Hi all,
I want to share my experience with Google Cloud because it shows a serious billing transparency problem that EU users should know about.
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I tested Vertex AI Video Generation for ~20 short video clips.
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Google then started attempting to charge my card PLN 3,000 daily (~USD 750).
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There is no clear, itemized invoice explaining these charges.
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My card had to be blocked, and my Google Cloud account (including Maps API) is suspended. See my non-commercial project here: [Travelja.eu](https://travelja.eu/obliczanie-trasy/) (currently broken due to the suspension).
Why this is not just my fault
In the EU, consumers have legal protection:
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Art. 384¹ Polish Civil Code + EU Directive 2011/83/EU require that the total price of a digital service is disclosed clearly and unambiguously before the user is bound by the contract. Google failed to provide this.
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Art. 471 k.c.: Google is blocking services while simultaneously demanding payment, which is improper performance of a contract.
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Art. 415 k.c.: Repeated aggressive billing attempts caused financial and non-financial harm.
This is not just a “mistake on my side” – it’s a systemic problem, confirmed by other cases:
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The $11,550 overnight Vertex AI fine-tune bill shared on Google’s own forum.
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AWS users hit with $300k+ “bill shocks.”
In almost all cases, providers first deny refunds or blame the customer, then sometimes issue a “goodwill credit” only after public pressure.
Why I’m posting this
Google Support keeps copy-pasting “fraud investigation” replies, completely ignoring the real issue: pricing transparency and abusive billing practices.
I believe this violates EU consumer law and I’m escalating to:
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UOKiK (Polish Competition and Consumer Protection Office)
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ECC Poland (European Consumer Centre)
Has anyone else from the EU faced similar issues with Vertex AI or other Google Cloud services?
This isn’t just about money – it’s about whether we can trust Google Cloud’s billing transparency at all.
Stanisław Tokarski
Owner of Travelja.eu