Google Maps, Leading Customers Away, Literally
Written by Chad on October 9th, 2008Yes, we all know by now I am not a Google Fan. But this is just something I don’t think anyone should ignore. Google Maps / Google Earth is using BAD DATA. There is just no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. And I had to explain it to management today after a couple of customer calls complaining that can’t find a vending machine location that we have listed.
What they had done is copied the address and pasted it into Google Maps. They got a location, went there.. nothing there but a house. They were lead to not only the wrong location, but a wrong location a few miles away from the correct location. So, thanks to that.. customers do not know where to find “x” and now they are also using up gas because they were given bad directions from a “trusted” source.
Here is the location in Google Maps. (How can W Front St go down a side street and go straight anyway?) Now, here it is every where else, being marked in the right location. Everyone that was right was using Navteq maps where google is using Tele Atlas.
In digging deeper, a lot of address we have listed.. if you look in Google Maps for them.. will put you in the wrong location. So, we have started telling people to use Virtual Earth maps or Yahoo Maps instead as they will give you the correct location of an address.
9
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Seriously, everyone is using BAD DATA. TeleAtlas may suck in your part of the world, but NavTEQ does in mine.
I’m personally estatic that Google Maps is using TeleAtlas because it’s going to cut down on the number of calls I get asking why the City has given Google the wrong street information. :S
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9
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I agree with Jason. They’re both great/terrible in fairly equal measures when compared on the whole. At any given spot though there may be huge difference in quality.
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9
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True, and on the website and for any user that calls, we are just telling them to not use Google and use Virtual Earth or Yahoo! Maps instead. They are correct for this area.
I am still amazed at just how bad the TeleAtlas maps are for this area.. I honestly can’t recomend them for any kind of navigation.
But my original point is still valid, because the maps are off.. someone looking for business “x” may not find it and go to business “y” instead.
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10
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I’m afraid I’ve seen more complaints about Googles switch then positive remarks. Looks like NAVTEQ is the better choice.
In my part of the world (Europe) theres a lot of talk about Tele Atlas being better, but it seems their mapping data here is just as bad as in the US.
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10
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It could be, Google is steering people away from vending machines. Can’t have people eating crappy food.
Google is only helping people make better eating choices. You know, do no evil.
KoS
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10
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Wrong kind of vending machines.
But this is a problem.. three calls this morning about people saying machines are not shown on the map where the address is.
I am seriously considering throwing out all this GMap stuff and making all the maps in Virtual Earth instead. Either way, I have a lot of rework to do (and in Google’s use.. verifying WHERE it says a road location is.. and if it is correct). I have had to relocate several markers because Google said there were somewhere else.
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10
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Well, been going through just Berwick, PA addresses.. Google is constantly off just about every address. Sometimes just a block off.. but more often than not, they are off anywhere from three blocks to 3/4 of a mile off.
I hate to think how bad this data is when I move to mapping rural locations..
Is this the same data they use in GPS devices? Because this is a clear example to me, that when I buy or recommend a GPS unit.. I am going to tell people to steer far, far away from any unit that uses Tele Atlas.
Just imagine..
GPS: The ATM you’ve been looking for is ahead.
Driver: *mumbling* God damn it, it’s about time …
GPS: You have arrived, the destination is to your left.
Driver: *looking at the bleak surroundings* Emmm … there’s no cash machine here.
GPS: ‘*cheerfully* You have arrived, the destination is to your right.
Driver: *looks at some dodgy characters closing distance to the car* There must be some mistake here.
GPS: *whistles “Thriller”*
Driver: *rolls down window* Evening, one of you gentlemen care to tell me how to get to a cash machine? I seem to be lost.
Dodgy Character: No. You are exactly where you should be.
(From Uncyclopedia)
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14
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Chad,
Have you submitted corrections to the Tele Atlas or Google sites?
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15
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I have done road names before.. but there are so many errors that it could take me years by my self.. and there is no guarantee they will even put the changes in.
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27
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It’s definitely in your interest to report those changes online – it takes less than a minute to submit one:
http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/mapfeedback/index.php
As for accuracy, I’ve found TA maps to be very accurate – that was one of the main reasons why Google chose to use Tele Atlas for Google Maps.
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