Registered: Oct 1999
Location: SLC, UT, USA
Posts: 2

I recieved in my mail yesterday a box with the extra serial cradle but in the box was my invoice and it said THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN BACKORDERED: Visor DELUXE INT'L ENG ICE

What Gives I ordered mine on the 15th of Septemeber and I mine are Backordered this really is no good. Some of my friends ordered the same color and live in the same state and they got theirs this sux bad. No one on any of the phone numbers can really tell me what is going on I have waited on hold for a total of 2 hours to get "ahhh well ahhhh well I can email the production dept." This was from a supervisor over there too. I am a little frustrated at this is anyone else having the same problem?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Urbana IL
Posts: 144

Yes. The supervisor I spoke with today indicated that blue and some other colored Visors are completely sold out. (colored being non-graphite)

~Tiroth

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Anderson, Indiana USA
Posts: 12

Hey Real Scooby, do you know when Handspring is suppose to get your visor shipped? If it's going to be a while, would you like to sell me your serial cradle at a reasonable price? (See Serial Cable Posting)

Sorry to hear about your backorder.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Anderson, Indiana USA
Posts: 12

Hey Real Scooby, do you know when Handspring is suppose to get your visor shipped? If it's going to be a while, would you like to sell me your serial cradle at a reasonable price? (See Serial Cable Posting)

Sorry to hear about your backorder.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 121

*None* of the October orders should have been shipped if it meant longer delays for Sept orders. Those should have been corrected and filled first. There are currently shortages now for some colors ordered by September customers. Six weeks is almost up for them, and their Visors are now projected for delivery in week 7-8.

Handspring should've posted a message on their front page long ago, right after their order database crashed, saying: "We are experiencing technical problems with orders and are not taking any new orders until Nov 1st since that is the date of projected availability. Those who placed orders by phone on these dates _______ please call us to ensure your order is correct."

Failure to notify customers when they knew there were serious problems *could* leave them liable to a class action suit.

The official Handspring line was that they couldn't even send e-mail messages to those on their list because it would have drained resources from getting the problem fixed. The reality is that it *wouldn't* have drained resources, or else just would have taken resources away from October order-taking.

This wasn't just an error. This was their plan B. In order to get the most October sales they could, despite their initial failures, they made a conscious decision to keep 'em coming. That is what led to the call center being overloaded -- a second forseeable failure of immense proportions.

Even as this latest fiasco hits them, their "solution" is to continue to take toll free orders, and make early customers spend money on desperate toll calls that are repeatedly disconnected because operators are taking new orders.

Cutting off toll calls repeatedly after every two hours is something that they might also be sued for. Some people were on hold eight (4x2) daytime hours to talk to someone who had no clue about the truth of their order/shipping status. That's almost a hundred dollar phone bill for just a promise of "I think it's in the mail, call us back when you don't get it."

--Please see a real lawyer for any advice. This is just my opinion.--


[This message has been edited by reganc (edited 10-24-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Reston, Va, USA
Posts: 41

I spoke to a CSR this afternoon and she said my unit (Blue Vdx) will ship within a week and 1/2. Now, if I call back a week from Wednesday and it's not shipped due to backlog, I'll see if I can get it faster by changing to graphite. I'm not willing to wait a month over color.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 16

I also spoke with a CSR in Toronto this PM. I ordered a blue Visor Dlx on 9/24. There were 4 (yes 4) authorizations on my debit card from Visor last week. The CSR informed me today that it did not ship and would not ship because all of the colors except graphite are on backorder. I asked to change my color then to graphite and she informed me that it would be like placing a new order today-to the back of the que.

I hope your CSR was correct-I like that scenario better. Good Luck!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Virginia Beach, VA USA
Posts: 16

I think the right decision was made in shipping out the October orders.

Suppose (fact?) that for about a 2 week stretch in September ALL orders (online & phone) are completely FUBAR. The folks who ordered during that time then get wind that something MIGHT be wrong (no way to know for sure) and go completely nuts - verifying orders nightly - posting their paranoid rantings - all around raising hell. Why compound the problem(s) and upset the October folks too? Fix your September problems (a little sucking up by Handspring is definately in order!) while maintaining pace on your October ones.

How do think Handspring feels knowing that ALL the current problems can be chalked-up to the other companies they hired to handle they're logistics, ordering and customer service.

