Google waives boy's $150,000 bill

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 07, 2016 06:00 am

Fame came at a price for a Spanish boy who mistakenly racked up 100,000 euros (S$153,000) in advertising fees with Google as he attempted to make his brass band famous online.

But the search company said it would waive his exorbitant bill after realising the 12-year-old had made a costly "mistake".

In August, Jose Javier from the south-eastern seaside city of Torrevieja created an account with AdWords, a Google pay-per-click service that puts ads above search results and on other sites, AFP reported.

The customer gives his or her credit card details and pays only when someone clicks on the link.

Javier, whose parents had opened a savings account in his name, gave his banking details thinking he would actually earn money from ads on his homemade website.

The company realised that "it was all a mistake and that he did it without thinking", a Google spokesman said.