Entered CNET Catalog: 06/29/2006
SKU: CNETGOOGLECHECKOUT
Manufacturer: Google
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/29/2006
Or if you're eager to hawk your wares online, Checkout provides simple sign-up for small and large merchants and shares details about how customers respond to your Google AdWords campaigns.
How does Google Checkout work? Perform a Google search for whatever you desire, such as LCD monitor or silk pillowcase. A Google shopping-cart icon appears within participating sponsored links along the right side of the screen, indicating that you can pay with Checkout. Or, you can directly visit any of the dozens of merchants that have already signed up with Checkout, which, so far, include Starbucks.com, Buy.com, and Levis.com. Google Checkout will appear as an option alongside those Web sites' individual shopping-cart forms. However, there's no international support, so forget about spending euros on Belgian chocolate via Checkout--for now.
Ready to shop? You must first link your Google login to a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card account. Visit Checkout.Google.com to log in and enter those details. Once you sign up, be sure to safeguard your Google login with a solid password. During sign-up, Google visually displays whether your password looks strong, so you can immediately beef up your password with numbers and symbols if it appears weak.
Individual merchants won't see your credit card number, which you might prefer. On your credit card statement, Checkout transactions will display both Google's name and the merchant's. Google Checkout's Purchase History page handily displays everything you've bought, as well as the shipping progress of any packages on the way to your door. However, shopping with Checkout places your Web surfing and shopping history directly into Google's hands.
We like the clearly explained privacy options on Google Checkout's Web pages. Google Checkout's policy insists that the company won't share your information with third parties for marketing purposes. If you don't want Google to share your activity with Checkout and the company's services for promotional or other purposes, then make sure to visit the privacy policy page and scroll down to Sharing Between Affiliates for a pair of opt-out e-mail links.
Even better, Google pledges to protect you from credit card fraud. If someone uses your Google login for an online shopping spree, you can contest the wrongful purchases within 60 days. Similar to eBay's reputation rankings, Google Checkout lets you rate merchants and comment for others to see.
You can also choose to block your e-mail address from merchants while you're shopping, lest they try to send promotions to your in-box. To do so when you place an order, check the option labeled "Keep my email address confidential", then uncheck the option that would sign you up for promotional e-mail from that store.
An additional safeguard lets you clear your billing information from Checkout after you buy something. To do so, visit your Purchase History page and delete your credit card data from the Edit Billing Information area. However, we find this step somewhat overcautious and cumbersome; you'll have to manually retype your credit card information the next time you shop, defeating Checkout's aim to streamline your shopping.
You can use only one credit card per Google account, so organizations or families that want multiple members to charge to a single credit card should designate a shared Google login specifically for shopping. Nor is there an option to use multiple credit cards within one Google account, so you can't switch between paying with your Mastercard or Visa with, say, a quick flick of a check box.
Want to use Checkout to sell those old hard drives you've been hand painting? Anybody can enable Checkout on their Web site by cutting and pasting some HTML code from Google. Google will take a cut of 2 percent of your sales plus 20 cents per transaction. This may be a bit higher than PayPal's fees, but it's less than the cut taken by most credit cards. If you have an AdWords account, Google waives those fees for as much as 10 times your ad spending. There are plenty of things you can't sell, including copyrighted media or software (no threat to eBay there), illegal weapons or fireworks (of course), and adult goods.
Overall, Google Checkout offers an easier alternative to shopping with multiple logins across multiple Web sites. However, if you're nervous about entrusting your shopping habits to any company's servers, you may want to pass. Nevertheless, we appreciate Google's detailed privacy policy, its merchant rankings, and its fraud protection.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84out of 84 user reviews
No credit card, no checkout
Pros: Can't tell
Cons: Not everyone owns a credit card, and you MUST have one to sign up
out of 84 user reviews
No buyer protection
Pros: Easy to make payments
Cons: Nothing to compell sellers to provide what has been paid for, or to make refunds.
