Google – the massive company that has gotten so good at artificial intelligence technology and specific targeting of advertising. They have used their immense bank of data on people to get really good at predicting behavior and helping companies reach more people as a result. Yet, this week, humans actually surprised the great Google!
Humans Surprised Google with the New Google Fi Offers
An Awesome Collision of Travel and Tech Deals in One
On Wednesday of this week, Google launched an incredible deal for their newly re-branded Google Fi service. All customers – both new and existing – could buy a Google Fi compatible phone and get the equivalent purchase price in travel gift cards. The only requirement (besides new customers porting over a number)? Keeping the device active on the new account for 60 days.
Google Realized It Was More Popular Than They Had Calculated
They said this promotion would last for the day but around 5 hours before the promotion was to end, Google switched it up (see this Doctor of Credit post for more information). That’s right, it appears the demand for this incredible combination of travel and tech deal was more than the great Google had estimated! They must have realized that they were getting hit pretty hard and that they had not thought this offer through all that much.
That’s right – Google was offering dollar for dollar in travel gift cards for what you spent on a phone!
For example, I bought the highest end phone ($999) on my existent Google Fi account. I am a current Google Fi customer and this promotion did not thing influence my use of the Google Fi program (which I already consider to be incredible). With this promotion, however, I will get a brand new $999 phone that I will keep active and then could sell after getting my gift cards.
This means that I can end up with $999 in gift cards and could sell the phone for around a $250-300 loss. In other words, I will have paid $380 for $999 in future travel. Not bad at all! Plus, I will remain as a Google Fi customer since it is so awesome!
Google Misjudged the Promotion Targets
What does Google get from me in this arrangement? Nothing. That’s because I am already a customer and already use the service so there is nothing to be gained by this. Yet, the promotion worked for me as well as it would for a brand new customer.
We can look at it like this – Google is the company that has made their smart assistant so smart that it can make appointments for us as well as grow to understand human interaction and anticipate our needs. Yet, on Wednesday, Google failed to realize how much humans love a deal and how fast they jump on something that is almost too good to be true. For those that waited thinking it was safe to trust Google with the terms, they realized the deal was too good to stay true. I almost had waited so I feel some of your pain. 🙂
Did you get in on the Google Fi deal before the terms changed?
I was so sad by the time I decided to pull the trigger only the service credits were active . Took me a little bit to figure out could get the new pixel XL for 4 month service charge $80? Oh well maybe next time.
I did the same. Bought the Pixel 3 XL with the most memory. Plan to cancel after 120 days and sell the phone. I also don’t fly DL/WN so ehhh… Basically, the Pixel 3 XL will be the wifi hotspot for my iPhone as I’m traveling the next 4 months. I’m not leaving Verizon for the crappier carriers.
so you think Tmobile and ATT are both crappy carriers? And all international carriers as well?
Great news that Google has opened Fi up to iPhones and other Android phones as well. I’ve been using the service for 2 years now and it’s been great. Traveling overseas and not having to worry about massive roaming charges or having to buy a local sim card has been awesome. I’ve also been able to call my cousin and brother who both live abroad and it only costs $0.01/min. Definitely happy I switched!
If anyone is looking to sign up and wants to save $20, use this referral code:
URL: https://g.co/fi/r/EHC6VC
Code: EHC6VC