King George Postbox, Brent Road South Croydon
Every GR cypher postbox I’ve ever encountered in Croydon is a PokéStop except - it seems - Brent Road.
The AI reviews or maybe human reviewers that don’t get how are view old cyphers as historical rejected it out of hand. I think it was AI and it thinks all UK postboxes are the same now. 
It should be consistent - it seems daft to have all the GRs for miles around PokéStops except one, particularly as there aren’t any other PokéStops nearby. It’s very disappointing when acceptance is not consistant.
Scopely Explore Note
Thanks for the appeal, Wayfinder! The nomination in question does not meet the Wayfarer criteria as this is a red pillar box, which are commonly found. We recommend you review the Wayspot Criteria and Forum Criteria Discussions Library sections before submitting your next…
Every other GR postbox I’ve seen is one:
This poor neighbourhood (in South Croydon) needs more Pokestops.
The ML (and appeal reviewers) has long rejected UK postboxes/cyphers.
Just best to resubmit and hope you get some good reviewers. Also be clear on why it meets criteria. This thread may help - UK Postboxes Topic
I gave up submitting them a long time ago, as I’ve not found a way to get past the ML system.
Personal opinion is that while they are certainly old, only the G6, E7, V and E8 (especially) are actually rare. G5s are everywhere, and probably don’t meet exploration criteria.
Having said that, they probably meet social criteria if post offices do!
But it’s just not consistent, since literally every other GR cypher in this town (George V reigned between 1910-1936) has been accepted. Cypher = the initials of the King or Queen, not just that it’s a postbox. There’s just over 2,300 postboxes across London - GR (George V) is estimated to be around 15%, which means only around 340ish in London.
I read (wish I could find it now) that because of many being destroyed by bombs during the war and vandalism and accidental damage since, a more accurate estimate for London is down to around 200 left in London. Which I did mention in my appeal notes:
Appeal Notes
The ‘GR’ postboxes are legally ‘heritage assets’ and only around 200 of these remain. King George V reigned 1910–1936 most of the postboxes are more than 100 years old. Over time they are becoming rarer as they become lost to accidental damage or vandalism.
Probably my ND being triggered because of the lack of consistency.
They’re rarer in London though because they’re pre- WWII and obviously London got pummeled during the Blitz. Oddly the woodland near Brent road still has craters from where bombs hit during the war. South Croydon was where Britain’s biggest airport was during the war. As a result that part of London got bombed a lot during the Blitz.
Anything before QEII is routinely accepted by the UK reviewing community provided it does exist and can be checked on streetview (you might not be aware how much abuse is attempted).
You just have to get it past the ML filter and hope it gets reviewed by the UK community. Don’t ever upgrade a UK postbox submission. Also, don’t both appealing as it will always be wasted - resubmit instead.
Try a tighter crop on the photo, that may help with the ML filter.
The consistency is there, it’s just a bit… region-specific.
ML has been taught: Postbox = ineligible, because that’s true, globally speaking. The appeals staff work with the same mindset.
UK reviewers however, previously banded together and said “Stuff that, these things are part of our heritage, and the cyphers are genuinely historic and meaningful”.
I doubt that any other country painted specific postboxes gold in the hometowns of winning athletes after the Olympics. It’s just a quintessential part of UK eccentricity that will never be understood globally.
So due to ML’s training and the global nature of the appeals staff, there’s now a bit of an impasse.
Don’t be telling a Glaswegian about how bad the Blitz was… where do you think all the ships were being built? 
(I’m also originally a Londoner, so yeah, I know)
