A few days after a lot of folks took Google to task for shutting down their video download service and offering, by way of apology, Google Checkout coupons. Well, Google has learned its lesson and has decided that it is going to make things right. Here’s what they are doing:
1. If you paid using a credit card, the full amount of credit will be applied to your card.
2. You still get to keep the Google Checkout credits.
3. You will get six more months of playback on the videos you bought.
On their blog, Bindu Reddy, Google Video Product Manager writes:
When your friends and well-intentioned acquaintances tell you that you’ve made a mistake, it’s good to listen. ….. We should have anticipated that some users would see a Checkout credit as nothing more than an extra step of a different (and annoyingly self-serving) kind. Our bad.
OK, all is forgiven. Please don’t do it again!
Om,
Its good to see Google mending things like this. Someone there is paying attention.
I am actually with you on this topic. I agree that Google has somewhat of a social responsibility to its users. Many of us have come to trust and depend on Google. How can we trust them if they continue to abruptly shut down services.
They need to start putting lot more thought before launching new businesses.
Some of my thoughts:
http://abhishek.tiwari.com/2007/08/21/google-apologizes-for-the-abrupt-shutdown-of-video-download-service/