For those who need Bing Maps error correction, please read

I have given up trying to suggest a correction. Bing have been misspelling Charleston S.C.

as Christon S.C. on their weather maps in the MN area via the Star and Tribune paper for

years and maybe other places as well and don't seem to care. I keep getting referred to

other sources.

After almost a fruitless year waiting for Bing Maps to correct a place labeling error, I came to a realization that Bing Maps, irrespective of what they state, will not correct geographic place names and issues.  My experience (see here), and that of many others on this forum who have waited years for changes to be implemented, all to no avail, have shown this to be true.  The only timely corrections I have seen are that of Points of Interest and other things that, I think, Bing itself inserts.  I read a Moderator quote in a forum post (see here) that reads (italics are mine) "it's unreasonable to believe that Microsoft/Bing is the source of the error and that they can change it.  They simply purchase their data from others."

Therefore, when correcting geographic place errors, instead of using the Map’s Feedback feature, simply report these issues to the Bing Maps’ data suppliers, found at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/about-bing-data-suppliers.  Use the United States Geological Survey at http://www.usgs.gov or the U.S. Board of Geographic Names' Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) at Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov) as contacts for the United States if their map name data is also incorrect.  According to Bing's Developer Forum, the primary U.S. data supplier for Bing Maps is Navteq. Other country’s residents need to research for the data supplier for their geographical area.  I reported my error to the USGS, GNIS, Navteq, Mapquest, INEGI, Applied Geographic Solutions, Inc., Digitalglobe, geonames.org and ArcGIS.  I have found reporting to these various sites brings almost immediate responses and corrections.   Bing Maps will then use these supplier corrections on map updates.  Be sure to document and reference your proposed changes.

Unfortunately, this is what Bing’s map error correction team should be doing,.  It's a shame that we have to do the work that they are paid to do.  I do not think it is unreasonable for Bing to work with the data suppliers and forward on our reports so they can make their maps as accurate as possible.  Nor is it unreasonable to then expect and demand relatively rapid supplier map corrections.  Other mapping services do this.  Waiting years for corrections, if they're even done by then, IS unacceptable.  Comments and corrections are appreciated.

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Streets and Trips worked fine. Bing Maps seems to benefit organizations only. The user cannot find nearby places, state parks, national parks etc. I am unable to use it to plot paths from point A to Point B. I'll stick with Google.

Vernon C1,

From your response on the Wiki How to Report Bing Maps Data Issues

There are too many map errors for any one site to keep up with today.  Don't be too hard on Microsoft.  

I’m sorry.  I just can’t leave your comments be without a reply.  Please familiarize yourself with my dealings with poor misunderstood and overworked Microsoft/Bing by clicking here.  As of today, nearly a year and a half after my initial report, the issue remains current and unresolved.  After reviewing, please comment.

...j

The Bing Maps team does go through an fix a large number of reported issues on a daily basis. Many of these are passed on to the respective data provider for correction. The investigation of an error can take some time as research has to be done and in some cases, someone has to physically drive out to a location and capture new data (i.e. when a new subdivision is built). The Bing Maps team prioritizes reported errors that come from customers who license Bing Maps and expedite those. The world is a constantly changing place, in the UK alone there are 20,000 new different location based changes every month. These aren't errors, but simply new addresses and location changes that didn't exist the previous month. The dataset behind Bing Maps is measured in petabytes. All that said, the Bing Maps team has been working on a massive year and a half project to modify how it handles this mammoth amount of data such that changes and fixes can be made much quicker. That said, the research part is still needed as Bing Maps doesn't blindly accept data changes as over 90% of the reports that come in today are false, some knowingly making incorrect submissions in the hopes to either undermine the maps or create an issue for a location on the map.

That said, I've looked at your past threads and don't see any mention of what the actual issue is. Also, you mentioned contacting the Bing Maps support team. Does this mean you license the Bing Maps developer API's as that's the only support team the Bing Maps team has. If you do, then you should be posting these messages in the Bing Maps MSDN forums as that's related to the Bing Maps developer platform. This forum is related to the Bing Maps consumer site which is essentially another customer of the Bing Maps platform.

Mr. Brundritt,

Thank you for your reply.  Sorry I’ve taken so long to respond, but I’ve been out of the country for several weeks and without internet access.

I really don't understand your comment of me not mentioning an actual issue.  I think this is a major part of the problem.  Did you actually read the thread?  (Again, see here for it.)  My issue is that Bing refuses to correct my 200 year old village's name spelling mistake.  I think the United States Geological Survey (USGS) made the original spelling mistake on a map revision around 10 or 15 years ago, and they immediately owned up when I found it and pointed it out to them last spring.  They referred it as a typo, and then quickly and officially corrected it.  In your reply you also implied it was possible I just might have nefarious reasons to change the spelling.  I provided your organization the much more detailed documentation I gave the USGS and every other map data supplier, using your consumer map’s native Error Feedback feature a year and a half ago.  The documentation I supplied to you in the spring of 2014 is conclusive.  It obviously was good enough for everyone else, for they all made the correction within months, including your primary supplier, Navteq/HERE.  Also, a very simple Bing search will show that I’m correct in the spelling.  My bone of contention with your organization is your excessive delay of implementation of multiples of error reports, both mine and others.  My issue has been going on for almost 19 months now, even with several “escalations”, the first over a year ago. 

I am just one of your users, not a developer.  I'm just trying to improve the accuracy of your map, therefore the snarky, accusative reply from you is surprising.  Forgive me if your company continues to frustrate me.  After rereading your comment, I get the impression that Bing Maps is primarily geared for corporate and paying clients, not one of great unwashed non-commercial users without a Bing Maps developer API license, whatever that is.  And I sure wish your company made it clear that the consumer map’s error reporting routine WE are to use has no support team staff behind it.  Actually, this astonishing information certainly explains a lot.

I have lived in my neighborhood for almost 9 years.  Microsoft has yet to fix many errors in the names of the streets despite me sending a request at least once a year.  Google had similar mistakes when we moved in.  I sent a polite e-mail explaining the errors and the corrections, and two weeks later, I received an e-mail that said "You're right."  I now tell people to not use Bing if they are looking for directions to my house because it will be wrong.

Why can google fix an error in 2 weeks, but it takes more than a decade for Microsoft to fix it.  I'm sorry, Mr. Brundritt.  I do not feel sorry for Microsoft.  Their laziness extends to the people who depend on mapping services to do their job, and obviously Microsoft does not take pride in their work.

Hello,

We have a small pedestrian street incorrectly named after the boulevard next to it, causing issues with driving directions to and from the hotel located on the street in question. I've just edited in on Navteq, do you think that will help and how often Bing Maps is refreshed based on Navteq data? The street is in Barcelona, Spain. 

Thank you. 

UPDATE:  Nearly 3 years after my initial report on the misnaming error of my village, and long after every other mapping service AND the federal government has made the correction, the name remains uncorrected on Bing Maps, even with the conclusive and irrefutable documentation given to you, and your company's multiple escalations of this case.  THREE YEARS!

Mr. Brundritt, I’d really appreciate an explanation of this.  Related Bing Community threads are here and here to illustrate the issue.

Smittychat, if you would, please forward this to Mr. Brundritt for comment, because, as your company states, “Bing Listens.”