> > I was initiating the same 150 retrievals, over and over again, in the same order.

This was the actual problem that resulted in the large cost.

Except that it wasn't. The repeated requests were free, because he already set the maximum rate with the first wave of requests. Surprising?

Also, it really is not a hit piece. It's an honest report of what he did (and what he did wrong) and that he thinks the docs aren't as clear as they could be.