Pre-Ordered Pixel with financing option..but charged credit card instead...

[davidb423]

I remember the anxiety of oct 4th trying to get into the google store to pre-order my pixel xl
I remember in the process I asked for and selected the google financing option ...
I got a letter a few days later asking me to call synchrony bank to complete the application and I do so.

Fast forward to now--for some reason google charged my credit card attached to the google store and my account for the phone in total
despite getting the nice welcome packet and card (well piece of paper) from google store "powered by synchrony bank"

I emailed google support to inquire and did not get a useful response other than to call synchrony. I don't think thats helpful since they didn't process the order for the phone!

So I responded with a more specific question.

Has anyone else noticed a similar issue? I know I selected the finance option...so I think its more likely an issue on the google end rather than user error...but it would be nice to find out.

fortunately I Can afford the credit card hit, but i do wonder if people out there have this new credit account that is pristine while their google store credit cards got the big charge, and don't realize it yet!

 

[Almeuit]

Wow that sucks. I would def. call Google about it. I did the financing thing as well and it charged that card (not the one on my Store account).

 

[davidb423]

they finally responded with an actual answer...and it is what I expected. I get to return it so they refund me and then re-order one with the google financing deal.

Given the current order status, that could take a while. So...I dunno. I asked what my return window is--if I sent it back...not sure I would bother to get another one.

Its a great phone..super fast, great camera...battery life is good (for the xl model)
but
not water proof, no micro-sd and no removeable memory. Is the software improvements worth the high price? Eh, I guess you are paying for how it is NOW and how it will be in the future...but...its still expensive..

Gotta give it a bit more time. I really just wanted my note 7 and dang samsung for messing it up!

 

[sulla1965]

Be careful, something similar happened to me with Motorola. I specifically signed up for the 18 month finance option with my Moto x Pure. But I didn't pay attention and noticed later that I was actually placed on their budget pay which charged interest. It was only like $2.50 and was going down with each payment. But I had assumed I was paying with 18 month 0% APR the whole time. My mistake for not actually checking my monthly statement.

 

[tpero]

During the check-out process, there were actually two places where you had to specify financing. When you first begin check-out, you select google store financing and go through the application process, which takes place outside of the google store website. After you go through that and get approved, it sends you back to the store t complete your purchase. You fill out your shipping info, etc. Then once you get to the final screen to confirm your order, there is a payment method selection - if you have a credit card stored in your google wallet account or whatever, that card is selected by default - you actually have to manually select the new google store financing as the payment method before hitting confirm order. Wouldn't be surprised if you missed this because I just barely noticed it before finalizing myself.

 

[davidb423]

yeah I must have messed that up. Oh well. Still...they still called me to finish the process for the financing so I didn't realize I needed to change anything until it was too late...

Oh well. one day as google starts selling more hardware (google home, routers, wi fi extenders, pixel phones, pixel tablets) they will make this an easier process. Maybe.

 

[davidb423]

Sent it back this morning. Not good but I can't justify keeping it at the current price. I will see what happens over the next few months and I MIGHT get a 5 inch pixel in black, but WITH financing this time!
Plus with all the rain in Seattle I do have more piece of mind taking out my galaxy s7 edge in the rain and not worrying about it.