Fairly positive Pixel 9 Pro Fold extended warranty story (Canada)
Have seen many painless and many horror stories on here, I figured that I would offer a perspective that's somewhere in the middle. This may also help someone else whose phone was originally sold in the US.
**TL;DR:** I was able to get my replacement 10 Pro Fold in a week, but not before hours on the phone and talking to multiple support specialists with varying degrees of expertise. The fact that I'm claiming warranty for a US-market phone in Canada complicated things as well.
# Start of the issue
A few months ago, I discovered that the phone's inner screen is delaminating, and the screen turned off. It was out of warranty and I didn't know the presence of the warranty programme, so it sat in my drawer for a bit.
## Physical shape of the device
The outside screen is pristine, but there are small, cosmetic scratches around the outside of the device from using it caseless. There are no drop marks.
The inner screen is delaminated from the middle, with micro fissures along the hinge. The bezels were scratched up, but that seems to be a known Pixel 9 Pro Fold issue.
# Replacement timeline
## June 16th: diagnosis and support calls
### Physical diagnosis
From browsing Reddit I discovered the warranty programme. Per direction in Canada, I went to my local Mobile Klinik location to perform initial diagnosis, and they recommended replacement. They mentioned that they see this case quite often, and I should contact Google for the next steps.
### Call number 1
After the visit, I started contacting support. The first person verified the diagnostic report sent in by Mobile Klinik, and transferred me to a specialist for the extended warranty programme. However, the line became disconnected while I was on hold for 30 minutes.
### Call number 2
I called back immediately and reached another agent under a new case number. This was a bad experience; her microphone was really bad, and she kept on insisting me to have it diagnosed even though I literally did. I was fed up and insisted her transferring me to a supervisor; she was unwilling, but eventually did. The call cut off once again during the wait for the supervisor.
This call will become important later.
### Call number 3
I called back once again, and again with a new case number since system still showed I was in call with the first case. This time I talked with someone very helpful, who verified my eligibility and set up the RMA for me. I thought this would be the end of it. However, after I hung up, I discovered that the RMA was set up in the US, since my phone was originally a US market phone.
### Call number 4
Reaching out again, I talked with someone who was trying to fix the issue. They confirmed that the warranty should apply to both US and Canada, but after a lengthy call where they consulted with their supervisor, they insisted that I will have to mail the phone to the States to a friend or family, and they can do the RMA for me. This was not acceptable to me, but they insisted nothing could be done.
### Call number 5
I was a bit defeated at this point, but I decided to try my luck again. I figured that I could at least send the phone to Google from Canada on my own dime, and they can ship it back to the US where I will pick it up in the future. I called to confirm my plan, but that was also rejected since Google RMA **requires** their own label.
### Call number 6
I was ready to give up, but the supervisor from call number 2 called back. Whilst they mentioned that they couldn't do anything with the current RMA, they will forward me to a **Higher Support Team** that specialise in this and they will reach out. I didn't have much hope but I figured it was worth a shot, so I agreed.
## June 17th: Higher Support Team reached out
Surprisingly, the team reached out to me mid-day and telling me that I was approved for the replacement. Whilst they didn't mention the country, they asked me to send them my mailing address with the correct `State/Province`, so I figured this agent might have higher clearance. I replied with my info same-day.
## June 18th: RMA approved in Canada
The next afternoon, I discovered that my US-based RMA was cancelled, and a few hours later a new RMA in Canada popped up. I dropped off my phone same-day at UPS.
## June 19th to 25th: replacement turnaround
It took 6 days from my drop off to me receiving the replacement, including 2 days weekend, so overall I'm very impressed at this stage.
# Overall takeaway
The main thing that complicated my case was the fact that I'm warrantying a US-IMEI phone in Canada. Although it is clear from the [terms and conditions](https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/12461608?hl=en-CA) that the warranty applies to both US and Canada, it seems like the system defaults to the original country, and lower agents are unable to override it.
As a result, the main takeaway is to not be afraid of asking for a supervisor, and ask for a member of the Higher Support Team/dedicated Pixel 9 Pro Fold team to reach back if you encounter any issues. They are the ones with the most clearance and tools in their repertoire to help; getting frustrated because of phone agents really leads nowhere.