Google Cloud charges I did not knowingly authorize were sent to collections — how can I get a manual review?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice regarding an unexpected Google Cloud billing issue that has now been escalated to collections.

I am a student and was experimenting with **Vertex AI**. I did not knowingly intend to incur the resulting charges. Google Cloud later identified approximately **₹5,973.93 INR** in outstanding charges, mainly from **Cloud Spanner**, with a small amount from **Vertex AI**.

**Billing Account:** `016F17-XXXXXX-XXXX`

I was unaware that resources had remained provisioned and were generating billable usage. Once I discovered the issue, I immediately closed the Google Cloud billing account to prevent any further charges.

I also checked the project and currently have:

* No API keys * No OAuth clients * No service accounts * No active billing accounts

I contacted Google Cloud Billing Support several times and requested a manual review and a one-time courtesy adjustment because the charges were unintentional. The Billing Assistant refused to reverse the charges and, because the billing account is closed, would not connect me with a human billing specialist.

The matter has now been referred to **Cadex Receivables Control Corporation**, a collection agency.

I am not trying to avoid resolving the matter. I am requesting a **manual review of the charges and consideration for a one-time billing adjustment/courtesy credit**, given that this was an unintended first-time mistake and I am currently a student.

Has anyone here dealt with a similar situation involving **Cloud Spanner/Vertex AI charges being referred to collections**? Were you able to get a human review or billing adjustment?

Any advice on the correct Google escalation route would be greatly appreciated.