We known as 4 of the businesses that had been listed as towing companies, however Google Maps put them at residential houses.
DENVER — Denver residents in Park Hill and Congress Park could also be shocked to study what number of towing companies are of their neighborhoods — and never simply their neighborhoods, however at their houses.
“I am not a towing firm,” mentioned Park Hill resident Shana Kirk.
However Google Maps confirmed in any other case.
“We had been simply in search of instructions on Google Maps and, out of the blue, we seen on prime of our home, the pin for a towing firm, which we don’t personal,” mentioned Kirk.
On Wednesday, Google Maps confirmed a few dozen icons at individuals’s houses indicating totally different car towing companies from simply south of Nationwide Jewish Well being close to Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, to only east of Metropolis Park.
“We known as and mentioned, ‘You already know, do you know that you just’re utilizing our dwelling handle as what you are promoting handle and will you please right that on Google Maps?'” Kirk mentioned when she known as the enterprise connected to her handle. “And I mentioned, ‘What’s the handle of your organization?’ And she or he did not know or wasn’t allowed to offer it, so I requested to have her employer recognized and he or she hung up.”
The closest factor to a tow within the neighborhood is a avenue sweeping signal with the phrases “Tow Away Zone” on the underside.
“We known as simply to see what would occur if we tried to truly guide a tow ourselves to our personal handle,” mentioned Kirk. “I finished at simply earlier than the purpose the place she would have requested for cost info. I did not wish to present that.”
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9NEWS known as 4 of the businesses that had been listed as towing companies primarily based at residential houses.
They every had the identical 228 prefix.
Every name began with the identical recorded message.
Every name had the identical maintain music.
Every name had a unique particular person reply with the identical firm title: “24/7 Towing and Roadside.”
Once we known as the quantity for “Robust Wheels Street Help” listed at a residence in Park Hill, we had been additionally advised we had known as “24/7 Towing and Roadside.”
“By no means heard of Robust Wheels Street Help,” mentioned Scott Johnson.
You’d suppose he would have, since Johnson lives on the handle the place the enterprise is supposedly primarily based.
“I have been right here about 30 years, 32 years now, and by no means has there been a business enterprise, a towing firm or any sort of firm,” mentioned Johnson.
Is that this a rip-off? Is that this a respectable towing firm saturating Google Maps with a number of listings, utilizing totally different names and numbers to get to the identical name middle to ensure getting the enterprise of anybody needing a tow?
Once we known as Robust Wheels Street Help, we requested for a tow truck to be dispatched to our Park Hill location (in entrance of their supposed enterprise handle). We mentioned we’d pay for a tow truck to reach and depart, simply so we might see the title on the facet of the tow truck, if a tow truck was actually coming.
After quoting us a worth of $189, we declined.
However as a result of they quoted a worth, it’s attainable no matter firm it truly is (if it’s a actual firm), violated a state legislation, in line with a spokesman for the Public Utilities Fee (PUC).
The PUC regulates towing corporations. It might examine a grievance in regards to the towing firm providing a service with out first getting a allow.
“I’ve reported a number of occasions to Google Maps,” mentioned Kirk.
“I feel what it’s essential to do is interview Google,” mentioned Johnson.
We reached out to Google’s media staff and acquired a response from a spokesperson that mentioned:
“Our staff is actively investigating the problem and has already begun eradicating policy-violating content material and disabling consumer accounts discovered to be related to this fraudulent habits. We now have clear insurance policies that prohibit faux contributed content material, and our automated programs and skilled operators work round clock to watch Maps for suspicious habits. We encourage our customers to report deceptive locations and flag critiques, which helps us enhance our automated detection programs and maintain the data on Maps genuine and dependable.”
As of Wednesday evening, the 11 towing corporations we discovered listed in Congress Park and Park Hill had been faraway from Google Maps.
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