Ridiculous Google Pixel RMA Experience

[digkong1]

Hello,
I've owned a pixel device for about 2 months now and had started to experience issues with the battery life, standby battery drain and phone shutting off at about 20 percent each time. So I call up google support and explain these issues to them. They agree to replace the device for me. Having purchased the device from a retailer other than google I did not have the option to advance RMA and had to go with the standard one.

On 15th of Feb, I received a mail with shipping labels and other RMA details. On 22nd Feb I send in the phone which they received on 27th. Google is yet to acknowledge this through any mail but their support team over the phone assured me that the phone was received.

Initially, I was promised that a new or refurb phone will be dispatched immediately after the tracking details were updated. Google never met this expectation and so I call them up regarding the same and I was told that it could take 5-10 days for them to process the RMA. At this moment I requested them if they could do anything to expedite the process but they responded negatively every time and told I have no option but to wait which by the way is still the same answer I get every time I call them.

After 10 days passed I hadn't yet received any mail or updates regarding the new device, so I call them up and question the same to them, to which they replied that they need to escalate the case and that it would take them another 48 hrs to resolve the issue. It has now been 4 days since and google still has no idea where my old or the new phone is and they tell me to have patience and wait for the back end team to reply. I must have now spoken to at least 10 representatives and they all give me the answer that nothing can be done about it and that make me feel as if I shouldn't have gone in for the RMA in the first place. I've even requested them to send me back my old faulty unit but refuse to do even that as they don't have the authority to do that.

After reading online, I wasn't shocked to find that am not the only one who has faced such an issue. But what shocked me was that the person hadn't received a device for 50 days and was going to court to file a complaint. Am scared that I don't become a victim of poor google after sales service and have to go to the extent of going to the court.

Edit : - Ok. So I've just gotten off the phone with another representative and he has informed me that I should wait for at least another 48 hrs. So that makes the total turn-around time of about 20 days. That is if they happen to resolve the issue this time.

 

[usgbeancounter]

Just curious, but why didn't you just return the phone to the "retailer other than google" from which you purchased it?

 

[muzzy996]

Meanwhile you're paying for service on your SIM. Not acceptable.

I purchased my phone straight from Google and although I'm the type of person to always have a spare phone I don't think it is reasonable to expect everyone to do so . . so I think if I were in this position I'd be complaining about lost time and asking for compensation for that.

I know where usgbeancounter's coming from asking why not go to the retailer but to me ultimately if Google's service is going to take on the responsibility of honoring the service request then they should be just as responsive to it as they would if they were honoring the request of a person who purchased direct.

Personally what I'd prefer them to do is what Western Digital and other companies do whereby they'll advance RMA a device after taking payment information and will only charge you full price for the device they ship out in advance if the broken item is not received within a set timeframe after receipt of the replacement.

 

[bigsmoke79]

This sounds horrendous service for a phone that cost a lot of money! I've used Google for returns in the past and they've been excellent but the whole thing falls down if you buy the phone elsewhere.

This is where Apple raises its game big time, you buy your iPhone anywhere from anyone and if it's in warranty they'll look at it for it, Google need to implement something similar but they can't as they don't have shops of their own.

 

[Ry]

Which model, color, and storage option?

 

[nokia4life]

Wow that's crazy I hope they are able to resolve this matter.

 

[Slow_S10]

Meanwhile you're paying for service on your SIM. Not acceptable.

I purchased my phone straight from Google and although I'm the type of person to always have a spare phone I don't think it is reasonable to expect everyone to do so . . so I think if I were in this position I'd be complaining about lost time and asking for compensation for that.

I know where usgbeancounter's coming from asking why not go to the retailer but to me ultimately if Google's service is going to take on the responsibility of honoring the service request then they should be just as responsive to it as they would if they were honoring the request of a person who purchased direct.

Personally what I'd prefer them to do is what Western Digital and other companies do whereby they'll advance RMA a device after taking payment information and will only charge you full price for the device they ship out in advance if the broken item is not received within a set timeframe after receipt of the replacement.

For what it's worth Google does it this way too, although apparently not in all situations. Recently my wife's blue Pixel suffered a defect that rendered it completely unusable. When we contacted Google, they immediately sent us out a replacement and has us ship her old one back in the box it came in. They put a hold on our credit card for the replacement cost but removed it once they received her old phone. The replacement phone arrived in two days, and the whole process took about a week and was completely painless.

I genuinely don't know why it is taking so long for some people to receive replacements, but I just wanted to throw my experience out there also because it's not all bad. Although it is truly strange that they are so wildly different.

 

[ian3047]

I am having microphone issues, they stop entirely. Support told me twice I am the first person having this issue. I showed them googles own support forums with verified employees claiming they are aware of the issues. They said that googles support site is a fake. Unreal, for the price these phones cost I expect to have trained support staff, or ones that don't lie to me. Further I expect either a new or new condition refurb not some banged up phone that I can't be guaranteed has been repaired. They sent me a scratched up refurb unit older and in worse shape than my defective unit. I refused the scratched phone. Held onto my intermittently working XL. So they wanted to put another hold on my CC and send yet another refurb which I am not going to hang that much money out for them. This company is really letting me down. I am to the point of being done with it.

 

[auditman]

I'm Canada. I called goggle support, told them my battery issue. I was ask to reset and start the phone in safe mode. The next day I'm still having battery issue. Support send me a ups package and was told to send the phone back to google in toronto. As soon as they received it, they sent me a new phone back. I really had good experience.