The new Google Places Help Forum is not yet at its full potential, but it's definitely improved. A Google employee released that the company does buy information from other companies, including YellowPages.com. Because they buy that information, there's an opportunity for competing information. This competing information will even include the key elements such as your name, address, and phone number.
A client of mine doesn't like her picture that is included with her Places listing. This picture was taken from CitySearch. There's no telling how they got the photo, but you get the point. The Google Places Rep said that they will go as far as to call a business to establish what information is correct when there is conflict. I would love to receive news of that actually happening.
The key element to be taken from the forum post: Information, pictures, and videos supplied by the owner will always be preferred to info coming from other sources, including the paid ones. This is why there is so much importance that you claim your Google Places listing and keep it fresh.
Update - I am beginning to see situations where owner information is NOT showing up in listings, but citations from other resources are seemingly getting priority. What are others seeing? Please comment.
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