Google offers mediation, but if the seller simply does not respond to the messages then that is the end of the mediation and they will not offer any further assistance
If you need to make a payment use a reputable company like PayPal, or at the very least use a credit card, so that you can get your money back from the card company if need be
out of 84 user reviews
Terrible checkout system
Pros: Cannot think of anything positive about it
Cons: They have NO SUPPORT (email or phone support) - they want your money and can decide when you are worthy enough to go to their "standard" payment schedule - we were going to invest over $30,000 with them in income - so glad I checked out reviews!
out of 84 user reviews
What a Joke!
Pros: Nothing good could come from choosing Google Checkout
Cons: No support, To much information needed to process,
out of 84 user reviews
Catastrophic service
Pros: Absolutely none
Cons: No personal support, web sites are useless.
RUN AWAY FROM GOOGLE CHECKOUT
out of 84 user reviews
GET A LAWYER for safety, then Google Checkout.
Pros: Easy checkout cart setup and integration.
Cons: No support.
Updated on Jun 6, 2010Got some emails on this, the website for Centennial Law Offices is centenniallawoffices (dot) com.
out of 84 user reviews
Google doesn't remember me!
Pros: It seemed easy at the time of payment.
Cons: 10 business days later and no email confirmation from merchant or from google. I have two order numbers but no access because account and transaction is not acknowledged by anyone other than credit card company.
out of 84 user reviews
Best Payment System for Small Business Available
Pros: Quick to setup, fast automatic payment
Cons: No virtual terminal / phone orders. Rates are a wee bit high.
I have been using Google Checkout since it came out and have had no problems. I have had 1 charge back and Google was much easier to communicate with than PayPal. I have a professional service business and I use the online email invoice system to send clients a payment request. About 7 out of 8 client's pay without any problems. The others tend to be the Internet challenged who seem to have no problem when I am sitting on the phone with them as they go through the process.
Two things I would love to have would include a Virtual Terminal for phone orders and the ability for the emailed payment requests to be sent from your own account if you have a Gmail account. As it stands, if you typed the email address wrong you do not get a notification of a bad email address so what I have to do is send it to myself first and then forward it off to the client.
Other than that, perfect for me.
out of 84 user reviews
Awful payout schedule. 10 days for me to get my money?
Pros: Fairly easy to integrate
Cons: Requires customers to register for Google accounts, 10 business days between when customer is charged and they deposit the money
Problem #1: Google Checkout does not act as its own bank account like PayPal does. Money coming in to them gets deposited into your back account and refunds or chargebacks come directly out of your bank account.
Problem #2: Long processing times. For new merchants Google Checkout takes 10 business days to deposit money into your account after you make a sale. I've got $1000 in sales that I can't access at this point because I'm still waiting for them to be deposited into my account. Google doesn't decrease this deposit time for 60 days after your first payment, meaning that for 2 months you have to constantly wait for your money to be deposited.
out of 84 user reviews
G checkout won't kill paypal with current attitude
Pros: user friendly enough
Cons: one way communication-no chance to resolve an issue. Arrogant approach. Looks like GPC doesn't value customer
out of 84 user reviews
Do not use!!
Pros: $5 discount on first purchase
Cons: Poor order tracking
Can't get money refunded
out of 84 user reviews
Very bad experience. Hard to contact, no phone support
Pros: Discounts for checkout with Google, but you don't always receive the discount.
Cons: No phone support
out of 84 user reviews
Offers no real advantage to most buyers
Pros: I live in Canada but often buy goods from US websites and have them shipped to a US address near me. Many merchants will refuse my order because they can't or won't accept a Canadian billing address. Using Google Checkout gets around this
Cons: No Buyer Protection
Google Checkout does not offer any buyer protection. Amazon does. I bought a name brand product on Amazon. The seller substituted a generic. The seller agreed to refund the product but not the shipping to/from. I contacted Amazon Payments and they gave me a full refund of the product price and shipping charges and I got to keep the product. Now that's a service worth using! Google explicitly states it will not protect buyers in this situation. In my mind there is no big advantage to using the service for most people.
out of 84 user reviews
Worst experience I have ever had!
Pros: Easy to use, outside of that nothing special
Cons: Lousy customer support, they do not police the quality of merchant, and they are very slow to try to resolve issues
out of 84 user reviews
The absolute worst! Possibly worse than PayPal.
