Handling a Disputed or Incorrect Listing

You search for your business and find a listing that is wrong. The phone number is out of date. The category is "closed". Or there is a listing you never created, claimed by someone else, with details that are almost right. Customers are calling the wrong number, arriving at the wrong place or leaving reviews on a page you cannot edit.

It is frustrating, and it is common. The good news is that most directories have a process for correcting and disputing listings, and it usually works if you approach it calmly, with evidence. This guide walks through what to do.

Work out what kind of problem it is

The right response depends on the kind of problem.

An inaccurate listing you can edit. You own it, but the details are wrong. Fix it.

An unclaimed listing created from public data. The directory made it, nobody owns it, and it is wrong. Claim it and correct it.

A listing claimed by someone else, such as a former employee, an agency or a stranger. Dispute ownership.

A duplicate. See our article on finding and merging duplicates.

A listing marked closed in error. Reopen it, with evidence.

A listing that is false or misleading, created by a competitor or an impostor. Report it.

Reviews or photographs you dispute. Follow the directory's content policies and reporting routes.

Identify which applies before you act.

Gather your evidence

Directories need to be sure that you are who you say you are, and that the facts you provide are right. Collect:

• Proof the business exists and is yours. A registration or incorporation record. For UK companies, GOV.UK explains that Companies House provides free information about registered companies, including registered address, incorporation date and officers, which can serve as evidence.
• Proof of the address. A utility bill, bank statement or lease in the business name, if appropriate and the directory accepts it.
• Proof of the location. A dated photograph of the premises with the signage visible.
• Proof of the website. Access to the domain, or a page on your official site showing the business details.
• Proof of identity where the directory asks for it.
• A record of what is wrong, with screenshots and dates.

Keep copies in a folder. Redact anything the directory does not need to see, and share only what is requested.

Step one: try the self-service options

Most directories offer ways to act yourself.

• Claim or verify the listing. Look for a button such as "Own this business?" Follow the verification steps, which may involve a code sent by post, phone, text or email. Google describes verification as the way to show that you are authorised to manage a business, and says that businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to appear in local results.
• Suggest an edit. Where you cannot claim the listing yet, you can often suggest corrections. They may be reviewed before they appear.
• Mark as closed, moved or duplicate. Use the options on the listing itself.
• Report a problem. Look for a flag or link.

Do the simplest thing first. Many problems are fixed by verification and an edit.

Step two: contact support

If self-service does not work, contact the directory's support team.

• Be brief and specific. Say which listing, what is wrong, what is correct and what you want them to do.
• Include links to the listing and to any related listings.
• Attach or describe your evidence.
• Give your contact details and your role in the business.
• Keep the tone polite. The person reading your message is more likely to help if you are courteous.
• Keep a record of when you wrote and what you said.

A short template:

"Hello. I am the owner of [business], at [address]. A listing at [link] shows an old phone number and says the business is closed. We are open and the correct number is [number]. I can provide our registration record and a dated photograph of our premises. Please let me know what you need to verify ownership and correct the details."

Step three: ownership disputes

If someone else has claimed your listing, the process is more formal.

• Use the directory's ownership request or dispute route. The current owner may be notified and given time to respond.
• Prepare to prove ownership. Registration documents, proof of address, your website and photographs.
• Check whether the claimant is a former employee or agency. Contact them directly first. Often they will transfer access.
• Be patient and persistent. Disputes may take weeks.
• Do not create a new listing to get around it. That creates a duplicate, which complicates matters.

If a competitor or an impostor claimed your listing, report it with evidence. Directories take impersonation seriously.

Step four: disputed content

Sometimes the dispute concerns reviews, photographs or Q and A on your listing.

• Read the content policy. Reviews should reflect genuine experience. Google's rules for reviews forbid fake and misleading content, and incentives to leave or remove reviews.
• Report content that breaks the rules, such as spam, fake reviews, conflicts of interest or abuse.
• Respond to genuine criticism, politely and briefly, as described in Google's tips for replying: be professional and polite, address the reviewer by name, acknowledge what they said and offer to resolve things offline for complex matters.
• Do not pay or pressure anyone to remove a review. That is prohibited and can lead to penalties.
• Keep a record of problematic content and how you reported it.

Be patient, and follow up

Directories handle many requests. If you do not hear back in a reasonable time, follow up once, referring to your first message. If there is an escalation route, such as a community forum, a social media support account or a formal complaint process, use it politely and factually, and avoid posting private information publicly.

Fix the knock-on effects

While waiting, limit the damage.

• Update your own website, map profile and other directories with correct details.
• Add a note to your website if customers might be confused: "Please note: some directories show our old number. Our current number is below."
• Tell staff what customers may say, so that they respond helpfully.
• Monitor the listing until it is fixed.

Prevent repeat problems

• Claim your listings on the main directories before someone else does.
• Use a shared business email for ownership, not one person's address.
• Record who has access and revoke it when people leave.
• Keep a master list of every listing and its status.
• Search for your business regularly, including old names.
• Keep your evidence folder up to date.

A worked example

A furniture restorer finds that a directory lists her workshop under her old trading name, with a phone number that rings a stranger, and states that the business is closed. The listing has been claimed by an email address she does not recognise.

She gathers her company registration details from the public register, a dated photograph of the workshop sign and a screenshot of the listing. She uses the directory's ownership request, uploading the evidence, and writes to support with a short, polite explanation and links. She also updates her website and map profile with the correct details, and posts a note on her site about the incorrect number.

After ten days, the directory tells her that the previous claimant, a former business partner, has not responded, and transfers ownership to her. She corrects the name, number and status, adds photographs and sets up a shared business email for the account. She makes a note in her master list to search for the old trading name every six months.

A checklist

• Identify the type of problem
• Gather evidence
• Try claim, verify and suggest-edit options
• Contact support, briefly and politely
• Use the ownership dispute route if needed
• Follow content policies for reviews and photographs
• Follow up once, then escalate politely
• Update your own pages meanwhile
• Prevent repeats with a master list and shared access

The categories page here shows where listings sit, the search page finds listings by words and the contact page explains how to get in touch if something on this site is wrong.

When the listing is right but the customer is wrong

Occasionally, a listing is accurate and a customer still insists that it is not, perhaps because they relied on an old copy or a different directory. Stay courteous. Check what they saw, thank them for letting you know and, if there is a source of confusion that you can remove, do so. Often a small clarification on your own site, such as a line stating your opening hours and your address, prevents a repeat. Treat every apparent error as a prompt to check, because sometimes the customer is right and the problem is yours.

Frequently asked questions

Can I demand that a directory remove my listing? Policies vary. Many allow removal for businesses that have closed or that ask to opt out, but check the terms.

Should I argue with the person who claimed my listing? Start with a friendly message. Use formal routes if that fails.

How long does a dispute take? From days to weeks. Keep records and be patient.