Google Store warranty horror story: what to do next?

[savecastel]

I have been an happy owner of a Nexus 6p phone, bought in the UK Google Store, for the past 2.5 years. Yesterday though, when I went to check my email, I found it stuck in the Google boot loop. This is a quite well known issue with the phone, and the factory reset didn't help bringing it back to life.

I got in touch with Google Store customer support, and here is where the problems start. The phone is still on warranty, but:

* They no longer have Nexus 6p on stock, so they can't give me a replacement.

* Since I moved to Canada, I have closed the bank account I used to originally pay the phone, which, according to them, means I can't get a refund.

The second customer support person I spoke with mentioned that I might still be able to get a refund on a new UK bank account, but I'd have to find somebody in the UK to go through all the required steps for me, which is not really an option.

All in all, this basically means I am stuck with a 500£ phone that is still under warranty, but apparently Google refuses to do anything about it. Has anybody had a similar experience? What do you think is the best next step in this situation?

Thanks!

PS: I know there are hacks to fix the issue, but the ones I have found void the warranty and basically require you to throttle the phone, which I would argue is not an ideal solution.

[linsomniac]

I know it FEELS like a 500£ phone, but if you look at ebay it's more like a 35-40£ phone today. Perhaps this helps reframe it? If Google is offering to give you back your original 500£, that seems like an awfully good deal.

I, personally, just went through a similar situation, except my 6p was out of warranty. I use Project Fi and have the device protection $5/mo add-on, and they sent me a top of the line Nexus XL to replace my top of the line 6p, for $100 (the device replacement cost). My 6p also got stuck in the boot loop.

Perhaps ask if a Nexus XL (not Nexus 2) is a replacement option?

Honestly, my 6p was damn near unusable before the replacement. I wouldn't say I have a lot of apps installed, I basically install a set of the ones I use daily and rarely install new ones, but it was incredibly laggy. The Nexus is way better in that regard. Yes, I had some apps I could remove, but pretty much everything on the phone was something I used regularly, most I used daily.

Aside: I was looking at a recent sale on the Nexus 2 XL, which brought it down to more like $800, and they offered $180 trade in on my Nexus XL. I felt like that was kind of low, but when I looked at ebay it turned out that was about right. I decided I'm super happy with my $180 phone! :-)

[dudus]

I'm guessing that by "Nexus XL" and "Nexus 2 XL" you mean a "Pixel XL" and "Pixel 2 XL"

[linsomniac]

Oops, you're right.

[entilzha]

A similar issue got me from recommending android and google services to friends/family to actively discouraging them (and migrating off of every service I could feasibly do). The WiFi chip on my nexus 6 burnt out and neither Motorola or google would replace it without paying several hundred dollars (motorola said it was a software issue and google said it was a hardware issue). Looking at forums this was a known issue across every nexus device.

I have zero patience for poor customer service.

[savecastel]

I am on the same boat. I really love the stock Android experience, and before this issue I was suggesting it to colleagues and friends, and I was considering to possibly upgrade to the Pixel 3 later this year (at least if it lives to the expectations).

After this though, I think I'll look somewhere else, possibly with a company that offers a better customer support.

[Spooky23]

The changing of countries is a big deal. Many companies will have problems supporting that scenario.

It is surprising that google is one of them, though!

[ppseafield]

When my Nexus 5x stopped charging, I realized when doing my exchange that the warranty company wasn't Google. They outsource their device warranties.

In any case I paid $100 and got a working replacement.

[sfifs]

Well Samsung customer service tends to be uniformly excellent in my experience (several instances over the years across two countries) It boggles my mind why anyone would choose Google contract manufactured hardware when a real hardware company's top of the line models are almost as affordable.

[savecastel]

I can only speak for myself, but the reason why I went from my Note 2 to the Nexus 6p was stock Android, and avoiding all the extra bloatware that phone companies like to add.

Unfortunately, I am now regretting that decision, and I should have done a better job back then getting information around Google Store and its return/refund policies.

[shoo]

Ignoring the phone being under warranty, you may be covered under UK consumer law to request a repair, replacement or refund from the retailer:

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/i-want-to-ret...

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-to-get...

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-reject...

Another angle would be to pursue this based on the terms of your warranty. Do the terms of your warranty restrict the refund to only be to your original payment method? (this seems ridiculous to me). If so, it is possible you may also be able to challenge this under UK consumer law as an unfair contract term: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-compla...

> If the extended warranty document makes it look very difficult for you to claim, or the wording is particularly tricky to understand this could be regarded as an ‘unfair term’.

(disclaimer: i dont live in the UK or know anything about UK consumer law, i'm just some idiot on teh internets, i am not your idiot on teh internets)

[pasbesoin]

In my dealing with Google Fi, different reps may offer you different options. I had to call a couple of times on my Nexus 5x. Because of specific business reasons I won't go into, I'd waited a while before trying to get the thing fixed or replaced. I couldn't get it replaced -- I'd apparently missed the window for that, wherein I'd heard of people getting new units or Pixel 1's or the like, perhaps because they'd run out of that stock -- but a subsequent rep did qualify it for repair.