Pros: When I first started using Google Checkout, they were running a promotion with no transaction fees. That is now long gone and there are no other pros.
Cons: 1) NO CHARGEBACK SUPPORT. Do not believe their claims to help in spite of sending all documentation requested! 2) NO phone support. You are on your own. 3) Emailing "customer care" results in automated replies. No one gives 1 dime about you.
out of 84 user reviews
POOR SERVICE
Pros: can not think of any
Cons: why bother with google checkout they just shut you down for no reason even with 52 transactions and not one chargeback or dispute
out of 84 user reviews
Charged my credit card when order canceled
Pros: Process very simple,
Cons: Charges went to credit card after receiving confirmation order canceled and email stating "Order canceled -- Your card was not changed." Impossible to SPEAK with anyone to get refund. VERY FRUSTRATING
out of 84 user reviews
I lost 3,216.00 - Account cancels with no warning.
Pros: Nothing. It's a legal scam.
Cons: I lost 3,216.00 - They cancel my account with no warning, I'm a freelance designer, They REFUND THE MONEY BACK TO THE CLIENTS.
out of 84 user reviews
Google Checkout is CRAP!
Pros: Nothing is good about this company.
Cons: No phone support
Bad email support
No chargeback support
No support at all
out of 84 user reviews
Almost unusable, virtually no support. Avoid.
Pros: Good looking front end. Lots of potential with the Google branding. if only they cared.
Cons: No phone support, very slow email support with meaningless, form answers to questions. No way to solve problems or resolve disputes. Shallow back end web service. Accounts canceled for no reason. complete lack of respect for the customer & client.
out of 84 user reviews
i need help to get refund!!! anyone can help,please??!!
Pros: there is no any support for the buyers!!!
Cons: please,any one to help me with some idea how to get refund for the payments made by googlecheckout???
out of 84 user reviews
Many of the bad reviews are misdirected.
Pros: Savings for merchants that use Google adwords, get you order processing fees refunded. You get to process transactions worth 10 times the amount you spent with adwords the previous month.
Cons: Support for the merchant using Google Checkout is leaves you wondering why such a GIANT company has so little focus on this little gem. PayPal is easier to integrate and offers more control, Google seem unconcerned with their sub par effort.
I am a merchant and thus far have not had any horror stories, sure it requires more manual code manipulation to make the interface work properly but the fees are less than PayPal so I am sticking with it for now.
out of 84 user reviews
Quick and efficient.
Pros: Much easier to set up than paypal and very convenient to not have to retype information multiple times, and yet keep all information secure.
Cons: It is not implemented in every online shopping service (amazon).
out of 84 user reviews
Horrible experience! Extremely risky for merchants.
Pros: Fast processing, but totally not worth the fraud losses.
Cons: Chargeback fraud magnet. Despite claims of disputes on merchants behalf, merchants are unprotected from rampant online retail theft. Zero support for merchants.
There was nothing we could do, and we lost product in almost 50% of the orders Google Checkout processed.
For a small business, these losses were devastating. Never, ever again will we permit Google near our payments!!!!
out of 84 user reviews
Google Checkout is HORRIBLE
Pros: None that I've seen.
Cons: No contact info provided other than an email.
Email responses are slow and do not address the problem.
Google Checkout blames the merchant.
No way to cancel orders.
Processing orders takes FOREVER.
I would stay FAR FAR AWAY from this one.
out of 84 user reviews
this is terrible service
Pros: None that I could honestly share. If you uuse you lose!
Cons: They are not user friendly for the buyer. They let you get ripped off and do nothing to prevent it.
out of 84 user reviews
breached my trust in Google
Pros: It worked fine but read the cons
Cons: blackberry track balls was great! I do have a problem with Google in that by agreeing to the terms of acceptance (which I didn't read thoroughly until too late) the customer give Google the legal rights to review your credit information anytime!
