A Google Review Was Left on Your Business by Mistake: What to Do

If a Google review was clearly meant for another business, first confirm from your records that the reviewer was never your customer. Then report the review in Google Business Profile, because Google's policy requires reviews to reflect an actual experience with that business. While Google decides, post a short, polite reply saying the review seems to describe another company. Google, not the business, makes the final call on removal.

How reviews end up on the wrong business

Most misplaced reviews are honest mistakes, not attacks. The reviewer had a real experience somewhere, then picked the wrong listing when they went to write about it. Common causes include:

• Similar names. Two businesses with near-identical names, or a shared word like a family name or a street name, can sit next to each other in search results.
• Same building or block. A dentist on the second floor gets reviews meant for the clinic on the third, or a café gets reviews meant for the bakery next door.
• Chain and franchise mix-ups. A customer visits one branch and reviews another branch of the same brand, often the one Google Maps showed first.
• Former tenants. Customers looking for a business that used to be at your address may review you instead.
• Vague brand memory. The reviewer remembers the type of business and the neighborhood, but not the exact name.

This matters for how you respond. A reviewer who made an honest mistake is usually reachable and reasonable, which is different from a review written by someone who invented an experience. If you suspect the review is fabricated rather than misplaced, the steps in our guide to a Google review from someone who was never your customer fit better.

What Google's policy says about misplaced reviews

Google's prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps asks contributors to "only post content that is based on your experience" at a specific location. The same policy says a review or rating "should reflect an actual experience with a business." It also lists content that "does not accurately represent the location or product in question" under fake engagement.

The overview page of the Maps User Generated Content Policy names off-topic reviews among the kinds of content that violate the policy. A review describing a meal at a restaurant when your business is a hardware store does not describe an experience at your location. That gives you a policy-based reason to report it.

Two limits apply. First, Google's help page on reporting inappropriate reviews says not to report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it. Second, Google decides. A report is a request for review, not a removal order, and a negative review that describes a real visit to your business stays up even if you think it is unfair.

Step 1: Confirm it really is a mix-up

Before reporting anything, rule out the possibility that this is a real customer. People describe things differently than staff remember them, use nicknames for products, or visited years ago. Check, in this order:

1. Booking, order and payment records for the reviewer's name around the date they mention, if any.
2. Products, services and staff named in the review. Do you sell that item, offer that service, or employ someone by that first name?
3. Location details. Does the review mention a floor, parking lot, view, or street that doesn't match your premises?
4. Opening hours. A review describing a late-night visit when you close at 5 p.m. is a strong signal.
5. The reviewer's other reviews, if their profile is public. Sometimes they reviewed the business they meant to review on the same day.

If you find a matching customer, treat it as a normal negative review and respond to the substance. If nothing matches and the details point clearly to another business, move on to documenting it.

Step 2: Document the mismatch

Write down what you found before you report. You'll want it if Google asks for more, if you appeal, or if someone on your team asks later why a reply says what it says. Keep it short and factual:

• A screenshot of the review with the date and reviewer name visible.
• The specific details that don't match: "Review mentions a car wash; we are an accounting office."
• The business you think it was meant for, if obvious, such as the neighbor with a similar name or another branch.
• A note that your records show no matching customer, without listing anyone's personal data.

Keep this in your own files. Don't post the reviewer's details or your internal records in a public reply.

Step 3: Report the review once

Google's reporting help page describes two routes. From your Business Profile you can open your reviews, select the report option next to the review, choose a reason and send the report. Alternatively, you can use the Reviews Management Tool, select your business, choose to report a new review for removal, pick the review and submit. Menus change, so follow the current help page rather than an old screenshot.

Choose the reason that honestly matches the problem. For a review meant for another company, that is usually the option about the review being off topic or not about your business, if it appears in the list. Don't pick an unrelated reason like profanity just to get attention; a report should describe the actual issue.

Report it once from your owner account. Asking staff, friends or customers to flag the same review is the kind of mass flagging that undermines trust in the process, and it doesn't change the policy question Google is checking.

If you have the review open and want a second opinion on whether it fits a policy reason, our free review removal check walks through the relevant questions.

Step 4: Track the report and know your appeal option

According to Google, review evaluation typically takes several days. In the Reviews Management Tool, the report will show a status such as "Decision pending," "Report reviewed - no policy violation," or "Escalated - check your email for updates."

If Google finds no violation, the same help page says you can submit a one-time appeal through the Reviews Management Tool. Because it is one-time, prepare it carefully: state plainly which details show the review describes a different business, using your notes from Step 2. Our guides on how long Google takes to check a reported review and how to appeal when Google keeps a review cover timing and appeal wording in more detail.

Step 5: Reply politely while you wait

A public reply does two jobs. It tells future readers that the review likely describes another business, and it gives the reviewer a chance to fix their own mistake. Google's Maps help on adding, editing and deleting reviews confirms that reviewers can edit or delete their own reviews after posting, so a friendly reply sometimes resolves the issue faster than a report.

Keep the reply short, assume good faith and avoid sounding accusatory. Google's help page on managing customer reviews notes that replies are checked against content policies before they appear, usually within minutes but sometimes longer, and that they appear publicly under the review as your business.

Example (illustrative): Hi [Name], thank you for taking the time to share this, and we're sorry your visit didn't go well. We're [type of business] at [street], and we couldn't find a visit matching your description in our records. It's possible this review was meant for another business nearby. If so, you can move it by editing or deleting it here and posting it on their listing. If we've got this wrong and you did visit us, please contact [manager's email] so we can look into it.

For a chain mix-up, name the location without criticizing the other branch:

Example (illustrative): Hi [Name], thanks for the feedback. This listing is for our [Neighborhood] location, and the details you describe sound like our [Other neighborhood] store. We've shared your comments with that team. If you'd like the review to reach them directly, you're welcome to post it on their listing, and you can reach us at [manager's email] anytime.

What to avoid in a reply:

• Calling the review fake or the reviewer a liar. An honest mistake is the most likely explanation.
• Naming the other business in a way that blames or disparages it.
• Asking the reviewer to change their rating to something positive.
• Sharing anything from your records about the reviewer.

If the review's content concerns a real problem, even at another business, a calm reply also reassures readers who skim the reviews.

Step 6: Reach out privately only if you already have a channel

If the reviewer happens to be a known contact or replies to your public response, you can explain the mix-up directly and politely. Keep it to a simple note: the review seems to describe another business, here is how they could move it, and thank you. Don't pressure them, don't offer anything in exchange, and don't try to find their contact details outside the normal channels.

Step 7: Prevent the next mix-up

One misplaced review is bad luck. A pattern usually means something on your profile makes your business easy to confuse with another. Check:

• Your business name matches what's on your signage and doesn't include extra keywords that make it resemble a neighbor's.
• Your address, suite or floor number and map pin are accurate, especially in shared buildings.
• Your category and description clearly say what you do.
• Your photos show your entrance and signage, so people can confirm they're on the right listing.

Our guide to fixing wrong information on your Google Business Profile explains how to correct these details. For brands with several locations, give each profile a clear location identifier and make sure staff send review links for the right branch; the multi-location review management playbook covers how central and local teams can divide this work.

What to expect

Some misplaced reviews are removed after a report, some are moved or deleted by the reviewer after a polite reply, and some stay up. If a review stays after the report and appeal, your reply remains the best tool: it explains the situation to readers in your own calm words. Keep your documentation, watch for repeat mix-ups, and focus on earning steady, genuine reviews from your actual customers.