In your case, if it's under warranty, I'd say they owe you service.

Often, in the case of warranty, if a company can't repair a failed unit under warranty, they'll replace it with an equal or better current/available unit. This is not some novel concept.

But, it costs. Google and partners can afford it, and it might be less expensive than all the bad PR.

Look what's happened to LG phones and marketshare, since the whole bootloop fiasco.

Anyway, Google, it's under warranty. Stop fucking around and honor the warranty.

[c31415]

Maybe try signing up to one of the challenger banks in the UK? Monzo, Starling or Revolut? The sign up process is a bit easier there.

[savecastel]

Thanks for the suggestion.

As far as I can remember from my time there, a valid UK address was mandatory in order to open a bank account there, but maybe this is no longer the case (or it isn't for the banks you mention).

[godzillabrennus]

Sue in small claims court.

I expect that Google will lose and you’ll get your money.

[nvarsj]

He bought it in Canada, I doubt he has much grounds to sue in the UK. If he bought it in the UK, that's a whole different story and he has very strong consumer protections.

[savecastel]

I bought in the UK and then moved to Canada. Google refuses to replace the phone (since they no longer have it in stock), and they claim they can't refund me since the payment method I used to buy the phone (an UK Credit Card) is no longer active, and I don't have an UK bank account.

[mdekkers]

He bought it in Canada

No, he bought it in the UK, and since moved to Canada

[dragonwriter]

Does the UK have small claims court, and if they do, wouldn't that still be expensive and inconvenient for someone in Canada?

Does Canada have small claims court so, and if they do would they have jurisdiction for a warranty claim against a UK firm for a warranty claim based on a UK purchase transaction?

Or do you imagine this as a person in Canada suing the US parent in some US state’s small claims court for a claim arising in Canada against the UK subsidiary based on a UK transaction?

Because, somehow, I don't think that's a particularly viable option.

[fulafel]

Is this easy to do from outside the US?

[panda888888]

Keep escalating through Google customer support. I recommend going through Fi support; I seem to have gotten better service that way. There's also a "reddit request" that you can submit if you go to reddit.com/r/projectfi.

[savecastel]

Thanks, I'll try this approach and see how it goes!

[jrowley]

I'm sorry this happened to you. I don't have a solution for you. Personally I don't trust google with customer service stuff (as well as most other things), which is why I rely on Apple, for better or worse.

[daguvment]

If you paid for the 6P with a credit card, you might be able to go through them. Many credit card companies have lesser known perks, such as doubling the warranty period of products purchased with that card. If this is the case, you can contact your credit card company and go through them for a replacement/refund.

[inetsee]

The customer "closed the bank account I used to originally pay (for) the phone", which means that getting the bank to help is probably not an option.

[mdekkers]

Neither of these should be your problem. Google have a duty under the warranty. They can make up internal rules and policies all day long, none of which should be any of your concern. You have a right to a new phone.

[_zskd]

Just tossing in my two cents: Avoid the Google store at all cost. Their service is absolutely worthless. Getting on the phone is the only way to get anything done.

I bought a pair of headphones from the Google store that ended up having a manufacturing defect, so they sent me a replacement.

It broke again. 2 hours on the phone, and denying me a refund, they sent me another pair.

It broke again. Two more hours on the phone. Deny me a refund. Insist on sending me a replacement. This is where I get upset, so they escalate me to their refund department. Denied a refund, send me a replacement. But, I am assured that if THIS pair breaks, they will refund my purchase.

It broke again. Two more hours on the phone. They tell me I am out of warranty. I throw a conniption. They agree to refund me. They refund me $30 of the $180 I spent on the defective headphones. Two more hours. FINALLY after hours and hours of talking on the phone, I get a refund. 5 months and 4 pairs of headphones later.

The whole process was demeaning and wasteful. I did not love opening up and throwing away boxes upon boxes of packaging. I did not love the fact that they probably received the defective headphones and threw them into the trash. Their refund policy was asinine and TECHNICALLY, they made an exception for me because I made it clear I was going to continue accepting the replacement headphones and sending them back when they inevitably broke again just to waste their time and money. At one point the support person suggested that it is a known issue with the headphones, but not something they were acknowledging yet.

Ironically, the only thing wrong with the headphones was a defective 3.5mm to USB-C cable which would disconnect due to a weak connection at the USB-C end. Initially I told them I just want another cable, but they would only accept a full return.

tldr: the Google Store has a bullshit return and refund policy and you should NEVER buy anything from the google store if you can help it.

[savecastel]

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with them.

I wish I had researched more around Google Store customer support before making my purchase: now that I know, I'll avoid it as much as I can.

[dpedu]

I bought a 6p on launch day and my warranty has long expired. How is yours still active?