Frustration with Niantic responses to wayspot fraud/existence reports

Babarushki-PGOBabarushki-PGO Posts: 195 ✭✭✭
edited March 2021 in General Discussion

Six months ago, I submitted notifications of one no-longer-existing and one fraudulent site, and received confirmations of my reports. After four months, Niantic said both are acceptable and will remain.

1) I reported that a structure (a sign to a shopping area) was removed over one year ago. Response: Found to be an acceptable wayspot.

2) I reported that a spot titled “Archway to ___ Park” is an actually an arbor on private property. It’s literally in someone’s yard. Response: Found to be an acceptable wayspot.

I’m baffled by these responses, and certainly didn’t submit the information because I have nothing better to do, out of spite, etc. The continued existence of these wayspots is just wrong. Has anyone else experienced such responses to your legitimate reports?

Maybe the answer is to just not care, and look the other way. I’m getting to that point.

Thanks for sharing any experiences you have had or know about related to reporting sites.

Comments

  • Nadiwereb-PGONadiwereb-PGO Posts: 1,119 ✭✭✭✭✭

    First of all, Niantic can only check resources that are public and available: Google Maps/Street View, satellite pictures etc. If these are old and/or don't prrovide conclusive proof that the wayspot actually meets removal criteria, they will reject the report. However, you can appeal these decisions here, on this forum (Invalid Wayspot Appeals) and if you provide enough proof (pictures etc.), they will remove the wayspot(s).

    I suggest you gather some evidence (geotagged photos) and post your appeals.

  • Babarushki-PGOBabarushki-PGO Posts: 195 ✭✭✭
  • WheelTrekker-INGWheelTrekker-ING Posts: 3,387 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Niantic needs a little bit of evidence that your claims are right.

    There's too many people that try to take down valid wayspots to annoy other players, so Niantic should be cautious on their actions.

  • HaramDingo-INGHaramDingo-ING Posts: 1,725 ✭✭✭✭✭

    For most of the time, I disagree that Niantic (or when they are looked at, a particular member of staff) does check publicly available resources. Generally speaking, for the most part, over half of my reports are rejected without any real check and they expect more information, even when resources such as street view AND satellite view will actually show that it has been removed over time. Street View all around my city is pretty much up to date with an average capture date around September 2020.

    But for the instances where Street View is out of date, yeah, do post an appeal here. It's surprising how many appeals actually come here and make no sense whatsoever, but it sounds you have a good cause.

  • silverkali-INGsilverkali-ING Posts: 92 ✭✭✭

    I think it doesn't help that it's a small team of people dealing with a large number of removal requests from around the world and they are physically unable to spend the amount of time actually checking that we'd like them to.

  • HaramDingo-INGHaramDingo-ING Posts: 1,725 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is where something like the proposed community or Wayfarer advocates who are absolutely on top of their game, know the criteria inside and out, selfless and unfazed by influences comes into consideration. It has always been about community, Niantic needs to focus on the development of its apps and allow really good members of the community to complement their work.

    The strangest mission rejections, invalid portal report appeal denials, wondering why photos never get accepted (it was an excellent system before, now that it is integrated into the Wayfarer queue, the queues have seen a substantial bloat overall), the haphazard half-aersed responses to location edits, the inaction and lack of transparency of the Wayfarer abuse form are amidst some of the concerns that this small team, despite them saying that they have expanded their team, face regularly, in which their effectiveness is limited.

    It is a small team. The community wants to help make this platform the best it can be, and quell the abuse. Niantic would be better posed having a couple of direct contacts which act through these Wayfarer community advocates rather than trying to get other people, who should be working on actually pushing buttons before a community day, developing the games and ironing out bugs for efficient coding.

    It just feels like we're talking to a blank wall with a small cassette player that records our sentiments and concerns and plays it... six months later... on repeat... next to a jar of antibiotics.

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