[Google Pixel XL Guides, News, & Discussion] mechapathy:
I have had my device since 11/1, and everything had been functioning normally until this incident.

Friday morning, while my alarm was going off, my vibrate motor developed a pretty gross sounding rattle. It sounded as if the vibrate motor had come apart or loose. Later that day, I hit up Google support chat from my phone. I explained the issue, and they kept insisting that it might be a software problem. Had me reboot into Safe Mode and tried to get me to do a factory reset, which I refused to do (spoiler alert: Factory reset to send phone back. Problem persisted). Sunday, I called them again. I explained the issue, and the rep told me to go to their 3rd party repair partner, ubreakifix, and have them verify that it was a hardware defect, and then Google would replace my phone.

Today, I go to ubreakifix, it takes them all of two seconds to figure out that...TADA!! It's a hardware defect. They give me a work order number, and tell me that the information and their diagnosis have been forwarded to Google. So I get home, and call Google. I had an hour-long support call with them. I give them the details yet again, the story so far, and my work order number. The person I'm speaking to puts me on hold 7 times (yeah, I started counting), coordinates with a level 2 support rep, who can authorize escalation to level 3, who approves the device replacement. The level 2 rep basically tells me that vibration motors make sound (because I'm a moron) and that, because the rest of the phone is functioning properly, they don't see a reason to replace the device.

At this point I flip. I've never gotten upset at a low-level CS rep before, but screw this crap, I spent $1000 on my phone and they're basically telling me "tough cookies." I told them if they want to charge Apple money, they had better provide the Apple experience. I could walk into an Apple store today with an iPhone that does the same thing and walk out with a brand new one and a heartfelt apology from some dweeb in an Apple shirt.

Eventually I convince her to get a new rep, who agrees to replace my device. But they won't do an advance RMA, so I have to send my Pixel back, and then they'll send me a new one once they get the phone. Turnaround time of 1-2 weeks.

I have been a Google customer for years. I've owned every single piece of Android hardware they've pimped since the Galaxy Nexus, and I've been a Fi subscriber for about a year. I've had nothing but pleasant support experiences until now. To me, this kind of time-wasting, consumer is wrong attitude does not fall into line with what other companies offer when you spend this kind of money with them. Apple, to use them as an example because Google is charging the exact same amounts for their competing Pixel devices, would absolutely not hesitate to walk in the back room and come out with a brand new device. They would NOT put me through three support calls and a visit to a repair center just so they can verify that I'm not lying to them, only to tell me it's normal and not worth replacing. Apple's customer service is world-class, and it's part of what you pay for when you buy an Apple device. Google needs to step up their game in a big way, especially when this is the kind of garbage you get when you swipe to the support tab and ask for a call.

TL;DR - Google support has gotten terrible since the launch of the Pixel.