Friday, March 30, 2012
Faceless Megacoroprations
I've just had the kind of experience that puts you off buying things on the internet: paying for something online, the supplier takes the money but then denies all knowledge of the order.
In this case the amounts weren't large, but I paid for it using Google Wallet. It's when you have circumstances like this, i.e. slightly out of the ordinary processes, that Google's flaws come to light. How on earth do I contact Google to find out what happened to my money and whether the supplier received it?
As far as I could see, there's not even an email address to send problems regarding Google Wallet to, never mind a phone number. All weblinks along the lines of "having problems?" all direct back to the supplier; but the order number I get it from Google, which means nothing to the supplier.
Thankfully in this case the supplier and Google sorted it out between them, but it serves as a warning about putting all our information and systems in the hands of one faceless corporation who couldn't care less about the problems of one of its users.
In this case the amounts weren't large, but I paid for it using Google Wallet. It's when you have circumstances like this, i.e. slightly out of the ordinary processes, that Google's flaws come to light. How on earth do I contact Google to find out what happened to my money and whether the supplier received it?
As far as I could see, there's not even an email address to send problems regarding Google Wallet to, never mind a phone number. All weblinks along the lines of "having problems?" all direct back to the supplier; but the order number I get it from Google, which means nothing to the supplier.
Thankfully in this case the supplier and Google sorted it out between them, but it serves as a warning about putting all our information and systems in the hands of one faceless corporation who couldn't care less about the problems of one of its users.
