Why google will lose
Iâve got a minor problem with Google Play Music.
I know, itâs a service thatâs going away. Headed for the Google Graveyard, the Glue Factory. Google is switching to Youtube Music, which has the support of major labels and thus makes money through advertising.
Problem: Google Play Music has a â10 device limitâ. You cane âone device a yearâ. If you are near the limit, and add and remove devices every year, you have to be extremely diligent about removing devices - and the device list is vague about what is what.
I own the following: Two cell phones ( three, actually, but usually one and a backup ), on 3 cell networks One tablet One laptop 4 Google Home devices - A Hub, a HomeMini, a TV, a Chromecast, a Roku ( all of which support Play Music ). This year, Iâve added three - a new phone, a new Chromecast ( upgrade! ), and a smart TV.
I also pay Google about $25 a month. $5 for âAppsâ, which is my domain-specific Gmail, $10 for enhanced storage, $10 for Play Music. And, of course, they get all the data.
After several pokes around their website, I finally found Chat Help.
In this transcript, we see: 1. Help person says the problem is âmy problemâ 2. Help person understands that one of the most crucial features to me is broken solely due to a failure of their âtoolsâ, and canât give even a rough estimate of when those tools might be fixed, does not offer to refund fees during that time. 3. Help person says âno promisesâ and then also says âif I cooperate, theyâll be able to work on their bug (in the end).
Nice, Google. [ Description of problem ] Nics N 8:10 AM Before we proceed , let me give you a quick information about the device limit. Brian 8:10 AM Sure. Nics N 8:11 AM I'm not sure if you're aware but just to give you a quick information, You can link their Google Play Music account on up to 10 total devices (phones, tablets, iPods, etc.), including up to 5 smartphones. For computers, uploading or downloading music using Music Manager or Google Play Music for Chrome counts towards your device limit. [This is very weaselly: notice â10 devicesâ and leads you to believe itâs just phones and tablets, but then it clearly includes computers. ] Nics N 8:11 AM You can deauthorize up to four devices per year (365 days). Brian 8:11 AM One problem I have is you seem to say "5 phones" but the phones are listed by carrier. Brian 8:11 AM I have one phone where I use two carriers ( fi and att). When I travel I use other carriers. Yet what's listed is not the phone, but the phone and the carrier. Nics N 8:12 AM In your case, Maybe I can do something here in my end to help you out. I can't promise you anything, but it is definitely worth a try. Brian 8:12 AM So I think the rules are stricter than you say. I own three cell phones, one tablet, and one laptop, and I use play on my TV, my chromecast, my roku. Nics N 8:12 AM I will ask for approval from our consult team to deauthorize devices on your account here in our end. Nics N 8:12 AM Please be advised that if in case they approved my request, all the devices on your account will be cleared out. Is that okay with you? Brian 8:12 AM I use Google Play because I can upload music. Nics N 8:13 AM I understand. Brian 8:13 AM If I can't upload music, I will switch to another provider. I will be sad of course, because uploading is really important to me. I buy a lot of music and own a lot of music that is on no streaming service. Nics N 8:14 AM Again, you don't need to worry, because I'm here to help you to fix your issue. [ My issue? Oh, thatâs rich, this is YOUR issue because you have a paying customer whose critical feature hasnât worked for many weeks. Iâll simmer down, Iâll give Nics the benefit of the doubt. ] Brian 8:14 AMI pay for Google Storage, I pay for Google Play, I pay for Google Apps. Nics N 8:14 AM All you need to do is to cooperate with me. đ [ Oh, the threats, now they come. ] Nics N 8:14 AM Please be advised that if in case they approved my request, all the devices on your account will be cleared out. Is that okay with you? [ This isnât really a request, itâs the only way to get my account functional. ] Brian 8:14 AM Yep! Nics N 8:15 AM Great! One moment please. Nics N 8:19 AM Thank you for patiently waiting Brian. Nics N 8:21 AM I talked to our consult team about your concern and apparently we're currently having some minor issue with our tools. Brian 8:21 AM ok Brian 8:22 AM Thanks for owning your problem. Brian 8:22 AM Do you have an eta for when my account would start working properly again? Brian 8:22 AM It's not urgent on my end, I've been living with this for months. Nics N 8:23 AM This case will be transferred to our consult team so that once our tool are up and running we will give you an update as soon as possible. Don't worry, as promised, I will make sure your concern will be prioritized. Brian 8:24 AM Do you expect that to be hours, days, or months? Brian 8:24 AM Roughly of course. Nics N 8:26 AMI really can't answer that Brian, because our consult team is doing their best on their end to fix our tool and we're working on it. Brian 8:26 AM How will you contact me when it starts working? Nics N 8:26 AM We will be sending you an email as soon as possible. Brian Bulkowski 8:27 AM Great, thanks. Brian Bulkowski 8:27 AM Goodbye then. Nics N 8:27 AM Thank you for understanding Brian. Would there be anything else that I can assist you with?
