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Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

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Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#11

Post by ganeshkrishnan »

PopeDotNinja wrote: post #10

In case you don't know, if you are a premium Google customer paying for a service, you can talk to someone. I've had a couple of times where I needed support and was able to speak with a person. I don't know if those options exist for free tier customers.

This is misleading. The support only exists to solve anything to do with accounting or payments.

Google banned a couple of startups in our accelerator because they had interns with integrated sign-in and Google bans all related accounts with absolute impunity.

The customer service said they can only help with billing and also note that you can't even access the settings page to get your pin or phone number.

If your register again, Google will process your payment and ban you immediately after that due to related accounts. This is in their terms and conditions.

With chrome auto sign in , it's becoming easier for them to find related accounts.

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#12

Post by ganeshkrishnan »

duiker101 wrote: post #4

You will be able to go to a Genius bar and get your support. If that's what you are after, the answer should be yes. But I would advise against it. You will move from one gated garden to another. You are right, breaking out from Google is very hard and painful, but I would argue breaking out of Apple might be even harder. A while ago I started having the same worry about Google and started to cut them out. I began wi…

I absolutely detest Apple products but absolutely love that their customer service is par excellence.

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#13

Post by PopeDotNinja »

ganeshkrishnan wrote: post #11
PopeDotNinja wrote: post #10

In case you don't know, if you are a premium Google customer paying for a service, you can talk to someone. I've had a couple of times where I needed support and was able to speak with a person. I don't know if those options exist for free tier customers.

This is misleading. The support only exists to solve anything to do with accounting or payments. Google banned a couple of startups in our accelerator because they had interns with integrated sign-in and Google bans all related accounts with absolute impunity. The customer service said they can only help with billing and also note that you can't even access the settings page to get your pin or phone number. If your r…

> Google banned a couple of startups in our accelerator because they had interns with integrated sign-in and Google bans all related accounts with absolute impunity.

Can you expand on that? I'm not sure I understand.

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#14

Post by ialwaysforgetm »

PopeDotNinja wrote: post #10

In case you don't know, if you are a premium Google customer paying for a service, you can talk to someone. I've had a couple of times where I needed support and was able to speak with a person. I don't know if those options exist for free tier customers.

> premium Google customer paying for a service

And what is the best way to become part of such group while at the same time paying as little as possible?

Also, if for some reason Google decides to simply block/ban my account as a whole (so I can't login), how will I be able to contact them in order to even say "hey, I am that premium customer"?

(serious questions, I rely on Gmail and have always been afraid of simply losing it)

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#16

Post by ganeshkrishnan »

PopeDotNinja wrote: post #13
ganeshkrishnan wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is misleading. The support only exists to solve anything to do with accounting or payments. Google banned a couple of startups in our accelerator because they had interns with integrated sign-in and Google bans all related accounts with absolute impunity. The customer service said they can only help with billing and also note that you can't even access the settings page to get your pin or phone number. If your r…

> Google banned a couple of startups in our accelerator because they had interns with integrated sign-in and Google bans all related accounts with absolute impunity. Can you expand on that? I'm not sure I understand.

If your account is related in any way to a banned account, your account would be terminated immediately and there is no way to salvage anything in your account. People lose their entire life's worth of data overnight and there is no way to dispute it. I hope to interview these people and write a blog post

Also note, the ban and suspension of your account including everything related to you is for your entire life!

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#19

Post by GeekyBear »

duiker101 wrote: post #7
Tomte wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on Fastmail with my own domain(s), my photos and files are mostly local, with a backup on iCloud and on OneDrive and I'm using an iPhone and an iPad. I also have an iCloud subscription. Why would an Apple device stop anyone from doing what you just outlined?

Nothing, but that's not what OP asked for. He seems to be wanting to move everything to Apple, not OneDrive, not Fastmail etc... my comment was about moving out of being all-in with Apple. Google's takeout service is okish, but I am not aware of similar services on Apple and there is a even stronger tie between services and devices with Apple, which makes it also more expensive to want to move away from it.

Aside from the absolute need to make sure you sign out of iMessage on your iPhone before you get rid of the device (so your friends still using iMessage will still be able to reach you using SMS), what is it about the Apple ecosystem that would lock you in that wouldn't be solved by using the iOS version of Google Drive to back up the iPhone before you sell it?

Re: Ask HN: Will I be able to talk to a human if I move from Google to Apple?

#20

Post by duiker101 »

GeekyBear wrote: post #19
duiker101 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing, but that's not what OP asked for. He seems to be wanting to move everything to Apple, not OneDrive, not Fastmail etc... my comment was about moving out of being all-in with Apple. Google's takeout service is okish, but I am not aware of similar services on Apple and there is a even stronger tie between services and devices with Apple, which makes it also more expensive to want to move away from it.

Aside from the absolute need to make sure you sign out of iMessage on your iPhone before you get rid of the device (so your friends still using iMessage will still be able to reach you using SMS), what is it about the Apple ecosystem that would lock you in that wouldn't be solved by using the iOS version of Google Drive to back up the iPhone before you sell it?

It's not the actual selling of the device the problem, it's the way you are locked in the walled garden. Let's say, you don't like the next iPhone. You want something different. Well, tough shit, you will need to find a new way to store all your photos and files since you won't be able to use those either on any other device. Same goes for anything else you might have in your iCloud.

Now, I'm not saying that you can't use other services or anything, all I'm saying is that if you put all your eggs in one basket, it becomes hard(not impossible, usually, just harder) to then move them away.

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