Registered: Oct 1999
Location: NY, NY, USA
Posts: 155

Hi all:

To let you know, today was an unhappy day. I started off by (yikes) dropping my Ice Visor in its case on the floor, from about hip-height, and I got out to the bus and found it wasn't working. All the info. was intact but lo and behold, the screen wasn't responding.

I had had a similar problem with my III, so I figured once I got to the office, I would open 'er up and re-seat the memory card or whatever was loose inside.

Uh uh. I got to my office and checked inside, but there wasn't anything to loosen and re-seat, no ribbon cable to re-connect, no nothing. So I called. I sat on the phone for an hour, listening to static -- serious, major-league static -- and had to hang up to go to a meeting an hour later.

Later in the morning, I called the tech support line -- toll not free -- and waited for forty-five minutes -- more serious static -- and sho' nuff, had to hang up to go to another meeting.

Finally, I got through after another hour later that afternoon. The order line (toll free) told me a) their phone lines were screwed up, b) that it would take me awhile to get a new Visor or I could c) do an overnight replacement with a credit card deposit for $30. So I chose c).

Considering I've had this thing less than one week, already it's cost me another $30 due to the cheesy case. I really don't know if it was worth the extra $30, but if another problem occurs, I'll return it and go for the Vx. Incidentally, Palm never charged me for doing an overnight replacement, and they never, ever had such a serious problem with the phones where I could barely communicate with the phone rep. Ridiculous.

All I can say is that I can't wait for the color Palms. I hope they adopt the Springboard license, b/c once they do, I'll never buy another thing from them EVER AGAIN. I don't blame them for hour-long waits on the phone, I don't blame them for lousy return/replace policies, I don't blame them for me dropping the unit...I blame myself for dealing with a poorly-run company.

The Visor's a great product, but it seems to me, folks, that while we shouldn't advocate legal or punitive attacks, we should consider whether this company warrants our business.

While I was on the phone discussing the problem with tech support, who did jack **** to help me, other than telling me to call the Customer Service line, I found out the cases will not be shipping for another four-to-six weeks, as indicated on the site.

Four to six weeks for cases? Even for non-personalized, non-monogrammed cases? Please. The only reason why I'll stay with the original Visor Deluxe is the lower price versus the Vx. If I had any brains, I'd have dumped them today. I could have a Vx, with a solid, reliable, worthwhile company backing their product, but I declined. The Palm Vx is about $425 now, and I figure the $175 will be worth it once I move onto the color Palm in May or so, 2000. I just hope I don't wish then what I am afraid I will be, which is that the money I've saved isn't worth it.

Any of you who need technical support and have been using Pilots/Palms for awhile like me (the Visor was my fourth Palm OS machine), don't bother. Call Customer Service, and if you're within 30 days, call your credit card company.

Thank god I decided to give Backup Buddy a shot. If it works and I end up returning the Visor for good, I'll pay for Backup Buddy and forget about springboards and go with a reputable product with an equally reputable company to provide its support.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Modesto, CA USA
Posts: 599

Thanks for the kind words on my Fatal Error post.

The good news is: Back Up Buddy does work you'll be extremely pleased. You shouldn't skip a beat. Just make certain to go into the custom option on hot sync and tell the Back Up Buddy conduit to have the desktop overwrite the handheld.

If your using Top Secret, you might have a problem with that password. Send me an email if you are an I'll walk you through the correct way to work around the problem.

The rest of your programs will probably be 100% they were on mine....I had kept my Palm Professional and back up to that after I got rid of my Palm V (on My Post).



[This message has been edited by RSGMOOSE (edited 11-01-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: NY, NY, USA
Posts: 155

Moose:

Already replied to your other post. Though I appreciate the offer, I'm not using Top Secret (I currently tried something called 'Secret' but it's something different I think).

Anyway, at this point, I'm not sure whether I want them to get it to me by tomorrow. I can take a subway downtown into NYC and have an 8MB Razor within a half hour. Sure, it will cost extra $$$, but wtf, at least I trust Palm to manufacture and support a product that I rely on daily. The nicest thing about the Visor is the springboard, but those will take another month, along with the cases, stylli and the other stuff that will work with this model. By that time, how many more times will I have to return this thing b/c tech support (fairly or otherwise) jerks me around for forty-five minutes on hold only to tell me, "Sorry, send it back."

