Some Helpouts, such as Weight Watchers, are available for free. Many other large companies are jumping on the band wagon and offering free Helpouts designed for classroom-like audiences. However most hangouts are provided by individuals and have a reasonable price tag attached.
For people that are forgetful The default Helpout settings record each session and allow users who purchased it to replay the session at their leisure. A quick look at the consumer agreement reveals that Google includes a 100% Money Back Guarantee which states that if a Helpout wasn’t helpful it can be contested and ran through Google’s quality assurance desk to determine whether or not a refund will be granted. Also apparently some Helpouts which contain confidential information (such as health services) are unable to be recorded and Google does not monitor the content. At launch Google has signed on roughly 1000 broadcasters spanning over 8 different service genres. When you consider that the largest provider of How To videos on the web is currently YouTube, this is really a low-risk experiment for Google to take. If Helpouts fails, YouTube is still there for people that would prefer always-free help, even if it isn’t available in real time. Google Helpouts is only available on the web (via browser) or as an Android app. It will be interesting to see if Google is able to work out a deal with Apple given that Helpouts revenue structure relies on taking a 20% cut of the fee that service providers charge for video sessions. If it can’t or Google isn’t willing to give Apple a cut, then we may not ever see Helpouts natively supported on the iPad. It’s a new marketplace for millions and millions of device owners. Wow, I’m just blown away with the implications long-term…. I’m with Steve, the long-term implications are huge. I’m so glad to be a part of the groovyPost community, I learn so much from you all :-) Comment Name * Email *
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