Hello,
I am writing this topic to express my frustration regarding the 30-day suspension on my account and the lack of professional handling of my appeal.
On April 22nd, I submitted a nomination for “Zespół Wodociągów Sądeckich” — a historical building over 100 years old, which is not only an important part of local heritage but also a vital piece of water infrastructure in the region. My submission was initially rejected with the absurd reasoning that the structure appeared “non-permanent,” despite being a solid, historic building.
Confident that my nomination met all the necessary criteria, I resubmitted it. However, instead of receiving a constructive response, I was penalized with a suspension for “Misplacement of Wayspot submission.”
Attached is a map where I clearly marked:
In yellow — the nominated building,
In red — the location where I took the photo,
In blue — the fence around the property.
The pin was placed correctly, near the building, on publicly accessible ground, in line with all rules. There is no requirement that the pin must be exactly at the center of the structure. In my opinion, this is similar to how a sports field is treated — the pin can be placed near the location of the object or area, but every case should be treated individually, considering the specific context. If the placement was an issue, the pin could have simply been adjusted, and some explanation would have been appreciated.
I have been an active contributor to the POI network for nearly 10 years, with over 100 accepted, carefully prepared nominations. I dedicate my free time voluntarily to enrich the community. Receiving an unfair suspension for a legitimate nomination feels like a slap in the face. If Niantic truly respects the work and passion of its contributors, I expect a fair and thorough review by a real person who understands the effort players put into building this world. I decided to appeal.
Here is the first response I received from support:
Hello Explorer,
Unfortunately, following a report and an internal investigation performed by our team, we have confirmed that you have been submitting Wayspot nominations that do not meet our criteria. As a result of this violation, your Wayfarer and Pokémon GO/Ingress accounts have been suspended for 30 days.
Here is an example of the violation mentioned above:
Title: Zespół Wodociągów Sądeckich
Context: The aforementioned Wayspot nomination does not meet our eligibility criteria, as it is placed away from the actual object it represents.
We recommend you review the Wayspot Criteria before submitting any more Wayspot nominations. Note that any further violations can lead to permanent suspension of your Wayfarer and Ingress/Pokémon GO accounts.
Best regards.
Unfortunately, this is another example of a generic response, without any real reference to my specific appeal. I responded to the received message, stating that such a response is a complete disrespect for the work of players.
Then, after following up, I received the following:
Hello again {name},
We're committed to our efforts against abuse in Wayfarer. I’m sorry to say we can’t offer any additional information related to this. You are welcome to return to Wayfarer and the game once your ban is lifted.
I am shocked by the lack of professionalism in these responses. It is utterly unacceptable to treat dedicated players in this way. Instead of a thorough review of the situation, we are met with vague and dismissive answers that fail to address the issue. This approach to players who have contributed for years is simply unprofessional.
Additionally, I took the time to provide a detailed explanation (similar to the one I’ve outlined here) along with an attachment to support my case. I invested considerable time and effort into this, and to receive such a dismissive response is even more disappointing. It makes the whole situation feel that much worse.
In my opinion, the current punishment system is nonsensical. If there must be consequences, they should be limited to Wayfarer and not extend to the entire game access. Frankly, it feels like it’s better to stay silent and not contribute at all than to risk losing a 9-year-old account over an unjustified suspension. The system, as it stands, punishes dedicated players rather than fostering a positive and constructive community.
I hope this message encourages a constructive discussion on how the system can be improved to better respect the contributions of dedicated players. I’m looking forward to hearing other thoughts on this matter.
