Reporting invalid portals is 100% always. I mean ALWAYS useless!
Thanks for your report. We have reviewed your invalid Portal report and confirmed that this Portal should remain in the Portal Network.
-NianticOps
NO! You didn't. I was there and you were not where the invalid portal was. I reviewed it and took the decision to report it as permanently removed or whatever! I know and you don't. Want proof? Why not ask for a 360 degree photo or whatever video or something in the app?
The portal report in my however many years has been 100% useless. Why do I have to go through some forums or whatever hoops in order to post pictures, videos, point cloud, dna data and fossil samples in order to get stuff that's no bueno removed when the function in the app could be better? Ask for video proof?! You already want portal scans, what's a tiny fraction of temporary used space for invalid portal reports?
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Go to the Wayfarer forum, post your evidence, along with the email. I've had rejected removals solved that way. It's just the way it's done. The emails could do a much better job of telling people that, however.
Right. But can't the in game report functionality be improved to save whoever is reviewing them in wayfarer forums time along with mine? It could be a win win situation for everyone!
It would be, but it isn't there, and I doubt we'll get it anytime soon. I suspect that they want some place to allow some kind of public viewing of why people are putting in removal requests, maybe allow for 'debate', but that's just headcanon.
Sure, it could go through the portal reviews like submissions. Just ask for video or picture proof. Otherwise it's just spam emails coming in that "should remain in portal network" and debates over street view data from 10 years ago
I reported an invalid (no longer exists) portal two months ago. The next day, the portal was removed. I was so surprised I almost fell out my chair when I read the email.
Other than that, I had one duplicate report that was accepted. Everything else was rejected.
Well, I can tell of several cases where this feature is being abused, so perhaps the issue is that it doesn't work as intended?
The feature works.
I agree.
The report functionality must include an ability to attach a picture or multiple, or even a video because it's harder to fake.
However I doubt Niantic will implement this, because as Foursquare import of trash PoIs suggests, they need MOAR PoIs, not LESS.
If you're not the first to do so, there is a chance that it speeds up something that can take months. I have seen anything from inside of a week to a year for resolution.
Attaching a photo or a vid would be great.
Same for photo updates. (One place was still valid, but signage had changed, rejected, twice on new photo).
Another place, demolished, both Enl and Res have submitted for removal - all rejected.
A photo / video might reduce abuse as well.
from the scanner its useless since i dont know how many years, u need go through wayfarer, thats how i got removed a few invalid portals.
I still feel report from scanner should get option to attach a photo or even small video to show proof if a object irl is gone it would be easy as proof send that from scanner
Yes - agree. However, writing a huge document, with supporting evidence etc... It's a lot of work to maintain someone else's database integrity. Especially when even then, Niantic don't always action it despite clear evidence.
Absolutely agree, the report invalid portal system is very useless. The last time i'm request remove fake portal ( using photo from pillow with dora**** theme) with title dora**** murals. I did it 4 times 😤. Maybe you are suggesting me to go the wayfarer forum, it can make me get abuse at real life or maybe make a new drama from another pogo/ingress player. The last time i found submission with name of player + abuse word, his photo, abusing description and additional (this point because his very like to report all fake portal, to the wayfarer forum). Imagine is it a photo of you, your parents, your sibling, or your children. Just because you want this game to be right.
I have the impression that sending a portal scan - waiting a few days - and then sending the deletion request works.
I know that Niantic explicitly said it wouldn't work like this, but it seems to have worked for me in a few occasions.
Or it was a coincidence.
(Edit: spelling)
That's OK if you can scan it maybe?
Demolished and previous site fenced off, it's a little difficult.
Niantic has said scans has nothin to do with deleting portals.
What Niantic says and what they do, are often not the same.
Even being able to provide a reason with the ability to link documentation is enough
As a person who removed like 10.000 fake Portals, I can say: Yes, ingame reports are useless. You need to go further and use the wayfarer forum with good evidence in order to get rid of invalid POIs.
Many people stop trying to report invalid Portals because of this, some spam reports on the Portal in question. I am used to see reports getting rejected, in the end, they are still getting removed via the forum.
My record was 46 rejected reports on a single day xD
All of them got removed later on
However, Portals on school grounds or inside of roundabouts mostly get removed with ingame reports.
Again, that's a lot of work. Kudos to you for putting the effort in.
An invalid report should allow a photo in scanner.
I tried this theory. 20+ scans about three weeks ago, today, edit denied
Problem would be that this can get abused easily.
Better than existing system which works 100% on trust.
I have seen enough fake reports and "enemy fraction" attacks on POIs, I would trust no one.
NIA Ops seems to use Street View as their primary way of determining if a portal still exists or not. Submit a photosphere showing the updated area, and then submit for removal.
I reported several totally fake portals, that aren't in the location, or there aren't any similar structure or wall that indicate that these murals could be there and yet the reports were dismissed ...
You can even have things like this which would be easy to check by just google image search them or do the same with the Portal network. But no, the reports are always rejected
The odd thing I've noticed when reporting an invalid portal - I get the denied message but when I checked the area again - portals were deleted. It's the oddest thing.
Sometimes, Portals are getting reported multiple times. Also, there are some problems with translation. Whatever you will get as result, you will get a "Your report has been rejected" title in german mails via Pokemon GO.
In my experience, ingame Invalid Portal reports always work, and quickly - IF it's something that could get Niantic sued: k-12 schools, unsafe, obstructs emergency services, single family private property.
If something used to be there, but has been removed... by Ingress lore, that's fine. Portals have been emitting XM for centuries. People were inspired by that XM to put artwork there, or a church, or whatever. If the artwork/whatever has been moved, it's still a portal, emitting XM same is it did before and during the human marker.
FAKE portals... that's where the problem comes, and Niantic's slow response hurts.
In total, the reporting feature is broken. You need a mail in order to appeal. But that can take up to a year or even longer.
Just the first thing I found:
Some mails are coming pretty soon, but something like this sucks.