Google Customer Service Nightmare: More Than 50 Emails To Get Tech Giant To Fix Pixel Phone Blunder
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Google. It's the website many of us turn to when we need to know something, but have you ever tried to deal with actual human beings at the tech giant?
CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory investigates an outrageous battle for a customer trying to return a broken Pixel cell phone.
Linda Dimayuga and her son, C.J., have been emailing back and forth with Google's customer service since August.
"Over 50 emails and numerous phone calls," she said.
Their pile of emails shows it has gone on too long. After countless delays, despite a number of apologies, it shouldn't be surprising C.J. wrote back "this is very ridiculous, and I'm tired of waiting."
C.J. bought his Google Pixel 2 when he visited his mother in Darien, but since he now lives in Denmark, his mom had to pick up his case.
"At this point, you just want them to credit your account back," Linda said.
After his phone stopped working, Google gave C.J. a new one. In order not to be charged for the new phone, he had to return the old one.
Google was supposed to send him a return label for the United States, but the first one they sent was a Danish label, and the second one had his new phone's serial number on it.
"Are you kidding me? Are you serious?" C.J. asked.
He started worrying he would be charged for the new phone, because he hadn't been able to return the old one, so C.J. contacted Google.
"On August 30th, he was sent an email saying, you know, he will not be charged on the account," Linda said. "And then on September 16th, he received the email saying, 'We have charged you for the replacement item.'"
C.J. was charged for nearly $690.
"That's not chump change," his mother said.
Linda and C.J. want to know how many emails and calls it will take for Google to help. Every call seems like a waste of time.
"I risk, you know, being on hold for forever," C.J. said.
He's not exaggerating.
"He was on the phone for almost two hours," Linda said.
Usually, C.J. has ended up reaching a recording, and every time he and his mother think they get closer to a solution, they realize they're only getting the run-around.
"They say they've escalated it because of the numerous calls," Linda said. "Obviously, escalation doesn't work, because we're still at it."
Despite going above and beyond what most people would do, nothing has been fixed.
"They're not even trying to work with you to resolve the problem," Linda said.
Google eventually refunded the money to C.J., but has not offered an explanation for why it took so many emails to fix the problem.