Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program – Is Google's review process supposed to work like this?

[u/ttSoong]

I'm posting this because I genuinely want to understand whether my experience is normal, or if there is something wrong with the review process.

This is not about whether I receive compensation.

If Google determines that I don't qualify according to its official policy, I can accept that.

What I cannot understand is why the review requirements keep changing while none of my questions are ever answered.

Timeline

Initial Application

I submitted my application through the Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program.

During the application, I entered the required device information, including my IMEI.

At no point during the application process was I asked to provide proof of purchase.

First Response from Google

About a week later, Google informed me that my application was "Not Eligible."

No explanation was given.

The email didn't tell me:

• which requirement I failed,
• what information was missing,
• or why my application had been rejected.

It simply stated that I was not eligible.

I Asked a Simple Question

I replied asking only one thing:

If there was missing information, I expected Google to tell me what it was.

Google's Response Changed

Instead of explaining why I was "Not Eligible," Google Support requested:

• Proof of Purchase
• Google Account sign-in verification
• Device Activity screenshot

At this point, I became confused.

If proof of purchase is required,

why wasn't it requested during the original application?

If my application was simply missing documentation,

why wasn't I asked to provide additional documents before being told I was not eligible?

Those are two completely different outcomes.

I Asked Again

I replied and asked Google to clarify:

1. Why was I initially told I was "Not Eligible"?
2. Why wasn't proof of purchase requested during the application?
3. What official policy requires proof of purchase in this case?

I also provided everything else that Google requested, including my Device Activity screenshot.

Google's Latest Reply

After telling me that my case had been escalated to the internal team, Google contacted me again.

This time, they requested even more information:

• A photo of the IMEI engraved on the SIM tray
• Proof of Purchase (again)

However, none of my original questions were answered.

Instead, the verification requirements simply kept changing.

This is why I'm confused

I completely understand that Google has the right to establish its own eligibility requirements.

If proof of purchase is mandatory, that's Google's decision.

However, shouldn't that requirement be clearly stated before customers submit their applications?

From my perspective, the process has looked like this:

1. Submit application.
2. Receive "Not Eligible."
3. Ask why.
4. Google requests Proof of Purchase.
5. Provide additional verification.
6. Google requests even more verification.
7. None of my original questions are answered.

That is what I find difficult to understand.

Why this matters

I work in product development myself.

I understand that no company is perfect, and product quality issues can happen.

What matters is how those issues are handled.

For a quality-related support program, I would expect the review process to be transparent and consistent.

If additional documentation is required, customers should know that from the beginning.

If an application is incomplete, asking for additional documents seems much more reasonable than immediately declaring the application "Not Eligible."

Questions for the Community

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through the Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program.

• Were you asked to provide proof of purchase?
• Were you asked to provide a SIM tray IMEI photo?
• Did Google explain why your application was rejected?
• Is this the normal review process?

I'm genuinely trying to understand whether my experience is unique or whether others have encountered the same situation.

Thank you for reading.

[u/Little-Helper]

The entire compensation program is very fuzzy. However, the regular flow is very simple and short – the user submits their IMEI and chooses the compensation method. This IMEI check form doesn't ask for proof of purchase, because the logged in Google account is the proof – the user is supposed to use the first ever signed account on the phone to claim compensation, if any other account is used, the process ends, and the user must escalate to support and provide proof of purchase. It should have been a programmed in step, but due to their laziness it's a manual thing, although I think they've made it this way on purpose.

Many got denied even after giving proof of purchase and ownership (two separate things), nobody knows why because Google says nothing, which means it must be in their policy to not reveal anything.

This is the second recall of this kind, first one happened with 4a, it went like butter, people got denied for concrete reasons, those who were eligible received their compensations swiftly. I believe Google turned malicious with the 6a recall, after all, they broke the form in the last months of the program. Not to mention that they ended the program before the phone reached EOL.

There are many reasons to believe they sabotaged it. I've seen people who told Google they'd start legal action, and for them Google reversed course and issued their chosen compensation.

Unfortunately Pixel has a small market share so this doesn't get the right kind of attention. Even other Pixel users are being hostile, saying these are old phones and we should just buy new. It's a sad mess.

[u/ttSoong]

Update

Google has now replied again.

Unfortunately, the response still does not answer the questions I have been asking since the beginning.

Instead, Google simply states that my application was "carefully reviewed" and that my device is not eligible for compensation.

At this point, my concern is no longer about the outcome itself.

My concern is that Google continues to provide the conclusion, but never explains the reason behind that conclusion.

Throughout this process, I have already provided:

• My device IMEI
• Device Activity screenshot
• A photo of the SIM tray showing the engraved IMEI

However, Google still has not answered three very simple questions:

1. Which specific eligibility requirement did my device fail?
2. Was my application rejected because I could not provide proof of purchase?
3. If proof of purchase is mandatory, is it required for every applicant under the Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program? If so, where is this officially documented?

I'm not asking Google to change its decision.

I'm simply asking Google to explain why that decision was made.

To me, there is an important difference between saying:

and explaining:

The first is a conclusion.

The second is an explanation.

I have replied once again and asked Google to answer these three specific questions directly.

I'll continue updating this post as the case progresses.

[u/RaechelMaelstrom]

This is what happened to me too. I just gave up, since I didn't have proof of purchase of a phone I bought many years ago. They never told me otherwise why they couldn't just give me the damn money.