I expect some minor glitches and some funky stuff. But drop tests, specially with the PPProfessional-esque slipcase, is a realistic concern. I have gone out of my way to be careful, and I didn't "drop" it, it actually fell off my briefcase onto a hardwood floor. IOW, it dropped less than three feet. It was prolly a "lucky" bounce, but still. This has happened within a week of ownership, and already they're jerking me around on the phone, not having any advice other than to return the product, and charging me $30 for a replacement? I am very worried.

The only consolation is that if it is a lemon (either the one I got, the model, or the company itself), then at least there is a Palm Color Model or two just around the corner (perhaps May, 2000).

A friend of mine also ordered a Visor a week after me (blue). Not only didn't he get his yet, a CSR told him his has not yet shipped, but should ship around 11/8. That means he ordered seven days after me but will be waiting almost a full month after me to get his (mine got to NYC on 10/26). Seems to me that his wait, plus my little bounce, are plenty of incentive for him to go get an 8MB Razor. Personally, for the money, I dunno what I would do in his place, but I will say this: assuming Palm gets a springboard license, the Ice will be melting rather quickly ;-)

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Modesto, CA USA
Posts: 599

We are kinda following each other's post.

I have used a Palm for over 4+ years and never have I had to soft reset this many times except when I was beta testing the 2nd Generation units.

I know that Handspring tweaked the OS to provide faster performance but an 8MB unit makes up for a lot of speed.

If you read this tonight and get your replacement early tomorrow since your East Coast let me know. I'm on the Left Coast..

Also, didn't mean to infer that you purposely dropped your Visor.

Good luck either way!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: NY, NY, USA
Posts: 155

As far as the drop-skis, I knew you didn't mean "purposely" -- I just mentioned the nature of the bounce :-) to show that three feet shouldn't equal a non-working Visor :-)

As far as receiving, I am in an NYC office building, so I'll check with UPS around 11-ish EST this AM, but my concern is that since this is "overnight" the regular UPS guy won't be bringing it.

I'm so close to saying screw Handspring and getting an 8MB Razor it isn't even funny. I hope this is an isolated incident, I like the UPS guy but I'm seeing way too much of him.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 187

Hot Carl,
You've had some tuff luck! You did mention that HS wanted a $30 "deposit" to overnight your replacement. I would be surprised if they actually charge you the $30, if you return your broken unit. It is not uncommon to require a credit card deposit for cross shipping replacement parts. Compaq and 3Com do it, so why not HS. If they actually charge you the $30 and don't back off the charges within 30 days of your returned unit getting there, let us all know.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: NY, NY, USA
Posts: 155

Staad:

I apologize for the misunderstanding, but be advised that they take a credit card as a deposit but charge $30 for overnight replacement. IOW, these are two separate, distinct things. That's what pissed me off. IOW, in the past, if/when I've had misc. problems with the Palm III or the Pilot or whatever, I just called them up and requested a shipping box. Airborne would bring it that afternoon and I'd pack the thing up and, within a week, I'd have a repaired/replaced unit.

However, this got to be tedious, so I called them and asked them if they could send me another of the same model. Anyway, they did that for me twice -- both times taking down, but not using, deposit credit card info -- without incident.

At this point, unfortunately, I'm wondering if it's fair or even legitimate to compare Handspring to Pilot/Palm. Handspring has managed to screw up so many things I really don't think it's fair to compare.

As far as the $$$ is concerned, both Moose & I have considered requesting a refund. If they end up not agreeing to refund the overnight fees, then I'll simply make sure this is the last product I buy from them. My first concern was the ridiculous ordering procedure, the second was tech support, and the third is longevity of the company. So far, they're 0-for-2. If Palm dropped the Vx price to below $400 I would buy it right now and refuse shipment on the Visor replacement.

I'm not pointing fingers or ranting or threatening legal action, mind you. I'm simply disappointed that I got taken in by this BS company. Another incidence, unfortunately, where the product is so good and the company is so bad...