(Note: I ordered 9/14 and have not yet recieved my Visor Deluxe. But so long as I have not suffered multiple billing (ouch) and Handspring's 4-6 weeks aren't up, I can't rightfully complain.)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: METAIRIE,LA,USA
Posts: 19

I agree with Mitch.
I ordered approx. 4 weeks ago, but they had told me 4-6 weeks. So I will wait patiently till the 6th week, if no Visor comes in.........No Business and No recommendations to my users. Simple. I just hope HS does whatever it is they think they are doing to meet the 4-6 period and do right by those that ordered within the first week.

------------------
DEL

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 121

Mitch and DEL,

The whole customer rush to place orders Sept 14 was due to a promise of FIFO. That promise is now FUBAR. There are people getting multiple Visors now, just a week after ordering, while the people who were lured in on Sept 14th to ensure their place in line are being told that they shouldn't expect theirs for another 1-2 weeks. That makes 7-8 weeks total. Why the delay? Because of shortages!!! Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think?

The point is that their resources could and should have been spent on correcting their database problems and original orders instead of inviting new ones. From what I understand there are post-crash orders that are also screwed up because they were swamping themselves. Why were these orders even solicited when they said they needed every available resource to correct problems?
Remember now, that's what *they* said to excuse not sending a newsletter, e-mail, or posting anything on their website until the backlash hit.

Customers from the first weeks should have been notified immediately by phone, e-mail, or website and the orders reverified. Not accepting new orders temporarily would have freed up the phones for the early customers to confirm their data.

Once you see you have serious ordering problems and you're still a month away from your promised shipping date you should call a brief time out on orders to regroup. A well worded press release might have even made them look good -- like order volume was going *so* well that they had the first production run spoken for and would be taking orders soon for the next run. Fans would have translated that to: The Handspring has arrived!! Start pumping out Springboards!!

The problem was they thought that any hold on taking orders would cost them money. Well, going full steam ahead with an overloaded system will now cost them more. It was an irresponsible decision not related to their contractor or human error.

I expect to see the "Handspring Fiasco" as a case study in Business School classes soon.

[This message has been edited by reganc (edited 10-24-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lakewood, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posts: 12

I haven't received any packages yet, but on Friday, my credit card was charged $21.83 by HandSpring.

Any bets that the package (when it finally arrives) will contain only the extra Serial Cradle and a note about my Ice Visor Deluxe being "back-ordered" ???

Also, I placed my order by phone on or about 9/22.

[This message has been edited by SteveB (edited 10-25-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: SLC, UT, USA
Posts: 2

I called CSR and the Orders number niether of them will confirm or deny if it is on backorder. I did get an email from Donna D that said they were working on the problem and someone would be investigating it.
I have hope but I wont get my hopes up

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 22

I spoke to a supposed "supervisor" today and he told me that all colors except the graphite are on backorder, and I should expect to see my order within 10 days. I ordered on Sept. 16. I asked him how it was possible that in the first couple of days of orders they sold out. His response was curious "Well, if others have gotten theirs that ordered after you, they probably ordered the graphite color, which is why they have it." Funny, not what I asked. I never mentioned other people I only mentioned why hadn't I gotten mine when I ordered so early. I ordered an orange deluxe. I told him the six weeks was up in a few days, and that if it wasn't shipped out for 10 days, that was outside of the promised six weeks. "We are trying very hard to get everyone within the four to six weeks from when you ordered." That's what I just said...

Anyway, to end this post, it seems nobody wants to admit fault or blame or even that anything is going awry. Simply that if we hang in there, we'll get our Visors.

Hmph.

[This message has been edited by Binkley (edited 10-26-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 22

Despite being told it would be another 10 days before my "backordered" visor shipped, my Orange Deluxe, ordered 9/16, express shipping, arrived this morning, 10/26, via UPS ground in south eastern Pennsylvania (Philly burbs).

I don't think I'm even gonna complain about being charged the $10 overnight shipping fee, even though it shipped ground, cause I figure at this rate, based on what I was told yesterday, maybe I'll be getting another one or something. Why let them know it actually arrived?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 29

I ordered my Blue Vdx on 9-17. I called last week, and after 3 hours on hold was told it had gone from Toronto to California, and arrive in a week to 10 days. (That would be the end of this week). I called again today, and after being on hold for a total of 1 hour on the NON toll free number, I was told it had not shipped because it was on backorder. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and asked him how they could have run out of blue Vdx s on the 3rd day of taking orders. He did not have an answer, just said he would "escelate" my order. So now I get to wait at least another week for either a blue or a graphite, whichever is available first. How do I know I can believe any of the CSRs???