The Pixel 4a trade-in program in Canada comes with an unwanted bonus: digital detox

Google’s software empire is second to none but the company’s foray into the hardware side of the smartphone world isn’t quite as successful. While the phones themselves are quite good, Google often seems to have trouble with the logistical side of the business, making mistakes that cause frustration among its userbase.

And it seems the launch of the Pixel 4a won’t be an exception. Some of those eager to be the first ones to get the Pixel 4a were faced with an issue that’s as nonsensical as it is easy to solve. The users raised their concerns on the Google Pixel subreddit and the news about their experience quickly reached AndroidPolice. But what’s it all about?

Well, people that preordered their Pixel 4a using the trade-in option to get a discount have received the trade-in kit quite early. Nothing wrong with that, however, the kit and the phone you’re trading in have to be returned to Google within 30 days, or the value that Google has put on your device will diminish.

The problem is that Google sent out the trade-in kits more than a month before the Pixel 4a starts shipping in Canada, where the complaints are coming from. The Pixel 4a will start shipping on September 10 while some users got their kits as early as August 3.

So, for those that were planning to trade in their current daily driver, this leaves a gap of around 10 days during which they won’t have a phone. While being without a phone for more than a week would definitely make you happier to get your new Pixel 4a, that’s not the best way to boost enthusiasm.

Of course, Google support was contacted by those facing the odd circumstances, but so far the best Google could promise is to try and ship the new phones as early as possible. It’s not clear why Google can’t just extend the kit return period to 45 days and solve the issue completely.

It seems some users will be forced to go through the “phoneless for a week” experiment, courtesy of Google.