Bottom line, No-one has the right to your credit information in a routine random fashion.
out of 84 user reviews
i lost my sale because of google checkout
Pros: nothing nice to say
Cons: impossible to contact and to work with
out of 84 user reviews
Just don't use it
Pros: There are none
Cons: pointless service
out of 84 user reviews
GCO not recommended
Pros: Fast, quick
Cons: Horrible user support, no recourse when things go bad
The place says my only option is make a new order, but the camera I'm ordering is no longer at the sale price that I originally ordered it for, so I'd be $250 (the difference in sale price)
out of 84 user reviews
shame to bear a google brand
Pros: simple interface
Cons: if anything goes wrong with the order, it becomes helpless
out of 84 user reviews
Awful, simply awful.
Pros: If headaches are a pro, then there are plenty.
Cons: Too many to list, but HORRIBLE customer service is one...
After creating an account and taking forever to get through the checkout process, I receive and email later that day to let me know my order was cancelled. When I contacted Buy.com, they tell me that Google cancelled the order. Then when I email Google, they tell me that Buy.com has cancelled the order. Meanwhile, the money used to purchase the PC is in limbo between my bank and Google and Buy.com because nobody seems to want to give the authorization to return the money to my account. All the while, the PC that I ordered was a limited time offer and now I have missed out on that and have to start my search all over again.
Thanks Google and Buy.com, rest assured I won't be making any future purchases through either company.
out of 84 user reviews
Google CheckOut Fraud
Pros: None tomention as it does'nt work at all
Cons: Dow'nt work at all but I was charged thrice
This google checkout in afraud to make maoney..
out of 84 user reviews
no refunds, caters to bad stores
Pros: quick, PROMOTIONS
Cons: no refunds thru google, stores dont refund either
out of 84 user reviews
Google Checkout - No advantages over Paypal
Pros: none...absoletely none over paypal or any other payment system
Cons: where do i start: Cumbersome to use and navigate
1. Cumbersome to navigate
2. They want to bundle adwords and other services every time I go to logon
3. Delays in the payments received to merchants
4. Hard to contact support
Charged my credit card even though their system said the transaction was cancelled. Had to pay off my credit card and it took 45 days to receive my payment back.
out of 84 user reviews
Beware buyers. Google is not always great.
Pros: There are none
Cons: Does not work
Couple of days went by. Looked at status again. WHAT!!! The order that was shipped now says - ON ORDER- What does that mean. Found it means that they will try to send it as soon as possible. What the hell does it mean. Why this delay.Its already 10 days I submitted the orders.None is yet arrived.No one knows where it is.I am not able to track it too. Who will answer? Just wish that there should be some policing on all such incidents. GOOGLE SUCKS. I lost my faith in it.
out of 84 user reviews
good if you're lucky
Pros: $10 sign up worked, quick shipping
Cons: lag between information and where the stuff is
The DVD I ordered arrived much quicker than the estimated time, which was great. But as for the Google service, it took a day or two to give me the tracking number and then the only other message I got was the shipping company got the order.
So I'm glad I got the $10 off and the stuff arrived quick, but I don't know if I'd use the service again.
out of 84 user reviews
The GC system is severely flawed & doesn't provide enough protections for users.
Pros: Supposedly provides convenience; however, when the system doesn't work as its supposed to, it's a major inconvenience
Cons: GC needs to do a complete overhaul of this "service," using input from the many, many users who are having terrible online shopping experiences
Where can I begin? ...To start with, there is no way to cancel / deactivate / delete the GC account without also deleting all other Google services associated with your username.
Also, there are issues in the way that GC acts as an intermediary between merchants and buyers. Supposedly, GC relays communications from merchants to buyers and vice versa; however, in my dealings through GC, I have noted that more often than not, messages that you (the buyer) are supposed to receive or messages that you send to merchants appear to never reach their intended destination. It appears from my experiences and other comments that the way in which GC acts as an "intermediary" is too complicated & different from the individual merchant companies' systems. Therefore, it's you, the 'little guy' who gets screwed in the end.
The shopping experiences I have so far endured through GC have been the worst out of all the online purchases I have made through various online purchasing services.
If I could delete my GC account, I would, because I don't plan to use it again until the many issues are ironed out. However, since my GC account is now associated with all other Google services linked with that username, I hope simply deleting my credit card info will render the account unusable (?).
out of 84 user reviews
Most of the problems listed are not Google's fault...
