Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Google Buys Back Customer Love

by Terrence O'Brien on August 23, 2007 at 06:33 PM

Google Responds to Backlash Over Google Video ClosingIn case you hadn't heard, Google Video is closing up shop. When the initial announcement was made, Google explained that videos purchased through Google Video would cease playing, but that all money would be returned in the form of Google Checkout Funds, which are kind of like those credit card points you get to spend online, but only at participating retailers.

Now, if there's one sure fire way to steer backlash in your direction, it's to make customers pay real money for a promise, fail to deliver on that promise and then give your customers credits back instead of cash. Boy, did that piss off a few people.

But, Google was quick to rectify the situation, soon sending out a second notice that reads as follows:

We recently emailed you to let you know that Google is ending the Google Video download to own/rent (DTO/DTR) program, and that you'd receive a Google Checkout bonus equal to or greater than the total amount of your Google Video purchases.

Since then, we've received feedback from people dissatisfied with our approach to phase out the Google Video download to own/rent program, so we've decided to take additional steps to address these concerns:

1) We will fully refund your credit card for the total amount of your Google Video purchases.

2) We're going to continue to support playing your videos through February, 2008. We won't be offering the ability to buy additional videos, but what you have already downloaded will remain playable.

3) The Google Checkout bonus you've already received is yours to keep. You can use your bonus at the following stores: http://www.google.com/checkout/signupwelcome.html . Your bonus expires on October 31, 2007, and the minimum purchase amount must be equal to or greater than your bonus amount, before shipping and tax.

Well, it's good to know that someone still listens to their customers.

From Newsvine

Related Links:

Tags: customer, google, google video, GoogleVideo, refund

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular