# Google Cloud tries to charge me PLN 3,000 daily for \\~20 test video clips (Vertex AI), blocked my card & API – violation of EU law? **URL:** \ **Category:** Gemini API\ **Tags:** api, google-cloud, video\ **Created:** [September 10, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/google-cloud-tries-to-charge-me-pln-3-000-daily-for-20-test-video-clips-vertex-ai-blocked-my-card-api-violation-of-eu-law/103518 "2025-09-10T12:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stanislaw\_Tokarski](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/stanislaw_tokarski/32/63869_2.png) [@Stanislaw\_Tokarski](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Stanislaw_Tokarski)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/google-cloud-tries-to-charge-me-pln-3-000-daily-for-20-test-video-clips-vertex-ai-blocked-my-card-api-violation-of-eu-law/103518/1 "2025-09-10T12:12:34Z")
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. - I tested **Vertex AI Video Generation** for ~20 short video clips. - Google then started attempting to charge my card **PLN 3,000 daily (~USD 750)**. - There is **no clear, itemized invoice** explaining these charges. - My card had to be blocked, and my Google Cloud account (including Maps API) is suspended. See my non-commercial project here: [Travelja] (currently broken due to the suspension). ### Why this is not just my fault In the EU, consumers have legal protection: - **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. - **Art. 471 k.c.** : Google is blocking services while simultaneously demanding payment, which is **improper performance of a contract**. - **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: - The $11,550 overnight Vertex AI fine-tune bill shared on Google’s own forum. - 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: - UOKiK (Polish Competition and Consumer Protection Office) - 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] ---
**Author:** ![Lalit\_Kumar](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/lalit_kumar/32/37058_2.png) [@Lalit\_Kumar](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Lalit_Kumar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 6:25am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/google-cloud-tries-to-charge-me-pln-3-000-daily-for-20-test-video-clips-vertex-ai-blocked-my-card-api-violation-of-eu-law/103518/3 "2025-09-18T06:25:55Z")
Hello, Apologies for the inconvenience. We have a dedicated team that handles billing related issues. We recommend raising your concern through [Billing Support](https://cloud.google.com/support/docs/get-billing-support), where you will receive a more accurate and prompt response. Thank you for your understanding and patience. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaw\_Tokarski](https://d1dlmcr85iqnpo.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/discuss.ai.google.dev/stanislaw_tokarski/32/63869_2.png) [@Stanislaw\_Tokarski](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/u/Stanislaw_Tokarski)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 10:52am UTC](https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/google-cloud-tries-to-charge-me-pln-3-000-daily-for-20-test-video-clips-vertex-ai-blocked-my-card-api-violation-of-eu-law/103518/5 "2025-09-18T10:52:19Z")
Hi Lalit Kumar, Thank you for your attention to my problem. I’ve been corresponding with the Billing Department for a long time. But it’s been ineffective because the employees can’t do anything about it. This is a Google system problem. I’m aware of the situation Google employees are facing and fully sympathize with. Attached are my correspondence with Google support and a report about Google Cloud. This may not be necessary, but it may shed more light on my problem. Here’s a link to my website with a description of the case: Best regards, Stanisław Tokarski (Attachment Raport ws Google Cloud -EN.pdf is missing) (Attachment Correspondence with Google Cloud support.pdf is missing)