First there was TheMark.us. Then there was MarkLancaster.net. Now, 7 years after I started my first website on Texas A&M servers, I’m moving my site to MarkMakes.com. Here, things will be more organized and simplified. Everything on one page has been my basic theme for the past few redesigns, but this one will be EVEN better because it will include my blog and my most recent work.
Ewwww, that’s so exciting Mark! I just can’t wait.
I know, I know. I’m getting giddy myself.
After I get back from Alaska I should have it up a week or two after, so be prepared for some changes.
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So last month I signed up for Google’s new GoogleVoice program. I chose my new number, had it linked to my cell phone and began to look up international calling rates since I would be traveling to Ecuador and Peru in the next few weeks. I tested the service a few times and was happy with the seamless transfer of calls from my Google number to my cell phone. Furthermore, I was encouraged to see that phone calls to Peru were $.15 a minute and $.12 a minute for Ecuador; I thought this would be great to keep in contact with my and Michelle’s family.
When I got to Peru I tested out the service. It was a bit finicky, but I assume that was to be expected since I was in a third-world country. I finally got through using the GoogleVoice website and their instructions to make calls; everything was gravy. My Calling Credit balance in GoogleVoice reflected phone calls I made and it looked like it would be a great alternative to buying calling cards. So I continued to use their website to connect calls from the US to me in Peru for the following 3 weeks.
Oh how naive am I to trust Google. They’ve screwed me in the past with their permanent removal of one of my family videos I had posted on GoogleVideo (to which I can no longer find the backup) and I’ve been generally dissatisfied with their lack of customer support when it comes to finding business information in regards to their Affliate Network program, but THIS was far worse. This was egregious.
My AT&T bill for last month slapped me across the face this morning. $493. I immediately went to the detailed view of the bill to see what happened and sure enough the “incoming calls” which connected my GoogleVoice number with my cell phone cost me $3.49 a minute. More than 23 times as much as I was expecting to pay Google to use their service for “cheap international calls”.
I’ve read through the Legal Notices, Privacy Policy, Program Policies, and Terms of Service and still have NO reason for why the GoogleVoice promise of $.15 a minute was not honored using the system the way in which they had instructed me to.
Let’s recap. GoogleVoice offers cheap international rates. Shows $.15 a minute. I use their instructions to call a number. I use their service. And now I have to pay $500 because I was misled? Right… Expect a deluge of emails from me Google.
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