Screenshot of the Rejection Email (do not include your personal information):
Additional Information (if any): I hope this post finds you well.
I live in a large village in Germany.
In our village, there is a nature trail along a river. On both sides of the river, there is a regular walking path, which is also a nature trail (in German called “Kräuterlehrpfad”). This nature trail can also be found on Google Maps.
Over the years, several POIs (Points of Interest) were created along this nature trail.
This was a perfect place to play Pokémon GO: no cars, lots of nature, and publicly accessible paths. Along the nature trail there were about 30 to 40 POIs (PokéStops and Gyms).
Last Wednesday evening, Niantic (Scopely) decided to remove more than 20 of these POIs. As a result, our community lost many PokéStops and Gyms.
As you can see in the attached screenshots, I wrote emails to Pokémon GO Support asking for the reason why these POIs were removed. I also asked them to review the decision and check again whether the POIs really do not meet Niantic’s Wayfarer criteria, and to reactivate them if the removal was a mistake.
From the replies, it is clear that nobody at Niantic is really taking care of this case.
They refuse my suggestion to review the removals. They also say they cannot reactivate the POIs — yet they were able to remove them without any problem.
What is especially frustrating is that they cannot even provide a reason for the removals. Apparently, there must be a reason — otherwise, they should be able to tell us what it is.
Overall, this situation is extremely frustrating. I have been playing Pokémon GO since the very beginning, and now I am seriously considering transferring all my Pokémon from Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME and stopping playing Pokémon GO altogether.
These POIs were very important for our community.
This should be a warning to all Pokémon GO players: last week, Niantic/Scopely/Wayfarer removed POIs in our village without any explanation. Tomorrow, it could be the POIs in your area that get removed.
If you want to have any chance of getting these wayspots back, you’d better be able to produce an official map of the entire trail layout, not just a screenshot of Google Maps.
But the signs supposedly placed here are for sure from within the Auwald Biotop area which is… not where that is marked on the map. The biking trail has nothing to do with those signs.
As you see the signs are really small.
At first they was only in the main area (your screen). But later they expend the trail at the other river side as with they sign (total in this place are over 100 signs).
There are also some POIs of these are at the east of the bridge.
So at your statement this POIs are fake or? But if there were fake POIs, why these POIs were not reloved as the other onces?
If the removed POIs are fake why there are was accept once. As I noticed in your statement the evalution process is so also garbage? So why should be the process for removing POIs better?
The process for accepting POIs is mainly community run, while the removal process is up to Niantic itself. Community decisions can be hit or miss. If you can link to any source that explains how these signs exist outside of the Biotop area (I couldn’t find one) or provide geotagged images I would be more willing to believe you. If not, this simply looks like misplaced wayspots
As I know from the past, Niantic used a special filter about the submissions which were evaluted positive by the community. Are you really completely surey that they changed the system. In my opionen this makes no sense, that the submissions only are response by the community and without Niantic/Wayfarer.
There POIs are only signes. There only way to proof is to see this ones in real. So what proof do you really have, that this POIs not are correct and there area even hasn’t increased?
And what about the POIs on the other side (east of the bridge). These are in the game as well.
Hi,
The respondents in this topic have been fellow wayfinders. We do not have access to what exact evidence was provided for the removals.
The wayfarer team would have needed to have been provided with evidence in order to remove.
In order to reinstate they will need proof that they still exist at those locations. So geotagged photos are good. Short videos that allow the area to be seen also work well.
I understand that it is frustrating but they need this evidence.if you provide it and all is well they will hopefully restore.
However you don’t provide the evidence then you won’t progress this.
Are you sure, that there is a special require, if other players gives the order to remove POIs. I know there you must send a proof if you send the removal by the pokemongolive page. But if you play this game you can click on the stop/gym and got the option to send a removal. How exactly this request will be proofed? As I know every play can mark a stop/gym for the removal without a deep proof.
So if I send tagged picture of the removed POIs, is it sure that there is the possibility to get them back (if the tagged pics would be accept)? Does Niantic/Wayfarer really takes care about that and proof this?
I asked because this is a lot of work (first I must find the POIs, which are stops/gyms in the game and which ones are not, because there are to close to an other POIs, and after that every pics must get a tag).
Until now I haven’t received any reactions from Niantic/Wayfarer.
Thanks.
Hi I understand how frustrating this must feel.
If someone uses the report form they can attach any appropriate evidence to that. They can refer to streetview or satellite in cases where that makes the situation clear.
If you read through this section you will realise that the team don’t remove just because someone says so, they want evidence.
All the other advice about what to provide you will also see that this is what is routinely recommended.
You don’t have to do it all at once. Do what you can and add to this topic.
Now Niantic changed the location of the remaining stops/gyms. All of these are standing so near to eachother that you can’t turn these. Now the location is apparently wrong, but changed by Niantic.
At my first e-mail to the support I received the reply, that the POIs are removed because of the owners wishes. But know the changed the location. As I know this is oly possible to changed by pokemon go players, what means the support lied to me.
My opinion is that Niantic don’t proofs the removals or location changes otherwise they noticed that this loacation can’t be real.
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