[kps]

It's a bit disturbing that locksmiths, of all people, are exceptionally dishonest. Florists I can understand — their entire business depends on emotional manipulation.

(Though it makes me feel better about taking an angle grinder to my door when I lost my keys a few years ago.)

[blissfulight]

It isn't locksmiths, as a whole, who are dishonest, it's that there's an international organized crime ring that runs a majority of the locksmith ops in the US, Canada, UK, and other countries. They operate call centers here and abroad that route calls to contractors in the field, who are usually working (at least in the US) here illegally on tourist visas, and they charge several hundred dollars above market price to perform unlocks, and much more to sell and install counterfeit lock hardware, none of which their workforce is remotely qualified to actually carry out. Unless you know the locksmith, or know their shop, or can find a locksmith affiliated with ALOA, or use your insurance company's (example: AAA) list of approved locksmiths, it's wise to steer clear of any locksmith on Google affiliated products. Otherwise, you'll become a victim of their bait-and-switch schemes (which often run as "$15 unlock in 15 min." on Google AdWords). Same could be said for garage door suppliers, carpet cleaners, and handymen--they're all run by the same crime group, more or less, and have been honing their craft since the 1980's, when they got their start with the printed white and yellow pages before moving on to Google. I would start with Meni Agababayev of Run Local Locksmith, and David Peers of Dependable Locks, to find out more information.

(Incidentally, you made a wise choice.)

Similarly, local florists are great, but many of the florist ops on Google Maps are just resellers running out of a call center who tack on an extra fee for ordering the flowers for you.

[smackfu]

This article has a good review of the map spammers and their motivations: https://sites.google.com/site/mapmakerpedia/maps-101/wiping-...

Basically any business that is aimed at homeowners, but tends to be located away from residential areas, has a big inventive to create false locations.

[blissfulight]

I wrote that! Thanks for posting that. Here's a good article from an ex-Maps spammer, detailing how he used exploits in the Maps UI to hijack listings: http://valleywag.gawker.com/how-a-hacker-intercepted-fbi-and... Although that particular loophole is closed, there are still many ways to get spam listings on Maps.

[blissfulight]

Regarding movers, the Senate wrote a report detailing the problems with the moving industry. Many of the spam listings are fronts for a few spammers like Aldo DiSorbo: http://searchengineland.com/us-senate-committee-asks-google-...