

Brick and mortar shops aren’t comparable to websites, and I don’t know why you keep trying to compare them. The places that sell alcohol and tobacco aren’t asking me to upload a digital version of my legal identification to some cloud-backed database. They’re just manually checking a date and a picture. Most places I buy from don’t even make me physically hand over my ID, I can just show it to them without it ever leaving my possession.
You can save quite a bit by getting a refurbished Pixel - looks like the cheapest “Google certified” option (so it comes with a 1-year warranty) is a 6a for $250, which is nearly half off MSRP. I’ve been using my 6a since launch, so it’s been going for 3 years now and I have no desire to upgrade.
You can definitely get cheaper smartphones, but $250 for a 6a feels like a pretty big bang for your buck.