Fake google business listings in Calgary

[prae]

I just wasted the better part of my lunch hour driving to two separate "locksmith" shops around SE Calgary, only to realize that they don't actually exist! :banghead:


Calgary Locksmith (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=locksmith&jsv=139e&sll=50.992852,-114.061518&sspn=0.027552,0.048323&ie=UTF8&latlng=50993354,-114060683,5761827971831439248&ei=kdQ-SbvLK4SKjQOLgN3TBQ&cd=9) is supposedly located at 231B Forge Road SE. Curiously enough, Arthur Murray Dance Studios (http://www.arthurmurraycalgary.ca/) occupies that address (and displays it on their website).

Figuring bad luck, I checked google maps again from my phone to locate the next closest shop. Commercial Locksmith (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=locksmith&jsv=139e&sll=50.985586,-114.070466&sspn=0.006889,0.012081&ie=UTF8&latlng=50977461,-114071412,5782736208700871355&ei=DNU-SdepKJeajQOSvYjWBQ&cd=2) was the next hit, supposedly located in that Heritage Plaza building where AMEC's offices are. Wouldn't you know it, they are not in the building directory there either.

Not wanting to give up, I gave the # listed on both business listings a try. Just some dude saying "voice mail, leave message". Great, real professional.

I checked the latest hardcopy of the yellowpages, the same company has taken out a full page ad under Locksmith, so they MUST exist in some form or another, but I get the feeling it is just some guy in a van. No address listed in the yellow pages. Ughhhh.

It's frustrating beyond belief to go looking for these supposed businesses, only to realize they don't physically exist. This "GTALocksmith" outfit just invented two fictional locations and named the businesses something generic like "commercial locksmith" to get hits on their website and sucker people into calling them, so they can send some hack in a minivan out for a house call.

Anyways, heads up to beyonders looking for a locksmith shop in the SE, those two locations are totally bogus. I would recommend avoiding this company, based simply on their shady promotional tactics.

[97'Scort]

Google's kind of odd that way. I don't have an address listed for my business but they just randomly put it in the area that my IP is coming from. I've had more than a few Google Maps searches that were two or three blocks off the actual place.

[prae]

Originally posted by 97'Scort
Google's kind of odd that way. I don't have an address listed for my business but they just randomly put it in the area that my IP is coming from. I've had more than a few Google Maps searches that were two or three blocks off the actual place.

When I tried listing the small company I worked at, they required either a land-line phonecall to a number registered to the address I claimed, or they would send a postcard to the address.

So beats me how these guys would have managed to list these addresses.

[nusneak]

Maybe they switched locations and never updated their address? :whocares:

[prae]

Originally posted by nusneak
Maybe they switched locations and never updated their address? :whocares:

both addresses?

and I'd hardly call that a good way to run a business.

[Thomas Gabriel]

I was getting the address of a CAR DEALERSHIP in Lethbridge, and it wasn't even close to where it actually was. I doubt it was because they moved.

[szw]

Google maps business locations have fucked me twice already. I try to check directly at the company websites nowadays but the google map ones come up right away and are so much more convenient to find sometimes you don't bother with the real ones.

[ZorroAMG]

Try googling the business name, cross reference 2 numbers and call the place.

:banghead:

[szw]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG
Try googling the business name, cross reference 2 numbers and call the place.

:banghead:

The point is that if the data was more accurate that wouldn't be necessary. When you type in a name on your iPhone and a location pops up on google maps, its pretty redundant to have to go find the number from another source and call them. Thats not what the service is meant for.

[ZorroAMG]

Oh I don't do that though, so I never have an issue.

411 on cell,

google on mac at home.

EDIT: And if you actually understood what I meant in my first post, it's to not drive to a place blindly. CALL FIRST.

[szw]

Agreed, a confirmation call solves the problem, however it would be a nice convenience to not have to do that. 411 is pretty old-school though, I think more people would just google it now (which leads to the original problem, when googles info is inaccurate). Knowing that google has goog-411, I just blew my mind.


Luckily my car-gps points of interests have been pretty accurate so far.

[ZorroAMG]

Yeah but if I'm driving, speed dial 411 and voice recog is easier than pulling over and googling on my first gen iPhone