Tag Archives: Google Store

EMPTY BOX from Google Rather Than ‘Pixel 6 Pro (256GB)’ Replacement I Was Expecting — A Nightmare.

by Anura Guruge
on July 19, 2022

Click to **ENLARGE**.
Montage of the empty box (with NO labels) & the padded (sealed) FedEx envelope it was delivered in.

Click image to access my ***July 5, 2022***, post related to this sad saga.

This was related to my efforts to get the cracked screen on my ‘Pixel 6 Pro (256G)’ repaired — by Google. After the $259 screen replacement the fingerprint sensor did not work. Google promised to now send me a REPLACEMENT as this was now a warranty issue.

Since I had already BOUGHT a new Pixel 6 Pro (256GB) prior to getting the old one repaired, I told Google I will first send in the defective phone BEFORE they shipped me the replacement. This way they would NOT charge my credit card for the replacement unit — while they awaited my return. I also indicated that I did NOT want a shipping box from Google since I already had several!

I FedExed the return on Friday, July 8, 2022.

Google received the return on Monday, July 11, 2022.

On July 12, 2022, I got e-mails (with tracking numbers) saying they were FedExing — overnight — the NEW REPLACEMENT.

So, I was expecting the REPLACEMENT.

On July 13, 2022, FedEx came & delivered me a padded envelope (sealed & undamaged) from Google. Much to my surprise they didn’t want a signature. I had been told that a signature would be required. {Strange} The envelope was remarkably light.

I opened it. There was a brown box with no labels on it. A genuine, virgin box.

PANIC!

I am holding an empty box rather than a replacement phone.

Googled it! Appears that this does happen, i.e., getting an empty box rather than a phone. All these posts said that it was a NIGHTMARE to get the problem resolved by Google. They were NOT KIDDING.

‘Google Store’ telephone & chat support sucks — sucks BAD!

It took me 3 telephone calls & 2 chat sessions before we finally got to the bottom of why I got an empty box rather than the replacement phone. I spent a total of 6 hours trying to get this resolved! 6 hours. It was NIGHTMARE.

This would have never been the case with Amazon telephone support. They would have fixed it in 20 minutes — max.

Google support was CLUELESS.

I was so desperate that I filed a POLICE REPORT!

Finally on my 3rd call, 6-hours after my 1st call, a Google rep. (who happened to be Indian) worked it out.

My replacement unit was still on the way. It had been delayed. There was NO problem with my replacement. It was coming — but it would NOT get to me for 2 more days.

The empty box was a MISTAKE.

They had send it to me so I could send my ‘damaged’ unit back.

But, I had already sent that in & they had received it.

Plus, I had said that I did NOT want a box to return my unit — I already had a box.

Sending the empty box was a MISTAKE on the part of Google.

Their mistake had cost me a lot of stress & the loss of 6 hours.

I am NOT happy.

Two Of The ‘Pixel 6s’ I Ordered From The ‘Google Store’ Finally Shipped Today; I Cancelled The 3rd.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 5, 2021

Click to **ENLARGE**. Todays status. 2 units FINALLY shipped.

As I pointed out just last week it has been frustrating & confusing trying to get some Pixel 6 Pros from Google. I needed two. One for I (to replace my Pixel 5) & another for the wife to replace quite an old Samsung. She wanted ‘Cloudy White‘. I want my phones to be black since I use them mainly as cameras. When taking pictures a black camera/phone is less ‘obvious’. That has always been the rationale & why expensive cameras (these days) are invariably all black.

The Pixel 6 has a much bigger sensor & hence native image size than previous Pixels. As you know, I take quite a few pictures, EVERY DAY — sometimes in the high hundreds if I am travelling. So, I wanted to make sure I would have plenty of space. For a $100 difference it was kind of a no-brainer getting the 256GB rather than the 128GB.

As you can see I ordered the 1st of the 3 phones on November 12, 2021. I went for the UNLOCKED since that was the ONLY 128GB model Google was accepting orders for. Well, you can see the sorry saga.

We are ALL with ‘Google Fi’. So getting a Google Fi model, as opposed to an unlocked, made no difference. Both would have worked, just fine, with the built in software eSIM, on Google Fi.

So, my plan worked. Google lets you cancel, with no penalty, until the time a phone is shipped. So, once I got e-mails confirming the shipment of the two Google Fi phones I cancelled the unlocked. I would not have been heart-broken IF I was not able to cancel. I doubt I would have had trouble getting rid of a brand new, unused Pixel 6 Pro. SMILE.

Well it appears to have all worked out.

I will, however, only be fully relieved when I have the boxes in my grubby paws. That should be in the next few days. I will post a picture. SMILE. They are both Christmas presents.

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‘Pixel 6’ Order Fulfilment By ‘Google Store’ Appears To Have No Rhyme Or Reason.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 29, 2021

I have, as I chronicled in this post 17 days ago, been trying to get a 128GB, ‘Cloudy White’ Pixel 6 Pro that will work on ‘Google Fi’ — that being our cellular carrier. Earlier this month, when I went to place an order, Google Fi Pixel 6 Pros were out-of-order though unlocked Pixel 6 Pros could be ordered. As you can see from the top image I placed an order & was given a December 16 – 17 delivery date. I could live with that since I only needed it BEFORE Christmas.

A few days later I ordered a 256GB, ‘Stormy Black’ Pixel 6 Pro for myself. That, $100 more expensive that the 128GB model, was available in the Google Fi variant & I got a December 2 – 3 delivery date — which is but a few days away.

I checked the delivery status on a near daily basis. No updates. They still sit their static.

A few days ago I noticed that the 128GB Google Fi models were no ‘in stock’. Since, Google claims I can cancel orders right up to the time they are ready to ship, I placed a third order. Sure enough it has an earlier delivery date than that of my first order! Go figure.

But, as of now I have yet to see any of these three orders getting shipped. Yes, of course, I will monitor the status, with great diligence over the next couple of days. At least two of these should ship this week.

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Do NOT Be Misled By ‘Out of Stock’ Claim By Google, The ‘Pixel 6 (Pro)’ Unlocked Is Totally ‘Google Fi’ Compatible — Out-of-the-Box.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 12, 2021

I have been both a ‘Google Pixel’ owner & a ‘Google Fi‘ customer for the last 4 years.

I bought a Google Pixel 2 because it was natively compatible with Google Fi with the (then revolutionary) ‘software SIM’ (now called eSim).

So, I was kind of confused to be confronted with the above at the ‘Google Store’ this morning.

Unlocked Pixel 6 Pro — in stock.
Google Fi Pixel 6 Pro — out of stock.

Did NOT make sense. I knew the unlocked would work on Google Fi, with the eSIM, out-of-the-box. Since, I have a Pixel 5 I was able to get through, on the phone, with Google Fi quite quickly. They confirmed that. Unlocked will work fine with Fi. Moreover, even the Google Fi APP, readily available from the ‘Play Store’ (given it is a Google APP), is pre-installed on ALL Pixel 6s! So, there is NO DIFFERENCE between an unlocked & a ‘Google Fi’ Pixel 6 (Pro) — other than one is in stock, the other isn’t.

So, don’t let this fool ya. OK?

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