How to remove old Google Business Profiles with no access (duplicate listings on the same pin)

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for the fastest and most reliable way to remove (or permanently close) two old Google Business Profiles that were created years ago and we no longer have access to.

Situation:

• There are 3 listings showing on the same location/pin.
• Two of them are old / basically inactive (a few historic reviews, no updates, not maintained).
• The client has a new, actively managed Google Business Profile with hundreds of reviews, and that’s the only one we want customers to see.
• The main goal is to remove the two old profiles (or at least make them not visible / not confusing), because it looks messy and could mislead customers.

Constraints:

• We don’t have login access to the two old profiles (no idea which Google account created them).
• Ideally we want a solution that is safe (doesn’t impact the new active profile) and as quick as possible.

Questions:

1. What’s the best approach when you can’t claim/manage the old listings?
2. Is it better to request removal, mark as permanently closed, or merge into the active profile?
3. What’s the recommended escalation path if the standard “Suggest an edit” route doesn’t work?

If you’ve handled a similar case (multiple profiles on one pin + no access), I’d really appreciate your recommended steps. Thanks!

Hey, I’ve dealt with something similar before. First off, if you can’t access the old profiles, the best way is to submit a request for removal via Google’s 'Suggest an Edit' tool. Mark them as 'Permanently Closed' if removal isn't an option, but merging them into the active profile could also help. If the regular route doesn’t work, escalate by reaching out to Google My Business support directly. They can help you remove or resolve duplicates, as long as the listings aren't being actively managed. Just make sure to only request changes for the inactive ones so your active profile remains untouched.

The safest approach is to use “Suggest an edit → Close or remove” for the old profiles and report them as duplicates, then contact Google Business Profile support for escalation if needed. Avoid drastic actions so the active listing isn’t affected.

mark the old listings as permanently closed via Suggest an edit and report them as duplicates to google. if that doesn’t work, contact GBP support with urls and proof of ownership. avoid merging to protect your active profile.