iPhone map glitch costing Portland restaurant thousands
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PORTLAND, Ore. - Bar owner Todd Steele gets the same question five or six times a day.
“Where are you guys located?”
It sounds like a pretty common question, especially for a wine bar and restaurant like Metrovino that’s tucked way.
But the reasons behind the confusion stem from the fact that potential patrons are trying to use the Apple mapping app on their iPhones to find the upscale Pearl District spot.
Therein lays the problem. The map mistakenly targets Metrovino as being located in Southwest Portland (think downtown and the Goose Hollow areas) instead of Northwest Portland (like the Pearl District).
The map guides people blocks away from the restaurant’s real location, so understandably they’re getting lost.
And that means lost revenue.
“We’re guessing on the low end $500 to $1,000 a night. A night,” Metrovino owner Todd Steele said. That means, “around $50,000 since mid-September.”
Metrovino is not alone. Steele said he’s talked with a number of other business owners experiencing the same problem.
The confusion came last fall when Apple dropped Google as its map provider with the launch of its iOS 6 software.
In October, CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology, urging customers to use other apps, like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, as it works to improve the maps app.
Still, it’s not just restaurants falling victim to map confusion. Apple’s map has misplaced towns. In Australia, for instance, folks trying to find Mildura were detoured 45 miles from the town. One man was stranded for 24 hours in 114-degree heat.
The mistake received international attention and Apple eventually fixed the locator pin on the map.
But what about Portland’s Metrovino?
Steele has tried to get Apple to fix the glitch to no avail.
“It got so bad at one point that my mom, who is a partner in the business, actually walked into Apple headquarters in Cupertino,” Steele said. She didn’t have any success.
KATU’s attempts to reach an Apple spokesperson on Tuesday also were not successful.
Although the actual MAP shows the wrong location, the address is listed correctly, and driving directions take me to the right location.
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If he's losing $1000 a night, I'm guessing he's losing out on about 50 people walking through his door every night.
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Does that even SOUND plausible?
What a load of crap! It's a failing restaurant looking for some quick cash to remain open.
I have let a friend who works for Apple know about this problem -- he has notified the maps team and they are looking at it. Hopefully, they should be able to fix it.
 @grkhetan great. Many of us can't wait (I am not included in this group). Many more of us simply could not care less if we tried (uhmmm, <looks around furtivly> I *might* be one of those).
If you're losing money at your business in a high-traffic area like the Pearl then it's not because people can't find you.
 @Spiffy True. It's much more likely that they simply can't find a parking place near enough to have the chance to find you.
Okay, we've now established the maps are crap, but you still didn't tell us the address of the place. I think this story doesn't help the owner or possible customers.....but I agree with some of the other comments that if you don't have more than one mapping system on your phone or you can't find a place without using your phone, you have bigger problems.....
so where is it?
 @sortbait It's in the 1100 block of NW 11th Ave. Found it in less than 15 seconds in Microsoft Streets & Trips.
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 @Dr. Rawdog Good point, or people could just understand NW Portland versus SW Portland.
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 @Jumpin' Jehosophat  @Dr. Rawdog Maybe he's an OB/GYN?  That would at least limit the possibilities to 50% of the population.  But if he's a protologist, I'm outta here.
 @Dr. Rawdog Do we want to know where that hand has been? Huh?!
 @Dr. Rawdog Likewise. As a doctor, would you be able to help me find my way if my compass or iPhone weren't helping me?
I used (cr)Apple Maps (iLost) once. Then right back to Google Maps. Google's not perfect, but compared to Apple's attempt at a mapping app...well, there's no comparison.
$1,000,000 of free KATU advertising!
Is their map app called "mApple"?
 @xilef regnu Nope. It's called iLost.
 @Mikey  Thought that was iLied.
Why would I use an iPhone to find a restaurant? I would use recommendations from my friends, or the type of cuisine offered as a guide. People just want to have it easy these days, don't they?
 @jpk I much prefer the delighted surprise upon stumbling onto a really sweet place with excellent cooks and wonderful service! Especially on road trips up or down the coast -- found some great local seafood at some really well-hidden jewels of small, family owned restuarants just by driving some back roads.
