B.C. small business owner outraged after Google disables vital account | Daily Hive

Veteran Heating and Cooling

A small business owner in B.C. is demanding answers from one of the biggest companies in the world after his Google Business Profile was suddenly disabled without warning.

Jonathan Guy, a Navy veteran who has lived in B.C. for 17 years, is the owner of Chilliwack-based Veteran Heating and Cooling Inc.

Guy used his 15 years of experience in the HVAC industry to open Veteran in 2023, and things were going swimmingly until he received a message from Google on Feb. 6, 2025,

Veteran Heating and Cooling

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“Google unexpectedly disabled our Google Business Profile without any prior warning or explanation,” Guy told Daily Hive. “We received an email stating that the account was disabled and no longer visible to customers.

“They hold an undeniable monopoly over online search and business visibility. Let’s be honest — show me a person who doesn’t use Google. The platform has become the ‘gatekeeper’ of customer traffic, revenue, and livelihoods. So, when Google makes an inaccurate or unfair decision, it can destroy businesses overnight. This affects not only owners but also employees, suppliers, and subcontractors who rely on steady work.”

Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google Search and Google Maps. This includes providing customers with information like business name, address, contact number, hours of operation, website, and reviews.

Veteran Heating and Cooling

“This situation with Google has absolutely affected our business,” explained Guy. “We had a potential customer tell us they chose a different company because they couldn’t read our reviews. And we don’t know how many others we’ve lost due to this issue.

“I’m aware of a number of other businesses that have had this happen to them, and their story is the same as ours.”

Veteran Heating and Cooling has customers from Horseshoe Bay to Hope, with about 80 per cent of its work concentrated in the Fraser Valley. They offer a variety of services, including furnace replacement, heat pump installation, air conditioning repair, and gas fitting services.

“Our team is like a family,” said Guy. “We work together, support one another, and share a commitment to excellence that sets us apart.”

A quick Google search for Veteran shows its website, its Yelp listing, and a Better Business Bureau page, but nothing else. The only visible listings for companies named Veteran Heating and Cooling on Google Maps are in the United States.

Google Maps

Guy filed for an appeal of Veteran’s Google Business Profile suspension, but he describes the process as “very vague.”

“We could only upload a few documents like our business licenses and incorporation documents online and wait an unspecified period for a response. There were no phone numbers to call, there were no email contacts, and Google’s physical offices are closed to the public.

“Approximately one month after submitting our appeal with all the required documentation, we received a rejection notice. We feel the suspension and the appeal decision were made by AI because a real person can easily research our company to see if it’s real. AI assumes that the business isn’t legit.”

Veteran Heating and Cooling

Guy recently travelled to Google’s offices in Washington to try and find someone who could help him in person.

“A receptionist at a Google office in Kirkland told me there was nothing they could do to help me, while another in Seattle told me that I had to leave,” he said. “A person did come out to talk to me at another Google office, but he told me that I could be trespassed by the police just for being there.

“Where is the transparency? Where is the recourse? Small businesses don’t have the luxury of waiting months for vague appeals and automated responses while their income is slashed.”

Veteran Heating and Cooling can make a second appeal, but Guy explains that they have to do it very carefully; if the second appeal is rejected, its Google Business Profile suspension is permanent.

“Veteran Heating and Cooling, like countless other small businesses, has experienced the devastating consequences of Google’s unchecked power. Algorithm changes, hidden penalties, sudden delistings, and decisions made by AI without human review or proper accountability—they are taking food off people’s tables. This isn’t just about one company, it’s about thousands of hardworking businesses that Google’s system is failing.

“We demand change, and this needs to reach the highest levels at Google. If they truly value small businesses, it’s time for them to step up, take responsibility, and create fair, transparent, and timely solutions for those affected.”

Daily Hive asked Google for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.

Update: After the publication of this story, Veteran Heating and Cooling told Daily Hive that they were contacted by Google, who reinstated their Google Business Profile.

“Allow me to emphasize that in all of my years working with GMB, I have never seen them actively reaching out in a case of suspension, so I have a strong feeling that you stepping in was a major help to us,” said Ika Balzam, Owner and VP Marketing, Veteran Heating and Cooling Inc.