Nest Learning Thermostat, 3rd Generation

I was pleased with my Nest Learning Thermostat's ability to provide sophisticated temperature control. I purchased the device from Amazon when my HVAC service providers replaced my system. However, during the first two months of service, I experienced my first glitch with the Nest device: it kept losing the WIFI connection over a period of 2-3 days. I have Google Fiber for WIFI and it's solid. My HVAC service providers checked the device and the HVAC system but by the time they arrived, the device had reconnected with WIFI and was functioning. My tech was concerned and warned that the thermostat hardware could be faulty. But since it was now back on WIFI, I did not contact Google Nest tech support because how do you document an intermittent failure? Then, as the one-year warranty date approached, the Nest failed again to find WIFI. I had to restart it, reset it, called for tech support with Google Fiber WIFI, created a special network “just for the Nest” but it kept losing WIFI. After about three days, the Nest's WIFI functions failed completely. Nothing would get it back on WIFI. At this point, I contacted Google Nest support and got a call from a tech. After a long diagnostic, the tech decided that my Nest Thermostat had a hardware issue. I was authorized to receive a free replacement Nest thermostat "head unit”. The tech initiated the replacement process. He promised "2-7" days to ship/receive the replacement. This process is done by an email with a link to “order” the replacement. I did this immediately and the clock started ticking on whether the part would arrive before the defective thermostat stopped working completely. Other functions of the thermostat were also becoming unreliable. The device was losing the ability to light up the display either by a “walk by” or by “touching” the display. It began to drift away from manual temperature settings. It continued to try to connect to WIFI and would restart a few times a day and sit at the WIFI connect failure screen. While in that WIFI off mode, the device was not cooling the house and the temperature climb would alert me that it had restarted (again). I’m now three weeks into waiting for Google Nest to ship the replacement head unit! And there is no way to expedite this request with them! The replacement was authorized May 8. It is now May 24 (16 days so far) and the replacement status shows that the part has not shipped. I’m in Texas. If this unit fails completely, it could quickly reach 100 degrees inside. I have contacted Google Nest Customer Support several times. After a long phone call with them, I was told that a case would be opened for review and that I would receive an email about this within five days. Yep, that happened. I was told that the status was still “unit is ordered for replacement” and that they would update me by email when it was shipped. After a week, I wrote back to that email asking for this part to be expedited. After a few days, I received a polite “still in progress” reply. As I head into week three of waiting for a part to be shipped, I tried Google Nest Customer Service chat. I explained the need to please, please expedite shipping, that they are way past the time promised for the replacement, I was told that — once again — the only action they can take is to open my case for review (again), and that I would have to wait for five more days (again) for an email about the status of that review. Seriously, Google Nest Customer Support? First, my support person suggested that it was not that big a deal for me to have a faulty device since "If you use the device manually or remotely, it will give you the same result, it will not make any changes in using the energy, as you can use all the features from device directly apart from the remote access.” (that is a quote from the chat) After I listed all of the ways this was not the case: how the device is failing in multiple ways and how a complete device failure would be a catastrophe in the Texas summer, I got sympathetic replies in chat (I do appreciate these but I can’t cool my house with them) and the same action to be taken: "it will take 3-5 business days for them to review the case, I will reply via email as soon as I get an update from them.” A little while later, I received a NEW link to fill out my order (AGAIN) for a replacement Nest Thermostat! (you have to provide a credit card number so that Google can place a hold in order to have them send a replacement - when you return the defective part, the hold is removed and there is no charge). But I have already DONE this step. What does this mean???? It’s resetting the clock on the replacement time window instead of shipping the device that is already authorized. And I have no idea if this would lead to receiving two replacements (and then a charge for one of them since I have only one defective device). I am out of ideas on how to resolve this with Google Nest Customer Support. It seems like my only practical option is to purchase a SECOND device as a backup while I wait for Google Nest to decide whether shipping a replacement is a priority action item for their company. I will update this post when and if I receive any actual resolution for this from the company.