I entered my business phone number, which is a cell phone 805
890-3120, and the google link tomapquests says my business is located
in Oxnard CA, but it is not.  It is at 649 E. Easy Street, Unit C,
Simi Valley CA 93065.

I am concerned that I may have had customers think I am in Oxnard, and
this will cause much confusion and maybe sales.

Why does the Mapquest think I am in Oxnard, and how can this be
corrected?

THank you!

Ken

Hi, Ken!

A Google Search on the string   805-890-3120   brings up: 
"The Loft Home Collection, (805) 890-3120, Oxnard, CA 93030"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=805-890-3120&btnG=Google+Search

However, it looks like your business name is:
"Patton and Associates Environmental Consulting...
tel: (805) 581-3146  
fax: (805) 581-4130"
http://www.pattonandassociates.com/newcontact.html

Do you also run (or have you in the past) a business named "The Loft
Home Collection"? If not, then it looks as if your cell phone number
is relatively new, and this is the directory listing for the previous
owner.

Just like phone books, web telephone directories on services such as
Google, AOL, AnyWho, InfoSpace, etc. do not get updated
instantaneously with changes in directory listings. Given the massive
numbers of telephone numbers in the United States, it is likely that
they may sometimes lag behind for months. The owners have to purchase
and upload updates to those directories from the local phone
companies, and with all the different local phone companies all over
the United States, you can see why it might be a never-ending task to
keep the listings updated.

There are a couple of things you **can** do to try to fix your Google
Listing:

1) Click on the little telephone icon on the above telephone number
Search Results page:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=805-890-3120&btnG=Google+Search

That will bring up Google's telephone directory Help page:
"Google has added the convenience of US street address and phone
number lookup to the information we provide through our search box.
You'll see publicly listed phone numbers and addresses at the top of
results pages for searches that contain specific kinds of keywords...
To have your residential or business phone and address information
removed from the Google PhoneBook, click here."
://www.google.com/help/features.html#wp

Now, it doesn't give instructions on how to update your directory
listing, only to remove it:
"To remove your business listing information from the Google
phonebook, please send a signed request on your company letterhead to
the address below. Include a phone number at which you can be reached
so that we may verify your phonebook removal request.

Google Phonebook Removal
2400 Bayshore Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043"
://www.google.com/help/pbremoval.html

However, what you **can** try, instead of waiting for Google to
purchase and upload new directory listings from your phone company, is
to send them a "Change" Request. As directed above, write or type the
request on a piece of your official company letterhead. Ask that your
directory listing be **CORRECTED**, and clearly label the old listing
and the new listing. Be sure to sign your name.

--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Google,

I am requesting that you please **UPDATE** my telephone directory
listing.

Current **OLD** information:
----------------------------
The Loft Home Collection
Oxnard, CA 93030
(805) 890-3120 


Please update to this **NEW** information:
------------------------------------------
Patton and Associates Environmental Consulting
649 East Easy Street, Unit C 
Simi Valley, CA 93065 
(805) 890-3120


Thank you!

<signature here>

Ken Patton
Patton and Associates Environmental Consulting
--------------------------------------------------------

Then address your letter as follows:

Google Phonebook
ATTN: **UPDATE** (NOT Removal)
2400 Bayshore Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

I can't guarantee it, but hopefully this should have the desired
result.

2) Change the information on your contact page to:
tel : (805) 581-3146  
cell: (805) 890-3120
fax : (805) 581-4130
http://www.pattonandassociates.com/newcontact.html

This way, if someone enters your cell phone number into the Google
Search box, your website -- and not just Google's phone directory
listing -- will come up in the Search Results.

Then resubmit this contact page URL:
http://www.pattonandassociates.com/newcontact.html
to be crawled again by the Googlebot:
://www.google.com/addurl.html


Search Strategy

"649 East Easy Street" "Simi Valley"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22649+East+Easy+Street%22+%22Simi+Valley%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=0


Before Rating my Answer, if you have any questions about this
information, please post a Request for Clarification, and I will be
glad to see what I can do for you.
    
