In the dynamic world of Google Business Profile management, you might think you’ve seen it all — until a case like this comes along to shake your belief. As we give you a rundown of the signs that led to it all and how we found the perfect antidote to the suspended GBPs, grab a cup of coffee or some popcorn because this one’s going to be a gripping episode, filled with some twists, turns and a happy ending eventually.
It all began with a soft-suspended profile! For those unfamiliar with the term, a soft suspension means the profile is live but the owner has no access to it. Sounds strange? Yes. Is it manageable? Also yes.
Our client, let’s call him Mr. A, was planning to move his shop to a new location, so naturally, all his documents reflected the new address. He thought, “Why rush? The profile is still live, and the leads are rolling in!” Little did we know, this was the calm before the storm.
Fast forward 25 days. Out of the blue, we notice something alarming: the phone number on the profile had been changed. Panic hits us.
We sprang into action immediately.
Step one: gather updated documents and fresh store photos.
Step two: submit an appeal to Google.
Within four days, success
Or so we thought…
To our surprise, the reinstatement didn’t restore the original profile. Instead, we had a shiny new profile with no reviews. And guess what? The old profile was still out there, but someone else had access to it. Yep, someone had hijacked the original profile. Talk about a plot twist!
Determined to reclaim the old profile (because reviews matter!), we filed an ownership request. Unsurprisingly, it got rejected. We didn’t stop there. Since the client, Mr. A, still had access to the old location’s mailbox, we requested a postcard verification for the original profile. A quick note to add here for the unaccustomed; Postcard Verification is when Google sends a code to the owner’s address which can be applied to access the profile.
Meanwhile, we reached out to Google Support, explaining the bizarre situation. Five days later, the postcard arrived—not at the old address as expected but at the new address. We decided to give it a shot anyway. We entered the code, clicked “Verify,” and… “No way to verify” popped up on the screen. Oh, come on, now what?!
With no other option, we waited for Google to respond. But here’s where experience comes in handy: we decided to play the system a little. Using a different email ID, we submitted another ownership request for the old profile. And just like that, verification kicked in. Game on!
On day five of the fiasco, just as we were biting our nails waiting for updates, an email arrived from Google. “You are now the owner of the profile.” Victory dance time! 🎉
We had successfully reclaimed the old profile with all its glorious reviews. But wait, there’s more to the saga! We now had two profiles:
Now that both profiles were under our control, it was time for the final step: updating the old profile’s address to the new one and merging them both. This would consolidate the reviews and ensure the business had one unified presence online.
This case was a classic rollercoaster. Here are some takeaways from the case:
This case wasn’t just about fixing a suspended profile; it was about navigating the unexpected and staying ahead of the game. In the end, we turned what could have been a loss into a big win for our client—and that’s what makes this job so rewarding.
We hope this story brought you some insights—and maybe a chuckle or two. Got a tricky Google Business Profile situation? Let us know!
