might have done the change unbeknownst to me). So I went into my client's GMB profile and removed the address and clicked it as a service area business listing all the cities my client does work in.
I asked Google for reinstatement and they sent me back their staple answer:
"Thank you for contacting Google My Business team. We've looked at your account and it looks like your business is not eligible to display on Google Maps because your listing is in violation of the Google My Business Quality guidelines. Please find the non-exhaustive list of quality violations found in your account: The address used in your listing doesn’t match the address of your business. You must list your business at its correct location. In particular: Do not create a listing, or place your pin marker at a location where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes/Virtual offices are not considered accurate physical locations. Your business location should be staffed during its stated hours. Please note that mailboxes at mail receiving locations are also not considered accurate physical locations.Please change your listing to comply with our policies and submit it for review. We’ll review your listing and if it complies with our policies, we’ll lift the suspension."

I have already done what they asked so sent an email response asking for more clarification since the GMB was corrected when I asked for the reinstatment. Again, they replied back with the same response as before with no other information. Out of anger (I know, I should have tried to remain calm) I sent more replies and have gone back and forth with them 4 more times to ask for someone to call me so they could explain what I am doing wrong. They no longer respond to me.

Besides closing the GMB and restarting one, is there anything else I can do??
HELP!! I am truly at a loss.

thank you so much,
Valerie

 

[JoyHawkins]

In your screenshot there, is the listing in Phoenix the same business as the one that's suspended? If so, it likely doesn't qualify for a second listing.

 

[ValerieM]

Hi Joy! Thanks for looking at it. The one on the bottom was permanently closed 1 or 2 years ago because it was indeed a duplicate listing. At that point, I worked with Google to permanently close it and verify the real one. The one currently suspended is supposed to be the active one which is legitimate. Are you suggesting that Google maybe be having problems NOW because of it and I need do something else to get that permanently closed one off of GMB? By the way, I should clarify that the TOP listing on screenshot which shows 3 blacked out names is another one of my clients - my screenshot captured that one by mistake. There are TWO listings for my client- the suspended one and the closed one.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Oh, that makes sense I thought the top one was another listing for them.

So the issue is likely that even though you cleared the address, the PO Box is still the address the listing is verified at. Go ahead and add the home address in there instead (in the address line) and then reply to the reinstatement thread from Google and they should reinstate it. I think it might require you to verify the listing at the new address.

 

[ValerieM]

Oh, Joy, that was so helpful and after doing a few things, I FINALLY changed to his home address. I have sent a request for reinstatement but they are not responding. I think it because I have asked for reinstatement 3 times already, and responded angrily to their non-helpful responses. Yes, I was "bad", and now I feel like I have been blacklisted. Do you know how to reach them so they will give me another chance?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Valerie,

Try filling in the reinstatement form again: Google My Business local business reinstatement request - Google My Business Help

If it kicks back an auto-reply saying you have already submitted one, let me know.

 

[ValerieM]

Thanks again Joy but it did not work. I completed the form again (and marked that I had not tried to resubmit before which was a lie) and received this:

Hello, thank you for contacting Google My Business team. We see that you’ve recently contacted us regarding the same business listing. For easy follow up on your queries on a particular business listing, we encourage business owners to maintain a single communication thread per business listing. All you have to do is reply on an existing email thread with your query, and we’ll be happy to help.

Unfortunately, they are not fdoing what they stated here because they have stopped replying to my original email thread which is Re: Google My Business Support [7-4810000030221

 

[JoyHawkins]

Okay at this point, I'd suggest you start a thread on the GMB forum here and I can escalate it for you. DM me with a link to the thread.

 

[ValerieM]

You got it! Thank you!

 

[ValerieM]

Thanks, Joy! I just did what you stated so please be on the lookout. Also, I can't thank you enough for working so hard for me and my client!!