Google maps is not accurate

Hi there,
What happens if you remove the postcode from the postcode field and put it in the address field instead? Or just leave the code out all together? Still not working?

After a bit more tinkering, it seems that the plugin/Google maps is paying more attention to the words in the address field then it does to the postcode. I’m not even sure it’s using the postcode at all.

So when I only list the name of the town in the address field (because the venue is a field about a mile outside the town), it uses the high level postcode for the whole of the town and ignores the much more specific 7-digit postcode that I’ve entered.

BTW, if I put the postcode in the address field and not in the postcode field, then I get the same result – it points to the centre of the town.

If I use the name of the road that the field is on, the maps pin then points to that part of the road in the town – but it’s a long road that goes through several postcodes, so that’s not right either (its pointing at a different postcode).

I can work around this, but it’s not ideal. The event has been pinned onto Google maps, and if I use the event name as part of the venue address then I do get close enough to the correct location. So now my event address is the event name, which looks a bit silly! Alternatively, if I put the postcode in both the address field and the postcode field, then it points to the right place, but now the postcode appears twice in the listing, which isn’t great either.

Frustrated! Is the plugin trying to be too clever for its own good?

I can live with this, but would love it if anyone has a solution. Thanks.

Howdy rigbypa,

I am sorry, this does sound frustrating. I wonder, when you type that address directly into google maps: https://maps.google.co.uk/? does the correct map pin return, or is it in the wrong place as well? Our plugin uses the Google maps address lookup feature. If Google has your address wrong, then you will get the wrong address in return.

– Brook

Hi Brook,

Yes, that was the very first thing that I checked! When I put the postcode into Google maps directly, it points to the correct place.

Thanks for looking at my thread.

– Pauline

You are sure welcome, Pauline. So I am unable to duplicate that problem on my testing server. Using the details you provided I looked up the full zip code in Google maps, and using the data Google gave me back I created an event. Both have the marker in the exact same location.

I do not believe this to be a bug. Unfortunately it is likely something unique about your install that is somehow conflicting. It could be your host, but more often it is a theme or plugin. Definitely try disabling your plugins and switching to a default theme like Twenty Fourteen. That might fix it for you, and if it does then you reenable things one at a time to isolate the conflict.

Other than that there is not much support we can offer here on the free forums for problems we can not replicate. I really hope the above advice helps. Cheers!

– Brook

Well that is odd. I am using twenty twelve, which I thought was a default theme. I will check out the plugins next.

Good luck rigbypa! Hopefully that will yield something.

Best,
Leah

It’s been a month, so in accordance with our forum guidelines I’m marking this thread resolved. Thanks for your support!
~Leah