Hi, this is the first waypoint/pokestop that I have submitted. I don’t understand why it got rejected, specifically for abuse, ridicule, or harassment? I can’t come up with any idea why my submission would fit that criteria. It’s literally a bench. I took the photos myself. I can understand why someone might assume it’s private property because it’s in a neighborhood, but it’s a community space. Anyone can use it.
NianticAaron has explained that this text is just what comes up when abuse is flagged. (I hope they change this.) The actual abuse is in the “Niantic Note” that you submitted at an incorrect location.
Misplacing pins is serious abuse.
If you have evidence that this is correctly pinned, then you can share it here.
Glad you have found the forum!
Welcome to the forums ![]()
I believe that “abuse” can be flagged for a nomination for any of the following reasons
* The photo is not yours (e.g., taken from streetview, found on another website)
* The text itself is abusive
* The nomination is controversial and likely to be offensive (e.g., a mural of terrorists)
* Another nomination was abusive and all of yours have been flagged as a consequence
* The wayspot location pin is deliberately misplaced
* The wayspot is deliberately misrepresented (e..g., on school property but pretending it isn’t)
* (there may be others)
I don’t know where you pinned it, but the bench is very clearly there on street view
You should definitely submit that court behind it if it hasn’t already been submitted! That will be an much easier nomination.
The preferred pin for a court like this is at the point of entry.
There is no evidence that anyone assumed that. The second rejection reason is “may not be publicly accessible”, which doesn’t mean “private property” but means “cannot be safely accessed by people”. An example that would get this rejection would be a sculpture on a roundabout.
(A wayspot does not have to be accessible by everyone. Wayspots can be in gated compounds, but cannot be on SFPRP = single-family private residential property.)
Hi and welcome @sjwitt91
It’s not always clear where the best place is to post, and the appeals area is very specific.
So to help this get the correct attention I am moving it to nomination support.
Thanks for the advice everyone!
Will my account be flagged or anything if I re-submit this with the pin like dead center on the bench in maps? I did not deliberately misplace the pin. If I look at my submission, I agree it’s not exactly right on the bench, but it is right there next to it where I was standing when I made the submission. If it needs to be exactly on the bench then okay, rules are rules. (though I wonder at the consistency of reviews, because there are plenty of questionable waypoints in my town)
As an aside, I’d offer that “abuse” is a very poor classification. It gave me a bit of a jump scare when I saw it, because I thought I had unknowingly done something really bad. Abuse is a word with some heavy connotations, and a pin being a little off doesn’t seem to equate.
Personally, with just your word for it this does sound strict.
For location, I work on the following.
A: It should be placed at the exact spot.
B: Reviewers can move the spot if close by, if you had selected a spot in the “seating area” I may have moved it but would never have classed it as Abuse.
When you submitted the nomination you should have received an email with the GPS Co-ords as you placed it. Post those and we can take a look and see whether this is probably the reason.
It is known in these forums that the rejection narrative for “abuse” is a little heavy and often doesn’t match well to the actual issue. Unfortunately, that is how things are, as it has been a long time since this was first flagged and it hasn’t been changed.
Issues with existing wayspots shouldn’t be used to try and justify new wayspots. Sometimes things got through review that shouldn’t, sometimes the criteria change, sometimes people cheated.
Be careful to put the pin on the actual object - don’t rely on your GPS and don’t do it simply where you are currently standing.
The bench is a harder nomination to get accepted. If you resubmit, be sure to submit it as a place to be social. I would leave out the part about “greenway entrance” based on what I can see on Maps. It isn’t clear that this marks the entrance to a greenway.
Do you mean the pathway across the street? The sign on Street View for that says “Private Drive” so I think you would really have to have some evidence that this is a greenway.
That curb being there has me confused.
I wonder if calling this the “greenway entrance” is why they said it was not at the location? But resubmitting it correctly should be fine.




