r/aws — "I'm being charged $10,205.13 for never actually using the service"
"Need an AWS Help line ASAP I'm being charged $10,205.13 for never actually using the service." Commenters: "aws support has been non-existent." "Submit a support ticket and then turn on billing alarms above 5 bucks." Amazon's own billing docs carry a whole page titled "Understanding unexpected charges."
Amazon SES FAQ — the billing fine print, in Amazon's own words
"New customers can send emails for free through Amazon SES using the AWS Free Tier … up to 3,000 message charges for free each month for the first 12 months after you start using SES." … "If you have an AWS Support plan, you can create a new support case directly from the web-based AWS management console. AWS Support plans begin at $29 per month. … If you don't have an AWS Support plan, you can also ask questions and get answers on the Amazon SES forum." … "we do charge you for each message you send to the mailbox simulator, just as if they were messages you sent to actual customers."
r/aws — "Got billed with free tier, how do I get my money back?"
"It's not a guarantee but in general AWS is lenient about billing issues for new accounts and users. This has been done for people with thousands of dollars in unexpected charges." — other replies in the thread: "Open a ticket with Amazon and beg." "you used something that wasn't included in the 'free tier'." "Go to them in contrition, stating that this was unexpected."
"Usage exceeds AWS Free Tier — Check if your services have expired your free tier usage. If you chose Paid plan for your AWS Free Tier, you are charged using pay-as-you-go pricing after six months ends or when your credits are fully used. Your account is not closed, allowing for seamless, continuous usage."