I just had a local competitor, a person I once helped too, actually take one of MY roof cleaning picture file names from a Google Map, use the file name as HIS "company name", and made a Google Local listing, complete with HIS phone number and webpage url!
He then had the audacity to act like he had "nothing to do with it", and had reported the listing to Google, himself
The "fly in the ointment" for him was this, HIS profile was associated with the listing. Here is why, when you make a Google local Listing, it must be verified, and a Google account MUST be set up. Google them gives your computer a cookie, that associated THAT profile with that listing. You CAN get into Google Local from a superpages or yellowm page online listing, but tyhe profile must be claimed before Google associates a profile with it!
Thanks Mark, I hate to be a "snitch", but whats right is right. You and I work long and hard on web page placement. For a local competitor to do what he did is unthinkable, at least to me. Lets say you have a bunch of old pics you named roof cleaning portland oregon 6.05 am 1-11-09 you placed on a Google Map you made ? I come along, and create a listing, and call my company name roof cleaning portland oregon 6.05 am 1-11-09 with my url, and phone number ? Now, Google crawls this, and gives me credit for all your hard work!
This is what was done to me, but Google never "forgets"
Things are slow right now, for some, perhaps he thought I was "stealing all his work" ? Whatever, it was not right, and thank God Google though so too