# Google/gmail - so much frustration

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-so-much-frustration/713602>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-so-much-frustration/713602 "2015-02-25T19:51:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-so-much-frustration/713602/21 "2015-02-27T17:30:15Z")

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> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#):
>
> The simplest one is probably through the payment method. If you’re paying with a credit card, they have your name and address, and can make a small transaction on the credit card to verify.

You don’t need a human for that. I have had a linked bank account verified by the bank depositing two small (\< $1) amounts into it and asking me to enter the four digits of those amounts as a PIN.

On the contrary, I think you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a verification method a previously-unknown-to-you human could apply that _couldn’t_ be automated. I agree, however, that having financial information linked to you account opens the door to a lot more verification techniques, whether a human is involved or not.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-gmail-so-much-frustration/713602/22 "2015-03-02T16:53:26Z")

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> [@leahcim](#):
>
> On the contrary, I think you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a verification method a previously-unknown-to-you human could apply that _couldn’t_ be automated.

I agree that almost any verification method could be automated.

But in the case that it hasn’t already been automated, the company that is making enough income from you to get a person on the phone to help solve your problem is more likely to be able to figure things out.

This thread reminds me I should go review my account recovery options…

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