First 2 interviews on the phone, then had an on-site final interview. After the on-site interview, I was asked to share references. Everything seemed to be going very well.
My references were contacted and I did not hear anything back for 21 days. After 21 days since my last update, I received an automated "we've gone with another candidate".
Getting rejected is part of the job hunt, but this seemed to be a huge waste of time for both me and my references. I have never seen a situation where references were contacted when there was no intention of hiring a candidate. I wish they had better communication throughout the process.