Pros: Simple interface, good price for merchants (still FREE!), eliminates need for merchant account
Cons: Maybe Google needs to do better screening on its merchants?
All this tells me is that the vendors have poor inventory control and/or fulfillment service. Google has no control over that! All Google is doing is processing the payment, nothing more, nothing less.
From a merchant's point of view Google Checkout is a good thing. The integration could use a little work but all in all this is a great alternative to signing up for a merchant account (to accept credit cards).
out of 84 user reviews
EXCELLENT service~!! much better than Paypal
Pros: EXCELLENT service~!! much better than Paypal
Cons: EXCELLENT service~!! much better than Paypal
out of 84 user reviews
Great alternative to paypal
Pros: Google brand, google security, Who's to complain?
Cons: None that I can see.
I'm suprised at some of the negative feedback. "During Christmas I had trouble getting good service...". That's the norm not the exception. It just works. I thin its just a matter of time before it takes off.
out of 84 user reviews
Terrible service: Placing an order blind
Pros: None that I have seen
Cons: Causes order delays, very difficult to obtain order status
I requested two status requests through Google Checkout, and as far as I know they never reached pcRush, who responded promptly when I called them by phone.
With Checkout, Google has failed. It's like placing an order blind. I had no idea what the status of my order was until I contacted the company directly. I am terribly disappointed and will not be using Google Checkout again.
out of 84 user reviews
Not ready for primetime
Pros: Single login for multiple merchants
Cons: Failed miserably, no accountability from anybody
On 2/2/2007, I placed an order with a highly reputable merchant using Google Checkout, and got immediate feedback that the order was accepted and the merchant had received it. So far, so good. But a week later, the merchant still hadn't shipped, so I called their support line and was told that the order had never been received - and that I should contact Google.
I did. Google Checkout Support is only available via email, but they politely replied a day later, saying the merchant had received the order, and that I should contact the merchant. When I protested, they said they'd contact the merchant on my behalf. Days later, still no response from anybody, so I contacted Google and asked them to cancel the order. They replied that they would contact the merchant on my behalf and have the order cancelled. There was no further contact from anyone.
Until yesterday. That's when I received an email from Google - forwarded on behalf of the merchant - that my item had been shipped. Nearly 3 weeks after my original order, and 2 weeks after cancelling the order, I'm going to get it anyway.
I used Google Checkout because they said I could save 10 bucks. Bad decision. Google Checkout is a totally unnecessary middleman that introduces miscommunication, delays and finger-pointing. It would have been MUCH better to just do business directly with this normally outstanding merchant.
out of 84 user reviews
Absurdly incompentent
Pros: I'm still searching...
Cons: Worst payment experience ever
I would not recommend this payment method. I'm still searching for my order, or an explanation for the cancellation of my order
out of 84 user reviews
Great Service
Pros: Fast, Easy, Single Sign On, Convenient, Promotions
Cons: nothing, none
out of 84 user reviews
Terrible Customer Service
Pros: Nothing positive to say about the service, except I received part of my money back from my undelivered product.
Cons: Terrible customer service. Money comes out of account before product is shipped, and it is difficult to get money back.
out of 84 user reviews
Worst Service Provider Google Checkout
Pros: Do not use this service
Cons: Worst Service Prov ider Google Checkout
out of 84 user reviews
DO NOT USE GOOGLE CHECKOUT SYSTEM!!!! I wish I could rate it lower.
Pros: none- that i can see
Cons: Google takes your money- doesn't communicate, and you may, or may not get your stuff.
The second order is more of a problem. Because google checkout uses a numer like this : google chkout order #3435646567686865643423 and the store uses one like this #A45460- google seems to be creating a great amount of confusion for the retailer as well-
I was charged for these products more than a week ago. The retailer acts like I am crazy when I call- they can't find record of my order- so it looks like google charged me and never paid the retailer- or maybe the retailer is jerkin me around. (I think it is google after reading the other reviews on this page)
You think that google would have worked out some of these bugs over the last year- but it seems as though they built the system and let it do what it does- which is screw the customer-
DO NOT USE GOOGLE CHECKOUT AT ALL COSTS!!!!
