Google Should Stop Bill Collection for First Quarter, 8 Travel Startups Demand
Skift Take
Google has a huge travel advertising business. If Google's advertising partners had to hand out tons of refunds to consumers for coronavirus-tinged trips that never happened, shouldn't Google, with its deep pockets, share in the pain?
Eight German travel startups, including GetYourGuide and Trivago, called on Google to cease its bill collection efforts for first quarter advertising services, and to share the burden of refunding consumers for trips and activities that never took place because of coronavirus lockdowns.
In other words, call off the bill collectors.
The demand took place in a letter sent Wednesday from German Startups Association President Christian Miele to Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler, who's based in California. [See the letter embedded below.]
The eight companies would have generated about $80 million in advertising revenue for Google in the first quarter, Miele wrote.
However, since Google usually receives advertising payment monthly, it's believed to be about $40 million in advertisement payments that are in question for March. That month would see the heaviest advertising of the first quarter as companies were poised to gear up for the
