I have a customer with store locator functionality based on Google maps API. Couple days ago the complained about locator not able to find 'Carson, CA' Here's a really simple demo from Google itself and it doesn't work either: http://gmaps-samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/geocoder/singlegeocode.html
Is there a way to contact Google support? I tried to search for any contact information but couldn't find anything useful.
It does look like a bug as there is a Carson marked on the map south of Los Angeles. It happens: geocoder data gets updated and sometimes things get missed off. Bugs need to be raised in the issue tracker. Be sure to search first (although I didn't find a previous report for this) and choose the right template when raising a new bug.
http://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api-issues/issues/list
For a store locator app, you may find searching for West Carson provides a decent start point, although this is hardly a usable workaround. Try using the zip code instead.