If I am shopping a retailer in the future that only offers google checkout I will find what I want at a retailer that doesn't use this terrible payment system, or I will attempt to call and pay over the phone.
out of 84 user reviews
Bat attitude
Pros: no pros ... too much controll to one company
Cons: delayed service, bad customer service
This time with Google check out my delivery got delayed (even though the items were in stock), finally my order got lost. My emails to Google and buy.com inquiring about my order never got answered except by resending the order confirmation.
I called customer service to file a claim.
Now it gets even more obscure ... hang on!
The customer service rep told me it would take 3-4 business days to file my claim with Google and than another 5-7 business days to reimburse me.
In times of computers and networks there is no reason what so ever for this kind of delays. It's simple a form of bad attitude towards the customer.
But it gets even better:
I didn't get a confirmation or claim #or a confirmation email stating that my claim was filed. And was told I would "just need to trust them" that it got filed.
Give me a break! I trusted them with my order and they were not able to perform for more than 3 weeks. Trust is something that needs to be earned by conducting good business.
I am outraged at such an attitude. Google lost my trust.
out of 84 user reviews
Google not honoring $10.00 sign up bonus
Pros: No need to enter your credit info
Cons: I don't feel the credit card info is secure enough in google checkout
I made the purchase but the bonus was never applied to the purchase and that stupid $10.00 bonus image still appear in my account.
SO I go to google checkout help screen and it says
"The $10 bonus is offered by Google, so your credit may not appear on the merchant's site, and it may not be reflected in any email communications you might receive from the merchant. You can view your bonus on the Google Checkout confirmation page after you place your order, and you can also view it in the Purchase history section of your account."
I doubt if I will ever use google checkout again.
out of 84 user reviews
Google checkout ripped me off!!!
Pros: ZERO, none, nada
Cons: Overcharged me by $11.00; no $10.00 off first purchase
out of 84 user reviews
convenience of one place doesn't worth the delay and hassle
Pros: convenience of ordering and tracking from one place
Cons: Delay in order processing, almost a week's delay. Lot of hassle in cancellation and return.
When I placed the order it was in stock but later after 2 weeks they said its out of stock. I didn't understand why wait for two weeks? Then I had to cancel that order. Cancellation took more than 7 days and I haven't received money back from Google yet.
I should say it sucks, but hope Google will take care of these things soon. Please don't fall for it unless they perfect the system.
out of 84 user reviews
Very convenient
Pros: Convenience, anonymity
Cons: No mpe discounts for shoppers
I used GCO a total of 3 times with the $10 discount each time from the above listed merchants. I got a Lexmark 17 ink cartridge for $11 shipped free from buy.com (normally over $20), a TMX Elmo for $30 from Toys R Us, and a nice discount from Petco on a new bird cage.
What I really liked was the convenience. I had not shopped at any of these merchants online previously. Once GCO has your info, you then just log into your account with your email and password. The address and credit card number are already there. You can also opt to not receive any emails from the merchant and Google will then forward you the shipping info from the merchant.
Google Checkout is convenient and I will use it again.
out of 84 user reviews
google checkout is terrible
Pros: none i can think of
Cons: they refunded my purchase price without a reason
out of 84 user reviews
Don't bother
Pros: 10$ off purchase
Cons: bad transaction, just another step for something to go wrong
out of 84 user reviews
Do Not Use Google Checkout
Pros: Easy, Google used to be reputable
Cons: Charges you even if your order isn't filled
There seems to be a conflict in the Google Checkout Program policy and what buy.com says Google Checkout policy is.
Google Checkout Program policy:
"As a Google Checkout merchant, you're required to adhere to the Google Checkout policies at all times.
2. Order Management
b. Ship orders before charging the buyer's credit card. You may not attempt to charge the buyer's credit card until you have
shipped the order."
http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html
What buy.com says Google Checkout policy is:
"Please note that you are billed though your item has not yet shipped. This is one of the unique policies when purchasing through GoogleCheckout.
