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I feel Google, Facebook, etc. all need to setup actual phone numbers and chat rooms, and make them rank highly on searches for "Google support phone number", "G

I feel Google, Facebook, etc. all need to setup actual phone numbers and chat rooms, and make them rank highly on searches for "Google support phone number", "Google fraud department", "Google account recovery department", "Google Live Support Chat" etc. Then those numbers should simply play a message that this is the only official phone number, and no human will ever call from or answer this number, and the company does not offer customer support or appeals to account problems. They also need to make searching for fraud phone numbers return anti-fraud messaging rather than what it currently does. Seems like the entire 844-906 exchange is fraudulent [1]. I had a family member that just got scammed because they panicked after their Facebook account got banned, basically exactly like [2]. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=844-906 https://www.google.com/search?q=844-906 [2] https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/01/31/511824829/-facebook-customer-service-is-a-scam-literally https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/01/31/51...

otteromkram 2y ago
Where do you think Google would rank its own support, help, etc., contact pages and info if not at the top of searches like the ones you mentioned?
- fn-mote 2y ago
  The problem is the subjunctive here. It's not where the _would_ rank ... it's where they currently _do_ rank. In my test, the AI Overview produced accurate information ("Google does not offer phone support for account recovery") but none of the other hits on the first page say anything like "Phone support calls are always fraud. Google will not call you."
  - Super_Jambo 2y ago
    I think the point they are making is that google will let the fraudsters pay to place higher than the warnings because it's profitable to do so.
- dustyventure 2y ago
  If there is only one time they would honor their fair market obligations and not raise their own rankings, it would be on a cost center like free tech support to consumers.
andrepd 2y ago
Or, hear me out: provide actual customer support.
- SideQuark 2y ago
  To 4+ billion customers. Not possible at any realistic company size. If you or any person figured out how to do such a thing you’d be the next trillion $ company.
  - 4oo4 2y ago
    That's a consequence of growth they should have thought of and a basic part of running any business. At least in the US Attorneys General are being forced to do this work for them. It's essentially the only way to get a hacked Facebook/Instagram account recovered. https://www.engadget.com/41-state-attorneys-general-tell-meta-to-fix-their-customer-support-for-hacking-victims-184709904.html https://www.engadget.com/41-state-attorneys-general-tell-met...
    - SideQuark 2y ago
      No, attny generals chase things that raise their political stature. They’re political. Every single one of the 50 are dem or republican: 0 independent. They’ll make noise about this because it riles a loud minority. If they really wanted it fixed then pass laws. They don’t, because they also like business.
  - Retric 2y ago
    Users in low wage countries with minimal profit per customer doesn’t preclude US / Canadian tech support where they get 20+x the revenue per user. They are making 10+$/month per user for a few hundred million, and have a large profit margin that easily pays for basic tech support.
  - HeatrayEnjoyer 2y ago
    The corps want you to believe that but it's not true. India requires direct customer support by law.
pyrale 2y ago
"We’re the search company. We don’t care ; we don’t have to".
create-username 2y ago
“If you receive a calling from Google, ask them for your issue ID, hung up and call 1-1-GOO” 1-1-GOO: “Google never contacts customers directly and has no way to let customers contact them. Hace a nice day”

otteromkram 2y ago

Where do you think Google would rank its own support, help, etc., contact pages and info if not at the top of searches like the ones you mentioned?

fn-mote 2y ago
The problem is the subjunctive here. It's not where the _would_ rank ... it's where they currently _do_ rank. In my test, the AI Overview produced accurate information ("Google does not offer phone support for account recovery") but none of the other hits on the first page say anything like "Phone support calls are always fraud. Google will not call you."
- Super_Jambo 2y ago
  I think the point they are making is that google will let the fraudsters pay to place higher than the warnings because it's profitable to do so.
dustyventure 2y ago
If there is only one time they would honor their fair market obligations and not raise their own rankings, it would be on a cost center like free tech support to consumers.

andrepd 2y ago

Or, hear me out: provide actual customer support.

SideQuark 2y ago
To 4+ billion customers. Not possible at any realistic company size. If you or any person figured out how to do such a thing you’d be the next trillion $ company.
- 4oo4 2y ago
  That's a consequence of growth they should have thought of and a basic part of running any business. At least in the US Attorneys General are being forced to do this work for them. It's essentially the only way to get a hacked Facebook/Instagram account recovered. https://www.engadget.com/41-state-attorneys-general-tell-meta-to-fix-their-customer-support-for-hacking-victims-184709904.html https://www.engadget.com/41-state-attorneys-general-tell-met...
  - SideQuark 2y ago
    No, attny generals chase things that raise their political stature. They’re political. Every single one of the 50 are dem or republican: 0 independent. They’ll make noise about this because it riles a loud minority. If they really wanted it fixed then pass laws. They don’t, because they also like business.
- Retric 2y ago
  Users in low wage countries with minimal profit per customer doesn’t preclude US / Canadian tech support where they get 20+x the revenue per user. They are making 10+$/month per user for a few hundred million, and have a large profit margin that easily pays for basic tech support.
- HeatrayEnjoyer 2y ago
  The corps want you to believe that but it's not true. India requires direct customer support by law.

pyrale 2y ago

"We’re the search company. We don’t care ; we don’t have to".

create-username 2y ago

“If you receive a calling from Google, ask them for your issue ID, hung up and call 1-1-GOO” 1-1-GOO: “Google never contacts customers directly and has no way to let customers contact them. Hace a nice day”