Google is handing out $100 Google Store credit to some 5G Pixel 6 buyers

If you were dreaming of a Pixel Christmas when you ordered your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro back in November or early December, it seems that the elves have had a tough time producing enough units of the two new handsets. Some who ordered one of the new devices were given an estimated delivery date around Christmas Eve which Google is not going to be able to meet.

Instead of receiving their new stock Android flagship, these customers received an email with the heading "Your Google Store Order is delayed (we're sorry!)." In the letter, Google writes, "We value you as a customer and have high standards for serving you. We didn't live up to those and we're very sorry. Please accept a $100 Google Store credit as a small gesture of our appreciation for your business, and know that we will do better next time."

Google adds that the credit will be added to the customer account of all who were impacted by the Christmas Eve no-show and that those who paid for expedited delivery will be refunded the amount paid for speedy delivery (which seems to be an oxymoron in this case). Customers also have the option of canceling their order and purchasing another Android phone.

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News about the email from Google was first noted in Reddit where a subscriber of the GooglePixel sub-Reddit wrote about his Pixel 3 which has a broken screen and was "unusable." That left the man without a phone and he was banking on having the same speedy delivery that he experienced when he purchased the Pixel 3 several years ago. Instead, he had to deal with a frustrating phone call with Google customer service, which he detailed in his Reddit post.

"Talking to their store service is beyond annoying," he wrote. "You ask a directly-worded question, and they answer something completely different. Because of the first experience, I specifically asked "What date exactly will my item be shipped? Not the delivery date range, but when will it physically be put into a box and sent to me?" Reply: "Your delivery date is Dec 30, 2021 – Jan 4, 2022."

Finally, he was able to get that range reduced to December 28th. His original shipping date was December 23rd and some of you are probably thinking that five days is not so bad. But that is five days for this gentleman without a smartphone. How many of you could go five hours without a working handset?

For those receiving the $100 Google Store credit, you might want to put it to good use by purchasing a case, screen protectors, or the second-gen. Pixel Stand. The accessory will fast charge your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro at 23W. It will also charge your Pixel Buds and many Qi-certified phones. It also is equipped with a built-in fan that will cool down your phone when you're streaming video or making video calls.

We can assign the blame for the delay on the pandemic which has also led to a backup in the supply chain. This, in turn, has caused delays for most manufacturers and not just those who produce smartphones or other tech products.

The Pixel 6 lineup has suffered from the same post-release software bugs that most new Pixels do. Some have already been fixed by Google through software updates and unfortunately, some software updates caused new issues as we mentioned yesterday. This writer's experience with the Pixel 2 XL revealed that there will be a time when Google exterminates all of the bugs and it will be smooth sailing from that point forward.