GoKawiilRyan Whitwam / Android Authority
TL;DR Google allegedly denied a warranty claim on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold after initially promising a free repair.
The owner claims there’s no physical damage to the phone, but Google wants it to pay $660.
Many others in the replies confirm similar treatment, with Google rejecting warranty claims for vague reasons.
Your experience of owning a Pixel may depend on your needs, usage, and preferences, but we’ve often heard the same disappointing story about Google’s customer support. Most people can’t find a more fitting word than “nightmare” to describe their experiences with Pixel customer support, and new stories keep emerging. We’ve seen stories of Google rejecting warranty claims without any actual damage to devices and Google offering weak excuses, such as using a case, to reason problems with devices. And a story with a similar ending appears to have now emerged.
A Pixel 9 Pro Fold user recently recounted a frustrating experience with Google customer support while trying to get their phone fixed. About a month ago, a blob suddenly started appearing on their Fold’s inner display. Upon reaching out, Pixel support initially told them the phone would be fixed for free because it shows no signs of physical damage. That’s probably because Google covers the Pixel 9 Pro series’ display issues, whether they originate from manufacturing defects or screen lines popping up after updates, under the Extended Repair Program it announced last year.
However, when they sent the device in for an inspection, the repair bills were supposedly jacked up straight from the previous $0 to $660. After refusing to pay because the phone had no physical damage, the phone was returned to the owner. They escalated the issue to a manager, who, the user claims, assured them a resolution within the next 48 hours and even agreed that there seemed to be no physical damage.
Despite the assurance, there have been no updates in the last 15 days, according to the user, who says they have been trying to raise the issue with support nearly every day. They get the same AI-generated response that the update is being worked on.
Reddit user _M0ON_
During this period, they haven’t been able to use the phone because the patch on the screen seems to trigger the touch, and basically makes the phone nearly impossible to interact with.
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