For more questions on GoogleCheckout policies, please visit our Buy.com help site. Under Pricing and Billing click on "What are my payment choices?". Then, choose Google check out or you can simply copy paste the following link in your address box:
http://www.buy.com/corp/support/billing/google.asp"
Buy.com policy for customers not using Google Checkout:
"When will my credit card be charged? Since we don't think you should pay for your order until it is actually on its way, Buy.com will not bill you until your products, including backordered or preordered items, are actually shipped. In
the case of Music Downloads we will bill you at the time of purchase."
http://www.buy.com/corp/support/billing/creditcards.asp?what=whencharged
Google Checkout support knows that I (and many others - this is a growing problem, and not just with buy.com) have been charged for merchandise that has not been shipped and that the merchant can’t even give an estimate on when the item will be available, if ever.
They have done nothing about it. The charge is on my credit card statement.
Unless you have extra money to burn, avoid using Google Checkout.
out of 84 user reviews
Don't Do It!!!!!!!!!
Pros: None that I could find
Cons: the list is too long, read below
AWFUL!!!!!!!!! Definitely not worth the 10 or 20 bucks in savings!
out of 84 user reviews
$10 savings promotion was really $2.59
Pros: Save a little on first order
Cons: Another place to give up credit info with little benefit
out of 84 user reviews
quick easy to use service
Pros: works great with froogle search
Cons: not enough retailers use it.. It sounds like canceling orders may be difficult, but I am not sure since I haven't had to try it. It may be just as difficult without google checkout too.
out of 84 user reviews
Worst Payment Service Ever!
Pros: Nice Teaser $$$
Cons: None of the orders process!
out of 84 user reviews
Buggy buggy time wasting and buggy
Pros: one time sign in
Cons: uh, buggy, and um, really buggy - time wasting
out of 84 user reviews
Horrible...no status updates
Pros: $10 Rebate
Cons: No status tracking.
out of 84 user reviews
Quick and simple - simply Google
Pros: order history is nice, discount, autofill and ease of use
Cons: Having to enter the credit card the first time but you have to do that with every checkout anyways
out of 84 user reviews
Extra layer gets in the way of efficient purchases
Pros: Only the $10 off if I ever see my order
Cons: Where do I start?
out of 84 user reviews
Google $20 rebate not worth the hassle
Pros: Limited potential convenience
Cons: Transaction and shipping delays; poor response to queries about order status
out of 84 user reviews
I'm impressed
Pros: Quick and easy. You don't even need an account with the merchant
Cons: A very limited number of sites honor it.
I've bought DVD-R media, Music CDs and a a DVD (DVD Audio) from three different (but relatively well known) merchants thorough Google checkout.
One of the things I like is that (unlike that "other" big online payment service) you don't have to have an "account" with the merchant. You just shop and then click on "Google Checkout" when you're ready to check out and Google takes it from there.
They forward all the information the merchant needs (e.g. your shipping address) and that's it.
Google then notifies you just like the merchant would that the order is being processed etc. They then notify you when it's shipped.
So far, I'm very impressed.
Unlike that "other" big online payment service, Google strictly works with Credit/Debit cards. What I like about that is (in the credit card case) you're still afforded the protection from your bank should something go awry.
out of 84 user reviews
A usable service
Pros: It's trustable, since it's from google
Cons: Needs to fill out credit card number to sign up
out of 84 user reviews
eBay should stop monopolising
Pros: Finally decent competition for Rip-off-Pal
Cons: eBay won't let you use it on eBay
out of 84 user reviews
Not ready for prime time. Open to fraud, very poor support.
Pros: Convenient, *if* it worked right.
Cons: No customer support, unreliable, misleading, great fraud potential.
out of 84 user reviews
Nice if you can access it...
Pros: Seems to be viable approach
Cons: Restricted to USA only.
I have had a Canadian Verified PayPal account for years, and as a result of this signifcant deficiency in the lastes Google release, I would never switch.
out of 84 user reviews
Charges credit card before item is shipped
Pros: Keeps financial information away from the seller
Cons: Credit card charged before item shipped and it is not clear who to contact when a problem develops--Google or the seller
out of 84 user reviews
Great idea, hope it catches on.
