Google Checkout Flunks
I know, it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was crowing about how slick Google Checkout is, but I’ve changed my mind. Here’s the deal. I placed an order with Buy.com on July 7, 2006. No problem, very slick. I received an e-mail from both Google and Buy.com thanking me for my order. Days came and went, and I kept checking the status of the order and always it said In progress. It was an in-stock item as far as I know, and Buy.com has always been very prompt in my experiences with them, so this was strange. So finally, on July 11th I sent an e-mail using the send message to seller wizard in Google Checkout. No response. Not even an automated reply. Finding no phone number on Buy.com to contact them, I did a web search and found a customer service number. After holding briefly, I was connected to a customer support person, and he informed me that they have not yet received payment. With the limited information available to him, he couldn’t tell me what the problem exactly was, but encouraged me to contact Google Checkout to find out more details. HELLO??? I paid for this on the 7th of July, and received an order confirmation from Google Checkout. By the way, this is July 19th, 12 days later. Why did I not receive an e-mail from Google stating that my credit card number or billing information is wrong?? I’m fairly certain it’s not, and besides doesn’t Google verify your billing info when you place an order?? Needless to say, I’m not very happy with them. I submitted an e-mail to cancel the order (we shall see if that ever happens), and I placed the order again, only this time I did NOT use Google Checkout.
P.S. I also placed an order on the 12th of July from Buy.com (before I realized what was going on), and it also shows “In Progress”. I’m suspicious the same problem is going on there as well, and the friendly customer support fellow at Buy.com also agreed with me, although he didn’t look it up and verify it.
Update 07/20/06 – I received a reply to my e-mail from Buy.com.
We request you to contact Google Checkout regarding the order. Please contact us with any further questions you may have. Your satisfaction is important to us.
Update 07/20/06 – I sent an e-mail to Google Purchases. We shall see what they say.
Your message has been sent. We read every message that we receive, and will continue to post new information on our Help Center.
Update 07/27/06 – received an e-mail from Google Purchases.
Hi Kirby,
Thank you for contacting us regarding your Google Checkout orders with Buy.com on 7/7 and 7/12. We’ve noticed that there’s been some delay in processing these two orders. We’re sorry for any inconvenience that you may have experienced and we’d like to address any questions you may have:
- We understand that you have been unable to cancel the order placed on 7/7 and have since purchased this product through buy.com. A technical issue prevented this transaction from being completed. As for your order on 7/12, unfortunately due to the same issue affecting your order on 7/7, we are unable to process this transaction and will need to cancel it as well. Our engineers have been alerted and are working to resolve this issue. As a result, we’re following up with Buy.com to ensure that both of your orders are cancelled and refunded promptly.
- Also, we’ve confirmed that your current billing information in your Google Checkout Account is in good standing.
Again, we apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused. If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to respond directly to this email.
Sincerely, The Google Checkout Team
Update July 25 – received e-mail from buy.com. Hello?? This order was supposed to be canceled by now, at least according to Google.
Hello Kirby,
Just a note to let you know that we are still working hard on filling your order #28434304. We have placed an urgent order with our suppliers and are waiting on the backordered or preordered product(s) below.You’ll receive an email from us once your item is on its way.
Order #28434304
sku – 202179556 : description – LM742 17IN BK LCD 500:1 8MS 1280X1024 ANA
If you wish to cancel your order for this item please visit https://secure.buy.com/corp/support/login.asp, or if you have any questions please contact customer support at http://www.buy.com/support.
Sincerely,
Customer Support Team
Update July 25 – I sent an e-mail to buy.com and the google checkout team explaining that this order was supposed to be canceled long time ago. Here is an e-mail from buy.com.
Hello Kirby,
We have received and processed your cancellation request regarding your order #28434304.
We have cancelled the following item(s) from your order:
Order #28434304
sku – 202179556 : description – LM742 17IN BK LCD 500:1 8MS 1280X1024 ANA
Items not listed above may still ship to you after they have entered the shipping process.
You will not be billed for any unshipped items on this order if your method of payment was a credit card. If you used another method of payment such as a check, money order, or PayPal account, please allow a few business days to process your refund to that method of payment.
We regret that you had to cancel and hope you come back to Buy.com very soon!
If you have any questions, please contact customer support at http://www.buy.com/support.
Sincerely,
Customer Support Team
Update July 27 – Google sends me Goodies. :)
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I dont’ know what to say, based on my experience. I saw the seller selling my item on a very cheap price and I couldn’t find any rating for this seller, but I did see that the seller have a google checkout.
So, I ordered it confidently. I received the shipment next day (quick shipping) but the product was not as shown in the picture and as advertise. The seller also have 10 days money back satisfaction guranteed.
I called the seller and long story short he refused to take the product back and issue me the refund for returning the product.
Anyway I launched the compalint to google checkout and also inform my CC issuer for charge back. my bank told me that they can’t do the chargeback as I already received the product. Google checkout fought for me 2 days and finally they refunded my money. My guess is its returned by google not merchant. as the status in my google checkout states “refunded by google”.
