Out-of-warranty mail-in Repair Service added to Google Store for Pixel and Pixel 2 phones
The customer support for Google Pixel phones is rivaled by few in the smartphone industry, especially in regards to when something with your phone goes wrong. The 24/7 chat and telephone support lines available for Google Pixel phones are a lifesaver — and I should know! My Google Pixel bricked itself at 5 AM the morning of my twin's wedding, and a quick chat and call with support had a replacement Pixel on the way home to my apartment before I even left the venue.
That was a warranty replacement, however. If I'd simply dropped my Pixel on the crushed granite driveway, Google Support wouldn't have been able to help me. If that happens today, though, Google Store's nifty new repair center would.
Google Support has had mail-in repair/replacement for Google Pixel phones since 2016, and today that program is expanding into the Google Store's new Repair Center. If your phone breaks outside of warranty, you can open a new repair order and get an estimate for your repair. Once you ship in your phone, Google techs will examine your phone and confirm that the repair and repair costs match their estimate.
If it does match, they'll charge your credit card, repair your phone and ship it back. If your phone arrives and the damage is more extensive than described, or the repair costs are higher than originally quote, then the Google Store will contact you to go over whether repairs can and will proceed with an updated repair order at the higher cost. Once your phone is repaired, it's shipped home to you, usually 2 weeks or less from when you shipped it out.
It's worth noting that Google Store repairs are not the same as Google Support repairs. If your Pixel's problems seem to be under warranty, you'd still contact Google Support, and extended warranty holders would contact Preferred Care. Google Store's Repair Center is for phone repairs that you have to pay for. This new option is a welcome repair option, though some may still elect to visit a uBreakiFix instead if they don't have a spare phone to switch to for 7-10 business days.
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Ara Wagoner was a staff writer at Android Central. She themes phones and pokes YouTube Music with a stick. When she's not writing about cases, Chromebooks, or customization, she's wandering around Walt Disney World. If you see her without headphones, RUN. You can follow her on Twitter at @arawagco.