Hot on the heels of Google Accounts, is Google Checkout. You can provide your payment data to Google. I signed up and was happy to see it worked for Canadian addresses. You can then use it to buy things from sites working with Google. My favorite was:
There is an incentive to AdSense customers, creating a stronger dependancy on the Google platform. Great move for Google short term to drive revenue. Unfortunate that it deepens the identity silo even more.
heel
n.
1.
1. The rounded posterior portion of the human foot under and behind the ankle.
I are an engineer. Thanks for the spelling.
(I s/heal/heel/ to correct)
It seems that Google Checkout service itself is not so related to Google Account Auth API. Currently these two are exclusive, I think.
They are related in that they are both managing the user’s identity data and put Google at the center of the transaction, wether it is identity or financial.
This service is marginal at best. I placed a few orders with Ritzcamera.com. Requested a cancellation through Google Checkout, received the items a month later. Ritz never got the cancellations! Ritz also couldn’t reference the Google order numbers and had to look me up by address. I also received shipping notices on items I DID want… ONE WEEK AFTER I RECEIVED THE SHIPMENT! So far, Google Checkout sucks.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Sounds like they are ironing out a few bugs still in the process.
Interesting to hear about the troubles with Google Checkout. I’ll have a look at it if I get chance.
i have had a horrible experience with google checkout. sooo impersonal, and feeling like i am at the mercy of a non-responsive, non-emotional entity that could care less about how smoothly my transaction went. If you ask me, i’ll be avoiding google checkout like the plague, and will be spreading these sentiments as fast as i can. pure rubbish. its been a week since i’ve submitted a request for confirmation of cancellation, and still no response, not even an automated form letter. And to rub salt in the wound, when you send off request for information, it says "we read every email" LMFAO, yeah… sure you do, maybe in like a month or so, we’ll get back to you.
What a JOKE!!!
unfortunate …
I agree, Google Checkout SUCKS bigtime. I ordered from Buy.com and used Google Checkout to get the $10 discount. FIVE DAYS later, the merchant claims Google has still not authorized payment, my order is sitting in limbo, and 2 emails to Google Checkout have been completely ignored. (not even an autoresponder) This is the first AND LAST time I’ll ever use it. If you are tempted to use Google Checkout to get some marginal discount, DON’T. Avoid Google Checkout like the plague.
I used google checkout at toys r us for the $10 discount. My order was only $20 and you had to spend $30 so I figured I’d get a $10 item for free. Well, the original item I wanted was out of stock so I cancelled the order through google checkout (since, when you use GCO the actual store website has no record of you as a customer so you can’t use the website!) Anyway, I just got an email that the $10 item I never even wanted just shipped at $11 for shipping. No responses to 4 emails. Google checkout – never again!
Has anyone had any experiences on how Google Check out handles the $20 off orders of $50 promotion? when you need to do an exchange or return? I just completed a $53 order (before shipping & tax) with Sierra Trading Post, $40 after Google’s $20 discount minus shipping. I have a feeling I am going to get screwed exchanging sizes. Sierra Trading says that it won’t do exchanges when you use Google Checkout. So I assume they will refund the cost of the shirt $21 to Google Checkout. Who will subtract their discount of $20 and refund me a wopping $1.00. I will then use my $1.00 to buy the larger size for $20. Total cost $19 + return shipping + new shirt shipping. What a deal.
I have not used Google check out myself, but hear that people are not always so happy with some of the results as you are pointing out.