Google Fiber Cuts Woman’s Internet Service over 12 Cents

Megalith

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
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Needless to say, you should always pay your bill in full: a Kansas City resident had her Google Fiber service cut off due to a mere 12-cent balance that was overdue. Ms. Tane offered to pay but was told the company won’t take checks for less than $10. She said she never saw the emails or heard the voice messages and admitted to being “snarky” when she offered to tape a dime and two pennies to an envelope.

The bizarre episode reflected a confluence of events that included an upfront payment, an unwatched Gmail account, a sales tax increase and a customer who has no use for a $30 credit. More to the point, it shouldn’t have happened. Retail businesses know that it’s much cheaper to keep current customers happy than to try to replace them with new ones. Especially when it’s a matter of 12 cents.
 
This is what happens when computers run the books...

I see a 0.01 balance... no payment? - disconnect!

----

However if we are honest... how far behind on that bill was she that caused her to disconnect? Is Google Fiber 30 days and disco?
Or had skipped 2 bills and the "unpaid" of the previous bill (making the 12 cents - 3 months old)?

Axe
 
It's all based on what the computer software sees. Numbers to a computer is the same whether it's $130 or $0.13 cents.
She'll just call and get it sorted, happens all the time.
 
Igroock said:
It's all based on what the computer software sees. Numbers to a computer is the same whether it's $130 or $0.13 cents.
She'll just call and get it sorted, happens all the time.
Click to expand...

That is what case statements are for. You don't just run linearly through a program like that. If so, then that is really piss poor programming.
 
spinach_chin said:
Alternate headline: ”Woman has service canceled after not paying her bill"

Astonished that this is a news story...
Click to expand...
Or you could read the article instead of the headline. She paid upfront for service but the way Google treated the bill it caused a balance owed
 
Axehandler said:
This is what happens when computers run the books...

I see a 0.01 balance... no payment? - disconnect!

----

However if we are honest... how far behind on that bill was she that caused her to disconnect? Is Google Fiber 30 days and disco?
Or had skipped 2 bills and the "unpaid" of the previous bill (making the 12 cents - 3 months old)?

Axe
Click to expand...

Read the article, it was paid for in full up front but a slight tax increase changed the rate by 12 cents.
 
Wow desperate for headlines much?

The automated system disconnects her, she calls in and they fix it plus give her a nice credit, and this is how they spin the story?

How does Comcrap handle this? Very very badly usually, sometimes hundreds of dollars bad, until it's a headline then they drop it and behave like an ethical establishment, that's how.

This one is a company doing right by their customer after an honest mistake, it actually makes them look GOOD, I wish my ISP had half this service level, so it's funny seeing someone try so hard to spin it like this lol.
 
TMCM said:
Or you could read the article instead of the headline. She paid upfront for service but the way Google treated the bill it caused a balance owed
Click to expand...
Or you could read the article instead of the first paragraph.

The company forgave the total, restored Tane’s service in less than an hour and credited her account for $30.
Click to expand...
So yeah it was cancelled but the problem with quickly rectified.

Personally me, won't take checks for less than $10, then write a fucking check for $10 and have a 9.88 credit on the account, not a huge deal if you're going to continue to use the service.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Personally me, won't take checks for less than $10, then write a fucking check for $10 and have a 9.88 credit on the account, not a huge deal if you're going to continue to use the service.
Click to expand...

She shouldn't have had to pay anymore since she had already prepaid for 7 years. Not $0.12 or $10 with a $9.88 credit. Google should have setup how they do the payments for the prepaid options differently to avoid this kind of issue entirely. So yes they quickly fixed it but it's silly it happened in the first place.
 
I don't even see how this is possible... when I signed up for Google fiber here in Atlanta the was a mandatory automatic payment...
 
Wierdo said:
Wow desperate for headlines much?

The automated system disconnects her, she calls in and they fix it plus give her a nice credit, and this is how they spin the story?

How does Comcrap handle this? Very very badly usually, sometimes hundreds of dollars bad, until it's a headline then they drop it and behave like an ethical establishment, that's how.

This one is a company doing right by their customer after an honest mistake, it actually makes them look GOOD, I wish my ISP had half this service level, so it's funny seeing someone try so hard to spin it like this lol.
Click to expand...
Hardocp news section has become clickbait central lately.
 