I hope that this Answer provides exactly the information that you
needed to get your information corrected and the Customers rolling
through your doors!
  
Regards,  
  
aceresearcher

I think the answer may have missed the point of the question. He asked
why if he is located in one city would his cel phone number show up as
a different city. The city associated with a phone number is based on
the 3 digit exchange (in this case 805.) Cel phone exchanges are based
on where the cel phone company is based out of, not where the user is
located. This is in contrast to your home number which is based on
where your residence is located. Cel phone companies buy blocks of
numbers in their location and assign them to their customers.  So, if
you buy a cel phone from a company in City A and then you use it in
City B, the name of City A will show up in directories, caller ID,
itemized phone bills, etc.

Thanks for your input, jonmm.

While the situation you describe **might** be true if Google provided
directory listings only for cell phone companies, what Google
**actually** provides are telephone directory listings for Individuals
and Businesses.

What shows up on the following page is an actual Business Directory
(a.k.a. Yellow Pages) listing for a company named "The Loft Home
Collection", and not just a geographical location by cell phone
exchange.
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=805-890-3120&btnG=Google+Search
This company apparently had Ken's cell phone number at some time in
the past -- and the number MAY or MAY NOT have been attached to a cell
phone at that time. Google's Business Directory/Yellow Pages listings
have not yet been updated to show that this number now belongs to Ken.

While Researchers strive for accuracy and appreciate being courteously
informed of inaccuracies, it is important for Commenters to read a
Researcher's Answer **carefully** -- and understand it fully -- before
assuming that it is incorrect.

Regards,

aceresearcher

Per the researcher's follow up comment, I did read his answer
**carefully**, I do fully understand the subject, and I still believe
it is incorrect.  I think the researcher may want to reread the
question **carefully** and fully understand it before answering it. 
The question asked about the listing on Mapquest and why it lists the
wrong city for his business cel phone number.  The answer provided
gives instructions on how to contact Google which has nothing to do
with the situation.

Thanks again for your input, jonmm.

If you read the Question **carefully**, you will see that it does
**indeed** refer to Google:
<< ...and the google link tomapquests... >>

Ken has used Google to pull up a telephone directory listing for his
cell phone number, then clicked on the "MapQuest" link on the same
line as that listing:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=805-890-3120&btnG=Google+Search

His Question has **everything** to do with Google, and the Answer that
I provided is the best one for his situation.

Thanks for participating in the Answers process, jonmm! Please feel
free to request clarification in the future when there is something
that you don't understand.

Regards,

ace

I understand completely. It appears that the researcher does not. If
you need further help in understanding the question asked or any other
subject, please feel free to check with an adult or your teacher.
Thanks!

Based on "ace"'s answer and comments, one might assume that you should
contact Google for a concern about any site on the web, because Google
has a link to the site.  So, if you have a concern about AOL, "ace"
would like you to contact Google, because Google has a link to AOL.
Same goes for Amazon, MSN, KMart, United Airlines.......?

My orignal comment was accurate and well thought out. Unfortunately,
the researcher become sarcastic and rude when it was obvious that I
had given the right answer in a clear and polite manner, while he had
failed to do.  Pinkfreud's comment was rude, insulting,
unprofessional, and inappropriate.  I suggest that you also have an
adult or teacher read your comments before you submit them so that you
do not embarass yourself again.

I was shocked at how 2 researchers could be so incompetent and rude,
but then I did some searching and noticed that you 2 "pals" have made
fools of yourselves together before.
Subject: Just for Pinkfreud-ga: Make Me Laugh 
Category: Arts and Entertainment 
Asked by: aceresearcher-ga

Note to Researchers:

I suggest that you don't feed the troll.

PinkFreud and AceResearcher both have excellent reputations that speak
for themselves and do not require defending. Ken5382-ga also seems
intelligent enough to determine if Ace's answer covers his question
and to request clarification if it does not.

