So, we finally grew up to the point of integrating third-party APIs — specifically, a voice assistant. A smart home can't just sit there in silence... Though honestly, sometimes it really should.
We talked to the voice assistant, but it refuses to talk back — doesn't trust untrusted sources. It demands a link to our app on Google Play.
Our tablets don't give a damn about Google Play. Otherwise, god forbid, the smart home might start downloading other apps... like Airbnb, and sublet your room behind your back.
So we gathered our documents, got a DUNS number (whatever that is), and ran to Google.
Right after registration, we hit a verification check: First name, Last name, Date of birth, Passport/ID. Wait... But we are an organization??
https://preview.redd.it/p1pisrqupikh1.png?width=1681&format=png&auto=webp&s=ef9b57772537b667b839394e04e342d1a04f7110
Baffled, our employee registers an account under his own name. Next comes the request to upload a passport/ID. He can actually do it now — the account is in his name. Passport uploaded, address attached, told to wait. (The Google Payments profile was still our organization's profile)
Meanwhile, the APK is already built and ready for testing...
Then an email arrives: "Hey, the form asks for a passport, but guys, you're an organization! Where's the organization's passport?"
https://preview.redd.it/elraoq76qikh1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc9c73015e18c3e80a4ba19ae994095d5e22b8e1
Fine, thinks the employee, maybe we need corporate docs? Sent.
We wait a few more days. Woohoo — verified! The happy employee grabs a card and pays the $25 fee. We finally have a dev account! We can test the app and get that API!
Two weeks pass, and we're finally ready to publish the app. Time to start the integration. We're already calling our partners, ready to send them the link to our app.
And then, an email from Google: "Sorry, you're fraud."
https://preview.redd.it/67xo30shqikh1.png?width=765&format=png&auto=webp&s=ef58c8fad20812405edca36118f51d6900789ebd
Employee is confused. We are confused.
Support says: "11.4!!! How dare you..." Us: "Here are all our documents, every single step we took! It's our first time doing this, what's wrong?" Support: "I don't like how you handled 11.4."
https://preview.redd.it/lxpev3xrqikh1.png?width=990&format=png&auto=webp&s=32b33ff4657310952d57daaa27b5a95c44bf8ff2
Us again: "Here is what we did, please don't be mad, we were just registering..." Support: "11.4! Goodbye!"
https://preview.redd.it/1c8i0xsipikh1.jpg?width=578&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13fab929d51c6a573facd8d7c2ff1dd31a58f390
Case ID: 2-8380000040925
Has anyone successfully escalated a permanent 11.4 termination to a real reviewer? If so, what channel actually worked?
submitted by /u/AlborV[link] [comments]