Pros: Multiple stores to choose from. Single store for your payment information. Centralized order tracking.
Cons: Have to trust Google with your information.
As for google making money off of this, it's all about data. With knowing your purchase history, they can better tailor adwords toward you. And by needing a google account they will be able to do so on any computer you are on.
Bottom line, not a threat to pay-pal so much as Amazon. Great for there already ad sales and a great way to create more user accounts.
out of 84 user reviews
Really poor
Pros: mmmm none for me
Cons: Is not for international users
out of 84 user reviews
Slow down Google
Pros: As a concept it pretty good
Cons: Google tries to roll out many products in a rush
out of 84 user reviews
Google's doing too much
Pros: Will keep PayPal honest
Cons: Yet another Google distraction
out of 84 user reviews
Nothing New Here - There is a Better Option
Pros: Ecryption of information
Cons: Can only store one credit card per userid. Just one more place to share your personal data that can be compromised by someone's mistake. Mistakes DO happen.
It's just one more place for your personal data to be stored that can be compromised by someone's mistake or even worse, government invasion of privacy under the guise of the color or law. This allows Google to track your buying habits.
Rather than "optinig in" to share your data with affiliates of Google you have to "opt out".
There are programs out there that can encrypt your data and store it on YOUR OWN computer so that you have control over your own data. These programs also have more and better features that allow you to use multiple payment methods and will automatically fill in the forms for you no matter what the web site you visit. Personally, I recommend Roboform as it is not just a password keeper but an encrypted form filler as well.
out of 84 user reviews
Another great product from Google
Pros: Easy to use.
Cons: I can't think of any.
out of 84 user reviews
A better lock is pointless if you leave the key around
Pros: great security tech
Cons: the business isn't
out of 84 user reviews
Use Virtual Nos instead
Pros: Google name topush the initiative
Cons: Another bad innovation from Google
I don't see why people would want to store their credit card numbers on Google site. I use citibank's virtual numbers so i don't have to store my actual credit card no. on any of the vendor sites....
out of 84 user reviews
Use Discover's online account numbers instead (aka Deskshop)
Pros: Don't know. Have not used Google checkout.
Cons: As someone else said, yet another place to have my identity stolen
Cons: It only works with Internet Explorer
out of 84 user reviews
Check it out.... another half hearted Google attempt
Pros: Simple, streamlined, widely accepted
Cons: No differentiation from other online payment systems, demand already filled by PayPal (w/ more comprehensive offerings)
Am I also the only one that views this as a flashier, albiet toned down, version of Microsofts' Passport authentication?
The only thing this "Checkout" has going for it is the integration with Googles' partners- which may still not be enough.
(As a sidenote, why is Google wasting their captial on all these attempts to launch a product that really falls flat on it's face? Examples- Spreadsheet (underpowered, limited features), Calendar (only importing data, no export), Checkout, Video (only til recently was an appaling nightmare), Page Creator, etc.) I dont think they should just stay in the search/ad market, but if you are going to TRY to enter a new area, you need more than press releases and a shiny interface to accomplish anything.)
Remember Excite at it's high? Look at where it is now..... I give Google another 5 years before Microsoft, Yahoo!, eBay and the like, knock Google down to Excite's level
out of 84 user reviews
Yet another payment option.
Pros: Google account tie-in.
Cons: Wrong-headed attempt to solve the privacy problem.
out of 84 user reviews
Yet another go-nowhere project from GOOGLE
Pros: Google's sleek interface
Cons: MSFT's Passport has tried this for 10 years and failed
But, having written that, I have to give Google full credit for not being afraid to try things, new or old. Eventually, if they don't run out of money and brainpower, they'll stumble on a succesfull money-making project, akin to their ultra-succesfull Search money machine.
out of 84 user reviews
That is what we need
Pros: Easy to use. No usernames and passwords to remember.
Cons: Not worldwide compatible at the moment. Not competing with Paypal at the moment.
Also, just use the regular login and password that you use for Gmail. That is it! Easy, isn't. I can't wait to see it being used all over the world wide web including overseas.
Thanks Google. I can't be happier.
