Pixel 9a owner claims Google wanted to charge them nearly $300 for non-existent damage

It’s not uncommon to hear about customer support horror stories. However, sometimes there are stories that really stand out from the rest. Like this one from a Pixel 9a owner who simply wanted to fix their eSIM connectivity issues.

According to the owner, their Pixel 9a was in excellent condition, but they were having issues with downloading and setting up eSIMs. After sending the phone in for a warranty-covered repair, the owner says Google messaged them back, wanting to charge $287.44 for damage to the screen, frame, and cameras. At the time, it was unclear if the handset had been damaged during transit.

The owner claims that they reached out to the Google support team to dispute the bill. However, it’s said that the support team stopped replying once the owner asked to escalate the issue. Refusing to pay the bill, the case timed out, and Google notified the owner that their device was being shipped back to them, presumably now with new damage and the eSIM bug unaddressed.

The phone has now returned to the owner, completely devoid of the external damage the company claimed. After checking the IMEI, the owner was able to confirm it was the same device they originally sent out. Included in the packaging was a note from the tech giant stating, “No repairs were done on your device because you either denied or did not respond to the change order request that was sent to you via email.”

The owner says that they are filing a formal complaint against Google. “I’ve filed a formal complaint to my state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and to the California BBB.”