Anyway I am very happy and satisfy with google checkout, and thats the reason that I am writing my experience here.
goog luck.
After my previous comment on April 29th, I tried doing the trasaction in Firefox. It worked. The only down side now is that they’re not doing the £10 of
Google Ebuyer = very poor experience. One blames the other. Premium rate lines for telephone contact.
Hopefully they will eventually learn that customers want more than slick websites and (fairly) low prices – products on time and apologies when wrong may be a start.
Does anyone have the telephone number for Google checkout customer service? I have an issue with them and the merchant since Nov. 2006. Still isn’t resolved and I’d like to speake to a live person instead of the email stuff. Very poor response on the part of both parties, sometimes weeks between sending e-mail and getting response.
Meh, I don’t deal with new checkout systems until after they’ve been around for awhile. Even though paypal isn’t my favorite I have everything set up with them already, so a new checkout system is going to have to be pretty special to make me set up my bank and credit card with them.
True. I tried making a purchase on ubid.com using Google Checkoout and it has been hell. I can’t even access details of my order on google account. I have sent 3 emails to the contact us on google checkout and still nothing – not even an acknowledgment of receipt. This is so far off from what we know google to be. Why release the product or for partnerships based on that if you are not ready. It is a painful painful experience. I had a sleek sony vaio for very cheap and now i may not get it even if the payment is worked out. they just cancelled my order for no reason!!
I created a ggogle checkout account to receive payments for my web design services. Last week I received a notice of insufficient funds from my bank for my checking account due to an ACH transfer to google checkout. I didn’t make any purchase with google checkout, but GC has my bank account and routing numbers. GC has been totally unresponsive. They tell me to submit an electronic ticket and they’ll reply in 24 hrs, but they haven’t replied since the first submittal a week ago, and I have sent two additional tickets. My bank’s customer service rep also got nowhere with them. Thankfully I have my bank to help investigate this and their operations department will try to determine what the charge was for. Either an honest mistake by someone or plain old fraud. Google checkout sucks. No customer service at all.
I also have just had a problem ordering on buy.com with google checkout.
I signed up for the $10 discount for signing up, and placed the order. The item (which qualified for FREE shipping) had $11+ added for shipping. I know, i am ONLY paying an extra $1+, but give me a break!
I am still trying to cancel or edit the order, but I do not seem to be able to.
I do not see the advantage of google checkout.
Cheers!
You have to followup REGULARLY with both sides and remember, you will not be charged for unshipped products!
I’ve tried twice now to get Google Checkout to work, but it’s like being sent down a maze of twisty corridors, all alike. I can’t even mange to sign up, though maybe I am signed up. I say that because I see more and more money in what is supposed to be my shopping cart, but I can’t get to the shopping cart.
Hunh, I haven’t used Google checkout yet, but now I know what to watch out for. Thanks for the tips.
I ordered an item on August 26th and it is now September 17th i still have no received my order. Anyone have any idea on how to fix this problem or in contacting google checkout?
Hello I have a question….I ordered an Xbox from Buy.com last night. I recieved an email today stating that my order was cancelled because of incorrect billing information. Now I did use Google Checkout….so it states to go back and update the information and re-order. I checked my bank account and they already charged my account for the cancelled order. If I re-summit my order will I be charged again??
I would ask goodle…or buy.com….but I dont see an number or anything to get this resolved.
Any help would be great.
On January 7,2008 I ordered Corel Word Perfect Office 12 for $15.94 (total price). On January 9, 2008 that amount of money was deducted from my bank account. As of today January 18, 2008, I am still not in posession of the merchandise.
I forgot my password to checkout google and have not been able to retrieve it from your webpage.
Please refund my money or produce the merchandise. My order number from my google order is #802023595503096.
Some reply to this message would be greatly appreciated.
Peter W. Gardner
More or less of the same. Order placed, received confirmation from GCO and then 5 min later received notice of cancellation from GCO. They ignore all e-mails and provide no phone contact. Only “good” thing is they did not hit my credit card with the charge…yet (i’m watching).
For a company that is supposed to be on the leading edge– this one’s a cliff edge over a bottomless non communicating pit. Black hole may be a better comparison.
Dave H
I attempted to make a purchase through google checkout less than 2 days ago…. I transaction required address verification which was a scanned id and bank or utilty bill. I’m currently in iraq so my stateside address would be were my bills go to and finding a scanner within 24hrs lol! I logged into my account the next day to attempt to contact google my account was disabled…. resolution various questions that no one could ever answer “date of account creation???” I used to be an avid googler until i found out in terms of a company that boasts open alliance/android all about the open communications platform they fail to even have a contact mechanism in place…. but attempt to add billing management???? are you serious my first mistake was using google checkout and not using paypal! who would have ever figured anyone would ever say this!!!! I’m extremely dissappointed in google and the state of their services. Most people consider thier google.com accounts to be of value …. but gmail / google.com doesnt consider that value i placed in them??? Its all lost now… not that they care. whos next facebook???
Wow Robert Adam that sucks alot. I am assuming you are a solider? if so I support are troops