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Recently, Digital Phablet observed a discussion where some claimed that Google’s new AI-powered shopping protocol might allow merchants to overcharge consumers. The concern was that prices displayed in the AI shopping experience could be higher than those on the retailer’s website, leading to inflated charges at checkout. Such claims sparked controversy, especially since Google has built-in safeguards to prevent merchants from altering prices unexpectedly.
Lindsay Owens commented that this could spell trouble for consumers, suggesting that Google’s integration of shopping features into their AI ecosystem—including search and Gemini—might include “personalized upselling,” which she interpreted as analyzing chat data to push higher charges onto customers. However, Google clarified that this isn’t the case. They emphasized that their policies strictly prohibit merchants from displaying prices higher on Google than on their actual sites. Google also has mechanisms in place, such as permitting Googlebot to add items to carts for automatic price verification, with some interfaces even labeling such actions.
Google responded through a statement explaining that the allegations of overcharging are false. They affirmed that merchants are not allowed to list prices higher than those on their own sites. Furthermore, their “upselling” features are merely standard practices used by retailers to suggest additional premium products or options, giving consumers choices rather than forcing higher prices. They also clarified that “Direct Offers” are a pilot program allowing merchants to present deals with lower prices or free services like shipping, not to increase prices.
This issue gained notable attention when U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren referenced these concerns, prompting Google to respond publicly to set the record straight. They reiterated that the claims about pricing manipulation are inaccurate and provided clarification about their policies and procedures.
For context, a forum discussion on X covered these points, highlighting the ongoing dialogue around the integrity of pricing in Google’s shopping ecosystem and the strict measures in place to ensure fair transactions.
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