Earlier this month, we highlighted the Google Nexus 5X bootloop issue that is being faced by many people who have been using this phone for a while now – and the need for LG/Google to start official replacements for the phone.
Even though the Google Nexus 5X has been here for over a year now, it doesn’t mean that it is officially an old phone. Looking at what it cost, many would at least want to have it in good shape for probably more than a year or so before it becomes obsolete. But as it is, some Nexus 5X are already resolving to buy newer phones as this device is no longer working for them. To make matters worse, LG, the OEM behind the making of the phone, isn’t doing much to help take care of the problem.
Speaking to the Consumerist, unhappy Google Nexus 5X users claim that they have had to take matters into their own hands in order to get a viable solution to this problem, including buying a new phone rather than keep waiting while LG takes them in circles. Interestingly, the affected parties seem to have had the phone for at least a year. In addition, the bootloop issue started showing up after updating to Android 7.1.1 Nougat. However, Google has since then distanced itself from the issue, saying that it is hardware-related, thus putting LG in the limelight.
Consumerist readers Emily and Bryan are two of the affected Google Nexus 5X users that have been airing their problems to the publication. Apparently, both have been going through this since early December and up to now, they are not impressed with how LG is handling the matter. Once they discovered that their phones were not working perfectly, they sent them to LG using the company’s warranty program, of course, this was after being advised to do so by the South Korean company’s U.S. branch.
When sending their phones to LG, Bryan and Emily were told that the devices will be tested so as to determine whether they qualify to be repaired or a full refund, something that obviously made them a little happy. But weeks later, the story had become worse for both. Initially, Emily was promised a full refund since the LG USA team had supposedly found that the affected Google Nexus 5X was beyond repair. This was on December 22. A couple of weeks later, Emily says that LG changed their stand, saying that the refund is no more, instead, they were offering to repair the phone. At this point in time, Emily had clocked more than two weeks without a phone, which is a nightmare, as most of you can imagine, and as such, she had made a move to buy a new one.
Interestingly, several other conversations with LG’s support team yielded another decision from the company – that they would instead offer her a replacement unit in the form of LG G5, which she figured wasn’t a bad deal at all. But as of January 5, Emily had not seen this G5 come her way.
Bryan’s story is no different from Emily. On his end, he was also offered a replacement unit, but unlike Emily, there was no room for full refunds. Furthermore, LG told Bryan that he can have either an LG G4 or LG G5, which wasn’t also a bad deal from his point of view.
Like Emily, it also took LG ages before sending Bryan the replacement unit. This came after the company had sent him an email that said his Google Nexus 5X could not be repaired. After close to a month without a phone, Bryan’s wife, who was using the Nexus 5X phone before the bootloop issue, decided to buy a new Apple iPhone. The expectation was that when LG sends back the replacement unit, they will sell it and recover the money used to buy the new iPhone.
After sending the faulty Google Nexus 5X to LG on December 13, Bryan finally got a replacement unit on January 16, more than a month later. But still, this device had its own issues. Rather than send an unlocked variant like the Nexus 5X was, LG sent an AT&T-locked replacement unit. Upon contacting them, LG advised Bryan to send back the phone so that it can be changed. Well, after the horror experience of having to wait for a full month before the replacement unit came in, Bryan decided against this move and instead sold the phone as it was.
To cut the already long story short, LG has basically accepted that the Google Nexus 5X bootloop issue is beyond repair. In fact, the only option on the table could be issuing replacement units or full refunds. But the problem is the game of circles and cycles that LG is playing just before it makes this happen. Given that these are not isolated incidences of this bootloop issue, it is about time the replacement program kicked off – because the company has already issued replacement units to Emily and Bryan, just to name but a few.
Are you facing the Google Nexus 5X bootloop issue? How is LG handling the problem? Feel free to air your views via the comments section below.
Yes. Please stay on this story. I sent my nexus 5xon october2017. O was have samestory and am still waotong on Verizon version thathas been promised in editing twice to ship and ne Er has. Thousands effected and eating while LG plays games to tryanf get youth give up Asia was told by one manager.
Need social media and tech soles like yours to blow lid on what is clearly a viomationof several state and federal consumer protection laws but who has time and money fight inc February 2017 – After spending another few hours on hold A manager guarewnteed that brand new unlocked Verizon G5 would be shipextended fedex tracking number sent on Friday February 3, 2017. I asked her to send me email confirming the device model number, new condotionand into led Berizion device with complete accessories inretail packaging and she said she would by end of day Wednesday February 1, 2017. I she send emailbefore we end call she then but me on hold for another 45 minutes to an hour and then said sorry her computer and all computers where down. (Her computer was working fine to confirm all my personal information and RA and case numbers not to mention when she wasdoing god knows what when pretending to enter notes while leaving me on hold for extended periods elling me it said no updates on ship date whencall beganThis is a tactic to avoid sending written confirmation that agents and mangers have dishonestly done to avoid and appease several times. No email ever sent.ourt.
I had this happen last October to my well treated 5X. I was lucky enough to call Google support and they arranged a replacement for me within less than a week. I have owned every nexus device as well as the G1. I love that they are unlocked and receive the newest updates and of course as a Nexus product the phones were priced right. Regardless, the experience being conveyed here is not what should be expected of a Google product. Google contracted with LG and the phones were sourced from and branded Google. They are doing their brand no favors by allowing this to happen. They should have a program setup to replace the faulty units with G5’s or something comparable in reasonable time frame. Given that when contracts were the standard carrier mechanism 2 years seemed to be the time between upgrades the user community has some reason to expect that a well treated device should get through that period at a minimum. At least without suffering from the result of poor build quality.
I had my phone affected by this and contacted Google directly. They shipped out a replacement with next day shipping and prepaid labels to ship the bad one back.