URGENT: Huge API Bills - Infinite looping! Please check my case! - Case #66883177

Gemini API
1

Dear Google Cloud Support Team,

I am writing to formally appeal the unexpected charges on my account (Case #66883177). As a beginner developer learning Gemini 3, Google Cloud, and Google Maps API, I am currently facing a severe financial crisis due to a technical error.

1. Incident Overview: Unintended High-Tier Data Extraction On January 13, an infinite loop hook caused a catastrophic usage spike in the Places API within just a few hours.

  • The Issue: My intent was to retrieve Basic Data (Free/Low-cost address information) for a development project. However, due to the default field selection structure of the Places API (New), high-tier data fields—specifically Places Details, Atmosphere Data, and Contact Data—were unintentionally included during the infinite loop.

  • The Impact: This resulted in approximately 82,797 requests being billed at the highest SKU rates before the loop could be terminated.

2. Financial Impact

  • Total Charges: The total amount has exceeded $2,000 and continues to rise in the billing dashboard (though all APIs have been deactivated).

  • Current Status: $700.00 has already been debited from my account, with the remaining balance outstanding. This amount exceeds my entire monthly living budget.

3. Corrective Measures Taken Upon discovering the surge, I immediately took the following technical actions to halt all activity:

  • Credential Revocation: I have deleted all API keys and OAuth 2.0 Client IDs associated with the project to ensure no further traffic.

  • Service Termination: I have confirmed through the dashboard that the traffic has returned to 0 requests/sec.

4. Formal Request for Adjustment This massive charge was triggered by a technical anomaly during a configuration test for Basic Data and was a 100% unintentional “bona fide” mistake during my learning phase. It was not a conscious use of premium data services.

I earnestly plead for a one-time exception:

  1. A full refund of the $700.00 already debited.

  2. A complete waiver of the remaining outstanding balance.

I beg for a human-level review to help me continue my journey as a developer. Without this adjustment, I cannot afford to continue my education.

Thank you for your compassion and understanding.

Sincerely,

Case #66883177

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