I recently received an email stating that my Wayspot nomination appeal for Westend Barbers - Community Hub was approved. However, it’s been more than 48 hours and I haven’t seen any changes in Pokémon Go.
There’s currently a PokéStop and Gym in the same parking lot, but they’re associated with a company that’s been out of business for 2-3 years. My approved nomination is for Westend Barbers, a currently operational business located at the same parking lot.
To clarify, please provide insight into the following:
- What factors determine whether an approved nomination is added to the game or not?
- Does the proximity to existing PokéStops or Gyms play a role in this decision?
- Can existing PokéStops and Gyms associated with non-operational businesses be replaced with new nominations?
- Are there any plans to update or remove existing PokéStops and Gyms that are no longer associated with valid businesses?
- How does Niantic evaluate and implement new Wayspots, especially in cases where existing locations may be outdated or inaccurate?
I’d appreciate any insight into this matter, as it would help me understand the process and potential outcomes for my approved nomination.
Thanks in advance.
I have this written up for people looking for their Pokestop:
I know the prompt tells you that you are submitting a “Pokestop” but you are actually submitting a Wayspot to the Lightship database, which can only become a Pokestop or gym if it is alone in a level 17 S2 cell. This is a good article about S2 cells and PoGo: https://pokemongohub.net/post/article/comprehensive-guide-s2-cells-pokemon-go/
If you share the Title and gps coordinates of the nomination, someone here will be able to tell you if this is the issue.
These should be reported for removal. You can submit a report in game by tapping on the title, then the three dots to bring up the menu, or through one of the forms linked at the top here on the forum:
I find the “Reporting Abuse” form easier to use, but others prefer the “Wayspot Removals” form. If you use that second one, ignore the automated email asking for your credentials as property owner. Wait until a real person responds before replying.
I think I answered everything but just in case:
- What factors determine whether an approved nomination is added to the game or not? If by the game you mean Pokemon Go, see that first link I gave.
- Does the proximity to existing PokéStops or Gyms play a role in this decision? Kind of, it depends on being alone in a level 17 S2 cell, not physical distance. They can be very close together as long as that cell line is between them.
- Can existing PokéStops and Gyms associated with non-operational businesses be replaced with new nominations? Kind of. The correct procedure is to report the business as removed and then submit the new IF it meets criteria. Just editing the Wayspot to the new business is “repurposing” and is not allowed.
- Are there any plans to update or remove existing PokéStops and Gyms that are no longer associated with valid businesses? These should be reported to Niantic for removal. Niantic may find them anyway internally when doing a review of the area, but is best to report.
- How does Niantic evaluate and implement new Wayspots, especially in cases where existing locations may be outdated or inaccurate? Wayspots are considered on their own merit. It does not matter what is around it, unless it is a duplicate.
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Hello @FalconDubvc
Thanks for giving the full title, it enabled me to find it 
Yes yours is in the same S2 level 17 cell as the now gone business
If that wayspot is removed, yours should then appear in the game.
Streetview is from 2 years ago and clearly shows a different sign there so it should be relatively easy to report and remove.
Separate feedback for future submissions……
The photo you have submitted as the main one would have made a good supplementary photo as it shows the barbers in the context of the whole building. I also can’t easily see if there are any licence plates but with cars in the photo you run that risk and therefore a rejection.
I did wonder if the wrong photo had been selected during submission.
I took this from streetview to illustrate what sort of composition works best-
Ideally you would have the westend barbers part in the middle so it would show nicely in the Pokestop photodisc.
I appreciate that getting a photo without your reflection might be tricky so it might need a slight angle.
I would be nice if next time you are there you take a new photo and submit it. You can then click on
when looking at the details to enable it to be the photo on display.
I hope this advice is useful for future nominations😎
