Pixel Replacement Process Concerns and Rant

[Trevozneoma]

After receiving a refurbished Pixel replacement I have some serious reservations about the Pixel refurbishment and shipment process. First off this is not a knock on Google customer service which, in my experience, has been outstanding. This is a concern over the way they are refurbishing and delivering replacements of a nearly $1,000 phone. First of all, the refurbished phone comes in a small unpadded box that is then placed inside a much larger FedEx (12"x10") box with a single sheet of bubble wrap that's not even wrapped around the phone, it literally does nothing and the phone just slides around freely with nothing to prevent it from getting crushed in transit across the country. In fact someone posted a YouTube video showing this (not me in the video).

https://youtu.be/Mam2Jq-lH8A

Next, after being comforted by the customer service rep telling me refurbs are good because they have been thoroughly tested for bugs, I power the phone on and observe a very noticeable yellow tint compared to my prior unit. More than that, it can't stay on for more than 5 minutes, (fully charged and plugged in). I don't know what kind of QC they are doing that they missed that. I couldn't get through the setup process without the phone shutting off and becoming unresponsive. I don't know if anyone else is having these experiences or shares my concerns but, this leads me to believe that their refurbs are really just returned phones that have been reboxed and shipped out as refurbs, possibly not even tested.

My recommendation to Google is to treat your Pixel customers like royalty because they are the drivers of your foray into hardware. No one else would sit on a wait list for months to get a phone with similar specifications as one that costs $400 less. I don't mind refurbs but make sure they look brand new, they actually work, and they are packed into a friggen box that fits! At least when you pay $1k for an iPhone you know a part of that Apple tax is going toward the maintenance of brick and mortar locations where you can pick up and even test a replacement on the spot. I'm just disappointed and feel like the joke's on me for laying out that kind of cash. I don't feel like there's a really good explanation for this experience other than them just being cheap.

End Rant.

 

[anon(27512)]

After receiving a refurbished Pixel replacement I have some serious reservations about the Pixel refurbishment and shipment process. First off this is not a knock on Google customer service which, in my experience, has been outstanding. This is a concern over the way they are refurbishing and delivering replacements of a nearly $1,000 phone. First of all, the refurbished phone comes in a small unpadded box that is then placed inside a much larger FedEx (12"x10") box with a single sheet of bubble wrap that's not even wrapped around the phone, it literally does nothing and the phone just slides around freely with nothing to prevent it from getting crushed in transit across the country. In fact someone posted a YouTube video showing this (not me in the video).

https://youtu.be/TQEmlLTsSVQ

Next, after being comforted by the customer service rep telling me refurbs are good because they have been thoroughly tested for bugs, I power the phone on and observe a very noticeable yellow tint compared to my prior unit. More than that, it can't stay on for more than 5 minutes, (fully charged and plugged in). I don't know what kind of QC they are doing that they missed that. I couldn't get through the setup process without the phone shutting off and becoming unresponsive. I don't know if anyone else is having these experiences or shares my concerns but, this leads me to believe that their refurbs are really just returned phones that have been reboxed and shipped out as refurbs, possibly not even tested.

My recommendation to Google is to treat your Pixel customers like royalty because they are the drivers of your foray into hardware. No one else would sit on a wait list for months to get a phone with similar specifications as one that costs $400 less. I don't mind refurbs but make sure they look brand new, they actually work, and they are packed into a friggen box that fits! At least when you pay $1k for an iPhone you know a part of that Apple tax is going toward the maintenance of brick and mortar locations where you can pick up and even test a replacement on the spot. I'm just disappointed and feel like the joke's on me for laying out that kind of cash. I don't feel like there's a really good explanation for this experience other than them just being cheap.

End Rant.

I honestly don't think Android OEMS care.

When my Samsung power button stopped working on my note 5 their solution was for me to be without a phone for a minimum of two weeks while they fix it in Korea.

I quickly learned that if my android phone dies the solution really is to just buy a new one. Really disheartening because you mentioned these flagships aren't cheap.

That's one reason why I will always have an iPhone in addition to whatever Android I own. Apple knows how to treat customers.

 

[Nubwy]

I also think a large part of it is that Apple has a very narrow and select offering of phone/tablets. Samsung has a dozen or more budget, low end, mid range and high end devices for all markets. They don't care because they have a hand in everything and Apple cares because their iPhone 7 is the refresh of the only two phones they sell.

 

[nokia4life]

I also think a large part of it is that Apple has a very narrow and select offering of phone/tablets. Samsung has a dozen or more budget, low end, mid range and high end devices for all markets. They don't care because they have a hand in everything and Apple cares because their iPhone 7 is the refresh of the only two phones they sell.

Your defense of the subject should be thrown in the garbage. Regardless of how many devices A company offers they owe it to their customers to fix or replace in a timely fashion. This idea that because Samsung has cheap and high end models that they get a pass is idiotic. I own a note 5 , a pixel xl and a iPhone 7 plus and I expect google and Samsung to provide the same service as apple seeing that my pixel do was 959.00, my note 5 was 879.00 and my iPhone was 989.00 all after tax. I don't make excuses for these companies.

 

[Trevozneoma]

Another happy refurb experience documented below. I have to believe they are really just re-boxing returns and not checking them at all. I know these are isolated instances but you can't keep emphasizing in your service emails that "to replace your device, we’ll send you a refurbished Pixel. All refurbished devices have been tested and approved to ensure they meet strict quality standards." You can't say that if there is evidence that devices are not working from the minute they are turned on.

https://youtu.be/lgkhj-i4Aew

 

[Ry]

Guess I got lucky? Or my return period was still good.

I got a new device in box.

 

[Trevozneoma]

Yeah you definitely got lucky. I think whether or not you get a new unit has to do with whether or not they have new devices in stock and, seeing as they haven't had the black pixel 128gb in stock for a month, I am guessing they are dipping into their returned stock for service requests. If the next one they send me isn't a quality sample I'm going to ask for a refund because, like the guy in the video said, this is BS.