Ken5382: I apologize for causing another email saying that someone has
commented on your question. If Aceresearcher has misunderstood your
question, please post a request for clarification so she can get you
the answers you need. If the answer is indeed what you were looking
for, good luck in getting you telephone number/address issue taken
care of.

- Hammer

Some of you researchers make me laugh. As anyone can see from reading
the comments in order - the first person to be rude and insulting was
"ace." I responded sarcastically to a rude comment.  The next person
to be extremely rude was "pink." And hammer adds his own rude comment.
Don't feed the troll? The only trolls here are "ace", "pink" and
"hammer."

Hi, jonmm-ga:

Please note the pentultimate sentence of ken5382-ga's question:

"Why does the Mapquest think I am in Oxnard, and how can this be 
corrected?"

A moment's reflection should convince you that the issue of how to go
about correcting the situation was indeed raised by the customer, and
that the researcher was then obligated to address "how" as well as
"why".

A little experimentation should convince you (by inspecting the URLs)
whether the information Google forwards to Mapquest contains address
or phone number data, and therefore whether a fix is required on the
Google "directory" side of things or elsewhere.  Bear in mind that as
part of this answer, the researcher has made a suggestion about how
ken5382-ga could try to update Google's phone book listing.

As a result of this I'm hoping you would take the time to correct any
heated misstatements you may come to realize you've made.

regards, mathtalk-ga

Looks like sour grapes from someone who is sore because he didn't get
to be in Google Answers?

I'd say the question got answered and the questioner even got a bonus
-- a "fix" suggested. I'd give it a high rating and ignore the silly
remarks by someone who obviously can't get in to be a Google Answerer
(is that what you're called?).

Hello Ken!

As Aceresearcher has correctly pointed out, it appears that entering
your current cell phone number into Google brings up a listing for the
number's previous owners.

While I'm sure this is quite irritating to you, the directions
Aceresearcher has provided should get things cleared up for you -
particularly updating your contact page for your website.  The new
information will be picked up next month when the Googlebot comes by
to update the index.

If your concern is that people may be confused by the area code, you
needn't worry.  According to Americom's Area Code Decoder, the 805
area code (which is *not* an exchange) covers:

"Bakersfield, Oxnard, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley,
Ventura, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Camarillo and Lompoc"

Area Code Decoder
http://decoder.americom.com/cgi-bin/decoder.cgi

The area code indicates what region of the country you are located in
- in all but the largest cities, which may have several area codes to
themselves, area codes are a better indicator of what part of a given
state you live in, not necessarily the specific city.

Contrary to commenter jonmm-ga's assertion, cell phone companies *can
not* purchase the entire 805 area code.  They *may* purchase entire
exchange blocks, but an exchange is completely different from the area
code.

The "exchange" (the first three numbers *after* the area code) is
actually based on a district "switching office" (also called a CO or
central office).  Prior to 1958, when the old district names were
phased out in favor of All Numeric Calling (ANC), telephone numbers
consisted of the district name, followed by 5 numbers.  For example, I
live near the Greenwood CO in Toledo.  Old-timers in my neighborhood
are still known to give their phone numbers as "Greenwood 8 - 1212"! 
The first two letters correspond to the first two numbers of the
district exchange (47), the next number corresponds to a specific area
(bounded by certain streets) within the district (area 8), giving us
an exchange of 478 on the ANC system.  The local exchange code tells
the phone company where you live, so it can determine how to charge
you for your call (local or toll).

Obviously, this is a little different for cell numbers.  In that, the
commenter is partially correct - the city that shows up on itemized
bills will be the city in which your service provider is, but that
really has nothing to do with why the number's previous owners are
showing up in Google's search listings.

How do I know all this?  My aged aunt was once an operator for Ohio
Bell, and my brother in-law is employed by what is now SBC-Ameritech. 
I called them up and asked them.

I've found a nifty resource that explains much of this in detail, I
hope you find it interesting:

The Telephone EXchange Name Project
http://www.ourwebhome.com/tenp/tenproject.html

--Missy