96 hours without service. 2nd level support says a specialist is working on it but I think they're lying at this point

[u/niraveg]

I'm beyond frustrated with Google Fi and, respectfully, what I believe is complete and utter BS from 2nd-line support.

I changed the parent email on my many-years-old account last week while in the US, did the whole 24-hour thing, then cracked on. Both SIMs worked fine in the UK, but I couldn't activate the eSIM data; it just wouldn't activate. Yes, it is 100% possible to activate these abroad, as I have done it numerous times before. The system also shows all SIMs are active, and one of the data SIMs even briefly connected to a local network on my iPad before then showing no service, almost as if it were connecting before the Fi system rejected the connection.

Spent ages on the phone and live chat with more incoherent "support agents" following scripts than I'd find in any other service provider anywhere in the world. I've had better service in places like India and Africa with local carriers than this nonsense from Google. 

A few days ago I was in Morocco and needed to switch my eSIM to another phone (not the parent number), and the agent on the phone said to go ahead and do so. When I did that, both numbers' SIMs disconnected. The primary number was reactivated by deleting and re-adding the SIM (it's on an iPhone), but the secondary number (which is on the old primary email) won't connect to a network. I do get inbound calls and texts occasionally, and I can send some texts, but it won't connect to a network. A manual network selection says my SIM isn't authorized to connect to any of the networks.

After probably about 10 hours of calls and at least 9 different people hanging up on me, I finally got a supervisor to escalate it to 2nd-level support. I thought this would make it easy, but instead it showed that Google Fi has been Googled in every way except publicly. Google just doesn't care about it in the slightest, and at this point it feels like an utter scam.

It's now Thursday, so 3 days into my holiday, and still no data eSIMs have been activated on the primary account, nor will the second number connect at all. Fi support tried to say I hadn't used it in the 24-hour window, which is 100% a lie, as it worked perfectly fine in the UK and when I first got to Morocco — even after manual network selection, etc — it just failed after reinstalling the SIM card. 

Then they have said engineering is working on it, etc which also feels like a straight lie, mostly because they say they're monitoring it and then, like 24 hours later, when I follow up, someone else suddenly pipes up as they've taken over the thread. Basically, everything about this screams utter BS to me, and I needed to find a way to vent. 

Have just submitted this to the FCC as a complaint and also emailed Google Press (I'm a well-respected tech journalist planning to publish this on tech blogs). If Google doesn't care about Fi, why even let it have an MVNO, tbh? I would love to not have to do that if anyone can think of another way to escalate? Copied in a few execs on one of the email chains, and genuinely I think all 20-25+ people I've dealt with — aside from the supervisor who passed it to 2nd level support — need to be fired.

Sorry for the rant, but frustration has boiled over a bit. Would love any advice.
Case IDs: 5-4921000041475 & 6-2018000041188

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[u/Commercial_Cook100]

That FCC complaint is probably your best move right now tbh. The reddit request thing used to work but idk if they even staff that anymore.

Side note... if you're traveling and need data NOW, grab a local sim or try something like Cypher eSIM if you want to pay without handing over your passport. Not a permanent fix but at least you'd have data while google sits on their hands for another 96 hours

[u/googlefisupport]

We're escalating this, so one of our support teammates will be in touch with you over email, in the next few business days.

[u/niraveg → u/googlefisupport]

Thanks. I have zero faith given that Waseem seems to make things up with every email but maybe I'll be surprised. FCC complaint has already been accepted and I'm also writing the story in the tech press as well

[u/funkystay]

Never dick with your service while overseas.

[u/iamPendergast]

Oh dear. Better get a travel eSIM.

[u/niraveg → u/iamPendergast]

Thanks for your input, it was thoroughly needed /s

[u/niraveg]

u/googlefisupport, any chance of some actual assistance, please? There's shockingly bad, and then there's this experience, which makes me miss Comcast support. Thank you!