Hi everyone, I’d like to share my recent Wayfarer/Niantic experience and see if others had something similar.
I’ve made over 1,000 contributions between 2020 and 2025 without major issues. In February 2025 I suddenly received a 30-day suspension for “misplacement of wayspot submissions” related to a nomination (“Altalene del Ponte”) that was about 15 meters off. Normally this kind of mistake just gets rejected, but in this case I got banned.
The strange part: the suspension email was sent to an old address I once linked through Facebook years ago (used as an alternative login when I couldn’t sign in). I don’t use that anymore and didn’t check it, so I had no idea why I was banned until I found out recently. During the ban I couldn’t access Pokémon GO or Wayfarer (Ingress worked fine and I was normally continuing to contribute). Once the 30 days counter ended, Wayfarer showed a hidden “10-year ban” counter while on Pokemon Go the ban ended so I was able to login in game. Only after contacting Niantic support through Pokémon GO they restored my Wayfarer access. The help service is much better nowadays, that was quick, but I was still unaware of the reason.
Looking back, I also found a similar warning email from two years ago in that same old inbox, which I never saw at the time(not even noticed in games).
Now I’m concerned about two things:
Why are Niantic still sending those specific emails to an old Facebook-linked address only, even though Facebook login isn’t available anymore?
Are bans progressive/escalating (30 days → 1 year → permanent)? Should I be worried that another mistake like this might lock me out for good?
Has anyone else experienced this kind of situation with misplacement strikes or old email addresses being used by Niantic? Any clarification would be super helpful.
The Street View is from three years ago, so I can’t be certain where that swing is located. However, the fact that you round down 15.99 meters to 15 meters and state it definitively clearly shows you haven’t reflected on your mistake. Furthermore, the aerial photo screenshot clearly shows that the swing is much further south than the correct location you’re indicating. Comparing the aerial photos on Intel Map and Google Maps makes me sigh. It’s painfully obvious that the 1000 posts were incredibly careless. I once sympathized because I also received a warning email to my Facebook address. But now I feel the Wayfarer team’s rulings are far too lenient. You should be grateful for their mercy.
Hello,
Do read the policy that is linked carefully.
I can’t offer any insight into the email situation other than people do report not getting emails in the account they expected.
The sanction from 2 years ago no longer matters terms of the enforcement policy.
Although it is a ladder, depending on what causes the sanction you can jump to any point on the ladder.
I think you do need to reflect carefully on how you go about submitting. Since something did occur previously, and phrases such as “ these usually get rejected” to this current error, it all seems to indicate that you are not taking enough care. Perhaps you have fallen into a routine in terms of submitting tgat has some unhealthy habits?
This latest sanction should make you revise what you do with your nominations and try better.
Please allow me to explain. Since you have shared all the information publicly, let me clarify certain things.
The placement on the said nomination was off by over 40 meters.
So was this nomination. Submitting Wayspot nominations at incorrect locations to manipulate the gameboard is considered abuse. All such reports are reviewed and treated equally.
The magnitude of enforcement on any accounts is determined by the points accrued on the abuse ladder from various abuses.
Wayfarer registers the first email used to sign in to Wayfarer. This is a limitation on our side and we are working on a resolution.
It depends on the abuse and points accrued as a consequence.
You can get your ladder reset if there is no abuse for one year. This means that your account returns to a clean slate level and any previous offenses will not cause you to have stronger punishments.
Thanks everyone for the constructive replies, they really cleared up my doubts! I’ll be extra careful with pin placement (double-checking coordinates) going forward. Really appreciate the time, guidance, and examples you all shared here. Feel free to mark this as answered/closed .
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