Incomprehensible Vertex AI API usage fee

[snowman]

A few days ago, I wanted to apply AI technology to an app I created, so I changed Google's Vertex AI API to 'Enable', but it was difficult to use, so I logged out without doing anything special. However, when I checked today, I found out that Vertex AI API charged about $100 for two days. Is this a normal charge? In my app, no services are connected to vertext AI.

[Poala_Tenorio]

It's concerning that you were charged for Vertex AI API usage even though you didn't actively use it within your app. However, it's important to understand that enabling certain APIs or services within cloud platforms like Google Cloud Platform (GCP) can sometimes incur charges, especially if there's any background usage or if the API was inadvertently triggered.

Here are a few steps you can take to investigate and potentially address the situation:

1. Review GCP Billing: Look into your GCP billing details to understand the charges more specifically. This will help you see exactly what services or APIs incurred the charges and how they were utilized.

2. Check API Usage Logs: If possible, check the usage logs for the Vertex AI API to see if there were any unexpected calls or usage during the period in question. This can provide insight into what triggered the charges.

3. Contact Google Cloud Support: If you believe the charges are incorrect or unjustified, you can reach out to Google Cloud Support for assistance. They can help you understand the charges and potentially provide refunds if there was any billing error.

4. Review Account Permissions: Ensure that there are no unauthorized users or applications that may have inadvertently triggered the Vertex AI API usage. It's possible that someone else may have accessed your GCP account and enabled the API.

5. Consider Budget Controls: In the future, consider setting up budget alerts or controls within GCP to prevent unexpected charges. This can help you monitor and manage your spending more effectively.

6. Evaluate API Usage: If you do intend to use Vertex AI or any other APIs in the future, make sure you fully understand their pricing structure and how they integrate with your application. This will help you avoid any unexpected charges in the future.

By taking these steps, you should be able to better understand the charges and take appropriate action to address the situation.

[ffxx68]

can you follow up on our issue? See the many replies here

[niciprofe]

Same problem, is Vertex AI a scam?

[niciprofe]

Hey! Paola Tenorio, did you solve this problem? Thanks 

[snowman]

No. Even though communication with contact person in Google, I paid it
finally.
A Google representative also said that I should contact the technical
department for technical issues, but that it would not be easy to get an
answer, so I did not consult further. In the end, I paid for the unused
expenses.

[Dev_1]

Same problem, Vertex charge my credit card around 100 euros, I had to delete the 2 endpoints to stop this nonsense. Seems they charge by hour even if you don't use, in my case around 60 euros each day by endpoint. No previous warning, I set the billing alert but few days without checking e-mail and Vertex eat almost 500 euros...  Smells like scam

[binaryLady]

I am having the same problem. Solo founder with very limited budget excited to build with new Google AI tools but the costs are astronomical. As OP stated, 100 bucks per day with no usage as of yet!

[balrajmore]

Same problem, did not use the vertex AI actively, it was just enabled. Stop got charged $100.

[ffxx68]

Same problem for me. I also has about 100$ being charged per day, while I'm sure the API hasn't been used, except for the day I set up a Colab notebook, then inactivated.

Is that enough to get a daily charge? 

Luckily I have a welcome credit!  Charging stopped only after disabling the API. 

[ffxx68]

Maybe this explains? https://pgaleone.eu/golang/vertexai/2024/05/01/hidden-costs-resource-pools/

<< Resource pools in Vertex AI offer a convenient way to manage shared compute resources for training and deploying models. However, it’s crucial to understand their cost implications. Here are some key takeaways:

• Resource pools incur charges even when not actively used for training or prediction

... >>

[snowman]

Ever since those bills started coming in coercively, I’ve lost interest in the Vertex AI API. I’m also worried that if I try something, I might end up getting charged without even realizing it. Even now, just thinking about it makes me angry. While testing out a new technology, an unintended situation occurred, but the user was unaware of it. Yet they charge for it and pin the blame on the user.

[Debian]

same problem, such nonsense Vertex AI . What wrong with Google ?