Credits WON'T DELETE despite multiple attempts

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Hi there,

Tried many times over the past couple of years to remove 2 incorrect credits on my imdb page. Have tried the form countless times but it never works. I know it's at imdb's discretion but it's crazy as neither of them are true/have anything to do with me.
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sarah James

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Posted 7 years ago

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7 years ago
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Craig Phillips

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The problem is that the credits probably go to someone with a same or similar name. So, deleting them would not be as appropriate as moving them over to whom they belong. If you can provide information about these credits, someone here might be able to figure out where they go. If there's no way to figure it out and they are on your page because you're the only one listed by the name as it appeared in on screen credits, it might be possible to spin them off into another page Sarah James (II), etc.

But, yes, requests to just plain delete data are usually not accepted if there is any alternative.
7 years ago
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sarah James

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Thanks Craig,

How frustrating. Both credits aren't transferable to anyone else. How on earth can I remove? Surely there must be a way?
It does seem insane that anyone could put information up about me and then it's stuck there, kind of ruins imdb's reputation in my opinion.
7 years ago
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bluesmanSF, Champion

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Hi. Nothing is "stuck there." Errors can be fixed. However, if there is, after looking for the right person to credit, a fix that can be used. They can be rolled over to a new "Sarah James" if the right one can't be found. Both names would be assigned Roman numerals to distinguish between them. Can you post information about these credits so users or staff here can see if they belong to a name already in the database? If not, you can submit a request to "correct" the credits by choosing to send them to a new Sarah James (the last choice on the list of people with the same/similar name). The site kind of runs backwards if they simply delete information rather than correct it. That's why it's difficult to get "deletion" requests accepted.

Keep in mind, people regularly as for deletions just because they are not proud of the work and don't want it on their page. Therefore, such requests, even if it's an error, don't succeed unless it's well proven. If you can, for instance, provide a screen capture of the credits showing your name is not there, they'd delete it. If the name is there, but got sent to the wrong page, it will get corrected. The only thing that would "ruin IMDb's reputation" would be if people could easily get credits they don't want deleted and then their filmography is incorrect or incomplete.

Re: "how on earth..."

Your reply above told you how.
7 years ago
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sarah James

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Hi Craig,

Slight confusion. I'm 'Christian James' Sarah is my wife. When I logged in via google it must have defaulted to my wife's email address.

Okay, annoyingly the credit for me directing HIT/RUN is a bit of an attention grab for the producers. They've credited me as director, I wasn't. I helped out and they put the film out there with my name in on. Which I assume you guys have used as proof. That's frustrating as it's very hard for me to prove I wasn't the director. I would be extremely grateful if this credit could be removed just no idea how to get it down.

Someone has added 'Smith' as my birth name. Not sure how or why but that isn't the case. Again, how do I move this credit to someone else?? I just want it removed.

Many thanks for your help

Christian
7 years ago
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DavidAH_Ca, Champion

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IMDb will almost certainly not delete that credit, if your name is in the on-screen credits. Their policy is to include every credit that was shown in the original release of a film.

If you did not actually do any work on the film, you may be able to update the IMDb credit to include the attribute (credit only). This indicates that the name was listed on screen but the person did not work. (It is most common on TV Episodes where there is a standard set of Title credits but one of the stars was not in a particular episode.)

They are also unlikely to delete your Birth Name, as they have a strong antipathy to removing data. If you can show that this data actually belongs to one of the other Christian James's, it can be moved to that page. Otherwise, your best bet is to change it to show your actual Birth Name.
7 years ago
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sarah James

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Hi Craig,

But my name is Christian James. Who or why has 'smith' been uploaded as my birth name?
If it's not my name and is incorrect, why can't IMDB just remove it? I can't add it to another christian james as I doubt it's their birth name either.

As its personal infomation stored about me, I would like to know who submitted this.
7 years ago
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bluesmanSF, Champion

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I doubt they'll tell you who added it in error and it doesn't really matter. If it's wrong, you should assume it was an honest mistake and simply work the problem and try to edit the data. Normally you'd try to find who it goes to and just slide it over. With dozens of same/similar names, that might be impossible. You can submit a request to edit to your birth name hen supply documentation. You can scan or photograph an ID or document with your name and send it to drop box as a pic file. Only someone with a link to it can see it and when complete you can just delete it. Add the link to your submission by submitting it on this form http://www.imdb.com/helpdesk/data_ver...
5 years ago
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bluesmanSF, Champion

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Christian (via Sarah),

Did you ever submit requests to correct the items you asked about? If so, it seems they were rejected. Did you add any proof of your actual birth name? Did you submit to add "(credit only)" to the credit for work you did not do?

Just curious as it seems nothing changed.
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