My Google Home Mini (G1) purchases in Singapore is bricked (4 white constant light) because the substandard software updates released by Google and I contacted google home support seeking for a solution via the Google chat.
After some trouble shooting, the chat personnel (Sahil) asked me to provide the video showing the device and proof that plugging out and in the cable does not help with resetting the device which I did as instructed.
After sending the video in via google drive, Sahil asked for my shipping address (which clearly stated as Singapore) and inform me that I am eligible for REPLACEMENT of the Bricked home Mini. he include a line next saying that "need to send in the device so they can process a US$25 Store credit". (Note: replacement of the home mini should be understood as a 1-to-1 exchange of the same product.) for the start, Sahil did not make clear that the replacement is only the store credit of US$25 which is not even the original price of the Home mini (not the discounted price before google stop selling them).
I did as told to returned the bricked set through their standard RMA with their official logistics partner and yet after returning my old set (which is confirmed by their logistic partner), the replacement status on Google website is changed to cancelled, when I reply to their email that I have returned the old Home mini, with the confirmation attached for their reference. following some period of silence from them, they finally replied with instruction on how to proceed with the refund of $25 store credit and refuse to answer why the replacement set is cancelled by them unilaterally.
being confused when they did not mention that the replacement is not a 1-to-1 exchange but a store credit refund, I contact them via Google chat again as they ignored my email follow up. this time, after checking with their higher tier (not sure why so much hierarchy for simple google customer service assistance), the other chat personnel (calling himself Tan) informed that Singapore is not eligible for a 1-to-1 replacement, so the alternative is an offer of US$25 store credit. I am disappointed as I had not agreed to an alternative offer of US$25, as I was kind of misled to believe that my Google Home Mini will be replaced by Google with a working set. I told Tan that from the start I have preferred to receive a 1-to-1 exchange of the google home mini speaker instead of a store credit of US$25. He then told me that I would need to reply back to the original email offer of the store credit for Google to follow up with my preference. once again, the chat is unable to help me further so I gone back to the email and stated that I would prefer my set to be 1-to-1 exchanged and will not proceed with claiming the US$25 store credit.
There is continued silence from Google, so last night I connect via Google chat again and this time with an employee by the name of Faye, going back and forth with the above situation and she promised to provide me with a solution to my issue above via email, and so I waited for her response. she finally responded via email and say that due to the set being purchased in Canada (??) they are unable to offer me a 1-to-1 exchange, and that the alternative solution is the offer of the store credit! now, imagine the shock and anger I experienced when I see this response from Google, which either they did not try to solve my issue but just blatantly try to brush me off and make me take responsibility of their own mistake of bricking my Home mini with their software update incompetency...
I have replied to their email and are now waiting for them to come back with a more amicable solution to the above F*ckery of a service recovery show they put me through.....
anyone from places other than US managed to get their replacement set of the bricked home mini (1G) or know of any solution to my above problem, as I am sick of the contant back and forth from their customer care rep.....
hope I can sleep better soon....
