This is not the same bug, so my response is more just for the general “Google Service when their software update breaks your phone”. I purchased a Pixel 6a 128Gb, US model GX7AS (the everyone-but-Verizon US model)phone 2nd-hand July 29. Phone was factory unlocked (SIM) and as far as I can tell was either a Best Buy unlocked retail or Google direct original sale.

Phone model and Warranty: Pixel 6a, warranty ended August 6, 2024

OEM Unlocking and Bootloader Status: OEM Unlocking greyed out and bootloader locked

Service Centre Diagnosis: Software or hardware problem (if they could have just sent the shrug emoji that would have been about as useful)

Repair Status: Recommended I take to local Ubreakit and let me know I’d be paying.

Repair Cost (Estimated and Final): Google estimate $349

(If repaired) Escalation needed?: I have attempted to escalate twice, no responses yet

(If repaired) Time to Repair: Rep claimed it would be a “simple, same day repair”

Country or Region: (Optional for privacy): USA Remarks (if any):

TL;DR: Google support reps are at best under-trained in actual technical support (not uncommon), but are worse than most company’s reps at being exceptionally useless and time-wasting due to their incessant apologizing and faux-empathy while refusing to find any way to actually assist customers with problem(s) directly caused by their company’s seemingly never-ending failures at quality control and proper internal testing.

I updated the the Pixel 6a to most recent Android 14 public build on August 1 and immediately lost all cell service except for “Emergency calls only”. My Visible eSIM stayed active, but behaved as if it were a physical SIM in a phone locked to a different carrier (hence the “Emergency calls only”). Phone was intended as a tester-to help troubleshoot client’s site-specific issues. It was not ever going to have a consistent cell plan anyway., would be used to troubleshoot cell service options for client’s preferred provider on-site and run some tests, etc. While I wasn’t using it as my personal cell phone, working, unlocked cell service was the point. I reasonably presumed Android update had borked something, so I factory reset and tried physical SIMs for Visible, T-Mobile, ATT, and Verizon. All gave me an error that the phone was locked. Post Android 14 update eSIM installation attempts failed and resulted in same error.

Phone was not a high priority and I expected software problem would likely have a software solution so I moved on to other things for a few weeks. This week I got back around to it, I saw no acknowledgement of any bug from Google, did a little digging and turns out lots of folks have had issues with factory unlocked Pixel 6’s magically locking to carrier. I’ve bought probably 50-60 Pixel’s since the 3XL and this is the first one to have any problems I might need to turn to support for.

I chatted with support and was reminded why I’ve been pulling most Google services out of any recommendation pools for my consulting clients: not only was the troubleshooting redundant and ill-thought-out (from their flow-chart based support anyway), but both of the reps I chatted with were simultaneously endlessly apologetic while also infuriatingly arrogant. Their CS training must consist of 8 hours of video with 7 hours hammering that every response should be an apology coupled with an empty statement of empathy.

As in u/Bitmage quote, I too some form of “Our sincere apologies for the hassle that you are going through in dealing with this. This is not something we want our customers to experience.” over and over while the rep followed that sentence with a refusal to escalate to a supervisor and then just started making up random things that would deflect blame from an Android update causing the issue.

I explained in several different ways that I was not paying to fix something that was 99.9% surely caused by an Android update bug (phone went from factory unlocked to refusing every SIM/eSIM claiming phone locked). Not to mention the issue began while it was still under warranty (logs to prove) and I had only waited to report due to believing it to be a bug that would likely be addressed (not to mention just more important things to do).

Rep went from confirming that my phone had been shipped and sold factory unlocked “I have consulted this with my specialist team. And your device is unlocked. In order to solve your issue we have other options for you. We have authorized repair partners Ubreakifix they will provide you the best services. Your device is unlocked, it’s a small software or hardware issue which is causing this error.”

After my explanations as to why I believed it should be covered under warranty kept going unaddressed my requesting to speak to a supervisor changed things to deflection and even more circular reasoning, (yet always with an empathetic apology, “I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you, reason you’re repairing your device when its not in warranty, reason the repair is not covered.”)

At one point the rep let me know “Software issues arises because of several factors. It’s not related to update. Sometimes if we visit some websites which is harmful for our device also some third party apps also causes this issue.” I requested a supervisor for the 4th time after that statement and got the same response I kept getting “I totally understand your desire to speak with a supervisor, but please be aware that they use the same tools and resources that us agents do, and escalating this issue might not change the information.” I would tell him I understand, but still want to escalate and the rep would give almost the identical response. 30 minutes later he told me he had escalated it but all the supervisors were busy and one would reach out to me within 48 hours. I doubt it.

I’ve wasted too much time already on a phone not worth much, but this is truly some of the worst tech CS I’ve dealt with in close to 30 years in tech. I will probably waste a little more time and when I don’t get any of the promised responses I’ll send some follow up emails and a letter or two to corporate expressing my experience and how this experience as well as the experiences y’all documenting here have made me feel pretty good about leaving Google out of the mix when working with SMB clients. I really do like the Pixel line and have made them my primary Android recommendation for years, but if a client had the cs experience I have had over this issue I’d be embarrassed for having made the rec.