> That said, I’m wondering if Google didn’t farm out their repair work to a 3rd party, leading to this situation. They almost certainly did, since a large port

> That said, I’m wondering if Google didn’t farm out their repair work to a 3rd party, leading to this situation. They almost certainly did, since a large portion of Google's offices are staffed by contractors as well. There is no way they're paying Google salaries and benefits to the guys handling RMA phones. And that's part of the problem. You send the phone to Google, a company you (very mistakenly) trust, and they immediately hand it over to a lowest bidder shady shop. These services should definitely be letting you know your phone is actually going to AAABob's Phone Repair Shop, and not some magical Google factory center.