TheGardenTool said:
She shouldn't have had to pay anymore since she had already prepaid for 7 years. Not $0.12 or $10 with a $9.88 credit. Google should have setup how they do the payments for the prepaid options differently to avoid this kind of issue entirely. So yes they quickly fixed it but it's silly it happened in the first place.
Click to expand...
Yeah yeah yeah long term customer that pays in archaic format with hand written checks. Fact of the matter is she's like my mom, and old lady who absolutely refuses to do any sort of automatic payment plan, or even a linking to a credit card so all she has to do is click "pay now".

But you're right she's a dinosaur and is a good customer to Google because chances are she's probably not using that much data at all so they should try to keep those customers long term.
 
This is Google's failure 100%. What happens when you are more worried about diversity then a billing system that works. Apparently, none of their vast diverse array of folks thought to ask what happens if we spread out a single payment in full over 12 months and something changes part way through.

Wonder how many other prepaid folks wound up just paying the extra cents from this or other tax/fee changes because they were stupid and signed up for autobill?
 
Wierdo said:
Wow desperate for headlines much?

The automated system disconnects her, she calls in and they fix it plus give her a nice credit, and this is how they spin the story?

How does Comcrap handle this? Very very badly usually, sometimes hundreds of dollars bad, until it's a headline then they drop it and behave like an ethical establishment, that's how.

This one is a company doing right by their customer after an honest mistake, it actually makes them look GOOD, I wish my ISP had half this service level, so it's funny seeing someone try so hard to spin it like this lol.
Click to expand...
Comcast disconnected me before my bill came out. I called and in that ONE phone call I got 2 free months of internet and a free month of showtime.

I think they handled it well.
 
The problem was rectified in less than an hour. I only WISH my cable provider was so diligent.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Yeah yeah yeah long term customer that pays in archaic format with hand written checks. Fact of the matter is she's like my mom, and old lady who absolutely refuses to do any sort of automatic payment plan, or even a linking to a credit card so all she has to do is click "pay now".

But you're right she's a dinosaur and is a good customer to Google because chances are she's probably not using that much data at all so they should try to keep those customers long term.
Click to expand...

Did you read the article? She prepaid for 7 years on the $300 5/1 whatever option. She has 6 years left. Google splits that $300 up into 12 payments for the first year. They fucked up because of a sales tax change that left her .12 cents short on the last payment.
 
TheGardenTool said:
Did you read the article? She prepaid for 7 years on the $300 5/1 whatever option. She has 6 years left. Google splits that $300 up into 12 payments for the first year. They fucked up because of a sales tax change that left her .12 cents short on the last payment.
Click to expand...

Who needs to read, its so much more cool to be a contrarian and put others down for no reason other than the fact that they didn't read.
 
TheGardenTool said:
Her next bill is 6 years away. That's why she says the $30 credit they gave her is worthless anyway.
Click to expand...

She should sell that $30 credit on ebay, net about $20, then use THAT to buy a slice of a bitcoin. With that investment, she should end up owning Google as bitcoin surges. ;)
 
Master_shake_ said:
so pay them 10 dollars and get a 9.88 credit on your next bill.

a rocket scientist she ain't
Click to expand...
Principle of the matter. Start a practice of overpaying and next thing you know we'll all be paying our utilities on a 3 year advance. They collect interest off our upfront payment while you don't.

In the real world "give someone an inch, they'll take a mile" is a thing. She should only be obligated to turn in the due payment. And if they don't provide a reasonable method, it's them that are looking for accommodation, so they should defer it to the next bill charge.
 
This is as crazy as what my mom had to deal with like 20+ years ago. She was the billing manager for a group of radiologists, they had to waste the time/money to process/print/mail refund checks for as low as a PENNY to people. I can only venture the number of people who simply tossed a PENNY check in the garbage/shredder.
 
I love all these keyboard warriors being hardasses over 12 cents, they strike me as the type that call and ask for the Wendy's manager when the drive-thru kid forgets their straw and never tip delivery people.

Anyone with half a brain cell would realize that the possible bad PR from this 12 cent debacle is worth way more than that.
 
Welcome to automation. The shit gets stupid some times.

Heck, I closed out an IRA, and because of their timing, they effectively left me with $0.06 in it.

If I take it out, I pay penalties that can't really be calculated on $0.06 and risk getting in a fight with the IRS.
I told them to just keep it. They say they can't.
They mail me a paper bill every quarter AND an investment magazine. They have been begging me to go paperless. I'm like no. You dug the hole man. You make billions a year doing this shit, YOU figure out how we can close this out.

That was seven years ago.
 
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