Also I forgot to add a geotagged photo, but location is completely accurate (at least from the ingame map from which I sent the nomination) and is located at the edge of the pool (from where I took the photo)
Hi @Pokishoosh
I’m here to tell you “you’re not alone!”
I’m also wondering what’s wrong with pools these days. My last pools were both rejected by community for being private property. Both appealed and both rejected for being “normal” or “on business area”??
It stings to get this sort of appeal rejection when the object in question is a category that is eligible by default. The appeal reviewer didn’t like the submission. Maybe Niantic don’t like swimming pools. Maybe the location couldn’t be confirmed. Maybe the main photo was disliked.
I don’t like the rejection saying “normal swimming pool” at all. Like what do you mean it is a swimming pool, there should be no need for historical value, or cultural value for a pool to be qualified.
It already fit two criteria which is exercise and socializing and assume it is not a private swimming pool, it should be more than enough to be a wayspot.
I am very happy you got a good result from posting here. Humans do make mistakes, and I am glad when the team will take a second look.
This is happening so often that we may need a new category just for appealing bad appeal decisions. Even though they were supposed to be final decisions.
I am indeed noticing alot more badly rejected appeals these days in the forums. Especially with the wording “normal” and “generic” or just a badly stated appeal note.
I hope this does not become more frequent as we are seeing now. Appeals should be our saving😅
(Side note: This is not meant to be negativity towards the appeal team, as they are amazing at what they do. 95% of the time they are absolutely a life savior, but that is expectable. We are humans, we make mistakes).
I’m honestly getting quite frustrated with the repeated rejection of the swimming pools I submit as Wayspots. They are consistently marked as “private residential property,” even though I clearly explain in every submission that this is not the case.
These are community/shared swimming pools, accessible to multiple residents, and they fully meet the eligibility criteria. In my descriptions and supporting statements, I explicitly clarify this and even encourage reviewers to check the official forum discussions where this topic has already been addressed in detail.
Despite that, it feels like many reviewers either ignore the explanation or are not aware of the established clarifications regarding community pools.
I also don’t have enough appeals available to keep contesting every single rejection. I already have quite a few of them, and it doesn’t feel fair to have to rely on appeals in this way just to get valid nominations accepted. If possible, I would kindly ask if someone could take a closer look at these decisions.
I would really appreciate it if reviewers took a moment to properly read the supporting information and consult the referenced forum threads before making a decision. This would help ensure that valid Wayspots are not being unfairly rejected.
Your frustration is understandable. Those swimming pools look like excellent submissions.
Unfortunately, there are no options apart from community review, random Niantic pulling into internal review and appeals when rejected. Niantic overriding the community decision for certain wayspots is not a workable solution.
If you have sufficient submission slots, submitting each one multiple times (putting all but one on hold) might be the best way to do.
I have the same but with different submissions like artworks in buildings, relax areas in community places.
Most of the reviewers use the rejection private property wrong.
Unfortunately I don’t know a solution for it as all my things that were incorrectly rejected for private property were acceped with an appeal, but it should not like this.
Your swimming pools look like awesome submissions you found. I do encourage to use an appeal to get them accepted.
Now that it’s possible to upload more than one image in the supporting image, do you think it would be a good idea to include screenshots of previously accepted appeals as part of the supporting evidence?
I’m wondering if that could help strengthen a case by showing consistency of past decisions, or if it might not really be a good idea (or even potentially goes against Wayfarer rules).
In that case, they should start considering reinstating appeals in obvious cases like these, where the evidence has already shown from the beginning that it is a valid Wayspot. It doesn’t feel fair to lose appeals over things that are so clear…
You haven’t previously said that you have lost appeals for these swimming pools, only that they are being rejected by the community and having to appeal all of them is frustrating (which I agree with).
Have you appealed a swimming pool and had the appeal rejected?
This is so frustrating. Often it feels like most of the submitters submitting and reviewers reviewing do not know criteria. They submit and accept what they see and reject what they don’t see in game. They think they know what “private property” means, so they don’t look up the tool tip. I sometimes feel that the Wayfarer system is irreparably broken at this point.
