Here is a copy of a letter I sent last week to Google. As of today I have received no response. I have redacted some details to protect the confidential info.
I am requesting formal escalation of my billing dispute regarding unauthorized Gemini API usage that resulted in approximately $3,700 in charges.
Timeline:
- In April, I was notified of unusual / unauthorized Gemini API usage.
- As soon as I became aware of the issue, I revoked the affected API key.
- I took down the application involved so no further usage could occur.
- I filed a billing appeal and provided the requested information.
- After several emails back and forth, the matter appeared to be moving toward a credit or billing adjustment.
- I was then told the matter had been forwarded to a specialized team and that I would receive an answer within 24 hours.
- It has now been more than 10 days since that message.
- I have followed up at least three times and have not received a meaningful response.
I am asking for the following:
- Written confirmation that this case is still active and under review.
- Written confirmation that the disputed amount will be placed on hold while the review is pending.
- Confirmation that the disputed balance will not be sent to collections, charged again, or reported negatively while the case is unresolved.
- A clear status update from the specialized team.
- A target date for final resolution.
- Escalation to a supervisor or billing-risk specialist if the specialized team has not responded.
This was not legitimate usage by me. The charges resulted from unauthorized use of a compromised API key, and I acted immediately to revoke the key and disable the affected application once notified.
Please treat this as a formal escalation request and provide a written response within 48 hours.
Please everyone, be very careful if you use gemini or don’t use it at all!!!