August 6, 2008 113 Comments

Google Gets Back to Nick

Nick Saber just forwarded Google’s eventual response to what went wrong. Because thousands of people wanted to know the answer to the question why, here’s the first part of that letter:

Hello Nick,

I understand that you may have questions about the recent actions taken on your Google Account. We understand and respect your concerns about your account.

Our specialists performed a thorough investigation of your account ID: nick.saber@gmail.com. It appeared that your account was compromised on 08/01, and an unauthorized charge of $490.30 was attempted in your Google Checkout Account. For security purposes, we suspended this account to prevent additional activity and charges.

We’d also like to assure you that the security and confidentiality of your personal information, including your credit card number, is our highest priority. Your information is securely stored on our servers, and won’t be shared with anyone except under the very limited circumstances described
in our Privacy Policy at http://checkout.google.com/files/buyerprivacy.html. To learn more about
the security of your account and personal information, please visit http://checkout.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=29075.

We also understand your concerns regarding your account security. It is difficult to determine the exact nature of your account compromise. Please see below for useful information on safeguarding yourself online.

The rest of the letter reminds us not to fall into phishing scams, etc. Good advice.

But wow. Couldn’t this have started with an email saying, “Looks like someone was messing with your account. We shut it down to investigate.” Seems a little backwards to make Nick sweat for a day and change, only to reveal that someone tried to rip him off, and THAT’S why they shut him down.

Special note: Matt Cutts came by with lots of information once this story broke, and I’m grateful for that. Note to ALL companies: if you don’t have a respected face person like Matt out there, think about it. It does help.

What’s your take? How would you have handled it, if you were Google?

Lastly, I’m going to talk about this a bit more in my next newsletter, so if you’re not already subscribed, hop in!

Related posts:

  1. When Google Owns You
  2. Back Up Your Gmail
  3. Implications of a Google Social Network
  4. A Whole Lotta Bad Google
  5. A Whole Lotta Bad Google

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

Genesis Theme Framework

The Genesis Framework empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress. Whether you're a novice or advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation that takes WordPress to places you never thought it could go.

With automatic theme updates and world-class support included, Genesis is the smart choice for your WordPress website or blog.

Become a StudioPress Affiliate

← Older Comments
  • http://www.actualmetrics.com Robert

    Exactly, free service/software means less/no support.

  • Anonymous

    This has happened to me EXACTLY the same. Google checkout compromised, my Gmail account instantly closed. I thought that the hacker had compromised both the checkout and Gmail accounts, until I found out how to contact google checkout about this…that in itself is laborious to say the least. So, I am currently waiting for my Gmail to be activated, my Banks Fraud team to investigate as to why this happened from Checkout…and finally..once its sorted..they can stick their Checkout where the sun dont shine!!

  • Anonymous

    This has happened to me EXACTLY the same. Google checkout compromised, my Gmail account instantly closed. I thought that the hacker had compromised both the checkout and Gmail accounts, until I found out how to contact google checkout about this…that in itself is laborious to say the least. So, I am currently waiting for my Gmail to be activated, my Banks Fraud team to investigate as to why this happened from Checkout…and finally..once its sorted..they can stick their Checkout where the sun dont shine!!

  • Chris K

    This has happened to me EXACTLY the same. Google checkout compromised, my Gmail account instantly closed. I thought that the hacker had compromised both the checkout and Gmail accounts, until I found out how to contact google checkout about this…that in itself is laborious to say the least. So, I am currently waiting for my Gmail to be activated, my Banks Fraud team to investigate as to why this happened from Checkout…and finally..once its sorted..they can stick their Checkout where the sun dont shine!!

  • ampers

    As far as I can comment, Google is a Corporate. Once a business starts, and then starts to do very well, it grows, and grows, and grows. Then it becomes a “Corporate” Once that happens, customer service declines as it is no longer economical to service a single customer with a complaint. So he leaves and complains to a hundred people, so what, with millions, the company can shrug its shoulders and sign up the next million.

    The only way you can get satisfaction with a “corporate” is to complain, write two or three letters, send a couple of faxes, and make a few phone calls – and all the time logging in everything you do and say – and always be polite.

    Then write this up in a letter to a newspaper, radio or television station – you see the necessity of going through the long route? It makes for a better story and the newspaper/station is much more likely to take ut up, especially if you have kept a diary.

    When you contact the newspaper/station, use a little humour in your letter. This can indicate you are a reasonable person and will make good copy.

    Ampers

  • Anonymous-please

    Yeah Right!

    Once you, and your company have been shown up as lacking in any duty of care to a valued customer you then state “in this case I wish we had done more to contact Nick proactively. There are people at Google who are thinking about how to improve this type of situation in the future”.

    What about all the other people you have failed to engage with or respond to who DON'T have the media clout of Doug and Werwer?

    Does anyone else see Matt Cutts posts and responses as manipulative?

  • Pingback: Recapping Google’s new two-factor authentication | SEO MetaBlog

  • Pingback: Recapping Google’s new two-factor authentication

  • Pingback: Google’s new two-factor authentication | Life Note , Open It - Potato's blog

  • http://www.savetubevideo.com youtube downloader

    It is not about why and what…exclusively. “Where” is an appropriate question. Where is it headed and what will the average non-technical person (most of us) do in such an age?

  • Guest

    The truth is that bad press caused Google to act. Had Joe Schmoe not known anyone with a popular blog they’d be toast. So go ahead and put all your life on Google cloud, if you are moron.

  • Anonymous

    Good-bye Google, been nice knowin’ ya.

  • Caffenee101

    i’ve just had the same thing happen to me & I’m not sure what to do…

← Older Comments