Agreed, but I have found some real dives doing that. On the other hand, folks coming to Portland to eat want to know everything about the restaurants before they get to them, including the menu, the cost, and where to park. Â
 @jpk If friends email me the address I like to double check where it is on a map.   NW vs SW though I can figure out if the map program screws up.
I read that article start to finish -- only thing that springs to mind (ping!) is:
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Oh, boo hoo!
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That's all I've got.
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 @Jumpin' Jehosophat What more is there to say - live by your phone and you get what you got...
 @boned And usually, free advice is worth just as much as you paid for it!
 @boned , , , sometimes twice as much!
 @boned  @Jumpin' Jehosophat My answer was to get a Android phone rather than a IPhone.
I make map data as a living and its sad to see people use an app that has such poor quality control. Â People use whatever is convenient, but they should never use apple's mapping application. Â Nokia on the other hand is a leader in the business, and they make cell phones! Â You can also make your own maps at arcgis explorer online.
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Additionally, its sad to see people not copy the address and paste it into their application. Â Another sad fact is that people do not understand their quadrants in this city, stop boozin on the wine!
 @portlandborn83 I used to read maps for a living. I don't need and have never used a GPS to find my way around Portland. By now, just give me an address -- I'll find it and let you know how long it will take me to get there. I'll be right +/- 10 minutes, barring traffic delays, 9 times out of 10.
 @Jumpin' Jehosophat Exactly man, 1133 nw overton street is near 11th and overton for instance!  2933 sandy is 29th and sandy!  So easy!
 @portlandborn83 That only works if you know where Overton is.
They really would have like finding addresses marked with route and box numbers then. LOL
@portlandborn83 @Jumpin' Jehosophat Even so, folks might not be able to find it! LOL
 @Jumpin' Jehosophat  @portlandborn83 I grew up in Milwaukie and Lake Oswego - just give me an address and since I can think for myself no problem in finding it. Kind of scary that folks rely on their phones & GPS and the power goes out - OMFG I cannot find my way home!!!
 @Sundowner  Blue Mountains, east.
 @Jumpin' Jehosophat How far east?
 @boned Oops! I meant to say, " , , , on the far east side of the state."
 @boned I've only lived here since '96. All of my parents' relatives are/were around here, but I grew up on the far east side. Had to learn Portland address system by being a chicken thrown into the pond on the assumption that this might be Evolution's lucky day-- the chicken just might be on the verge of becoming a duck --and low and behold, I how have webbed feet! ];->
I feel sorry for the company
Why not go to the incorrect location and buy some signage that says "Looking for Metrovino? Â Use something other than Apple's iPhone maps."
Something on line that's not true?
Looks like Apple could have a lawsuit on there hands. If I were the restaurants I would start a class action against Apple. I bet apple would fix it.
@lee986321   Oh, so you are one of THOSE who sue anyone and everyone because you are incapable of doing something for yourself? Must be a liberal democrack because you need to rely on someone/thing else to take your hand and show you the way.
Okay - I will bite - THEIR hands - not there hands. Two totally different meanings.
 @Somonecaresaboutsomething  Yeah, I've tried with lee, too. Goes over about as well as a lead balloon.
I know - I have read her/his nonsense for as long as I can stand it. With all the extra time on their hands perhaps some grammar/spelling/punctuation brush-up might be of assistance. Atrocious doesn't even begin to describe.....
 @lee986321 What kind of a claim? Apple does not have a contract with this company. They are providing information for free (other than the charges you pay for the service of having and using their phones and apps). They owe no duty to this company. If they did, they would be sued simultaneously by thousands of similar companies across the country and bankrupted immediately. A civil lawsuit would be tossed, just like that Utah lawsuit against Google by the woman who followed Google's directions, right out into traffic and got hit.Â
What's really weird is all the addresses around it â 1131, 1137, 1141 â map correctly, but that one address maps to SW instead of NW.
People can't call? I don't know....if I was looking for a place I would find it by either calling or asking directions. Downtown is so easy though, I threw away my map after a few days when I moved here.
Bunch of Whiners!Â
@djshimon No, they are whining wine sellers