Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 7

BruceMc: Your crack sounds exactly like mine, and my entire corner DID eventually break off (though I implemented a classy tape-up job ;-) The crack went through the screw point and hit the hole for the calendar button.

Re: Canada - no problems at all. I got the replacement via FedEx direct to my office in just 20 hours from my call, and they included a prepaid Purolator bag to send the broken one back. By the way, the address for returns is in Rexdale (northeast City of Toronto).

I have to say that Handsprings customer support is really fantastic now! If they can get their quality control up to the same level, they'll go far!

On the idea of upgrading, I was just thinking aloud and didn't ask them, but you might want to try - couldn't hurt I guess!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 11

Just to make things clear...

Even though I know that a lot of you with the cracked cases were reporting large cracks around the power button, I just want to make everything clear for myself and for anyone else. I have noticed that on the case design of the Visor that there is a piece of plastic that is protruding from the case on the inside of the Visor giving the apperance of a crack. At first glance, it may very well look like a crack. Taking my extreem near-sitedness into good use, I inspected the case from the outside and concluded this. My point; are there any mistakes that could have been made about this case design, because I just wanted to clear this up.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 7

painful crack details

I believe the piece of protruding plastic on the inside you are talking about is the point where the screw from the back is threaded to the front of the case. My case failed as follows:

- crack first went through the thin piece of case directly to the left of the Power button
- crack grew more-or-less diagonally towards the above screw point
- crack traveled partially around the circumference of the screw protrusion
- crack then went down towards the microphone hole, passing just to the LEFT of it, and hit the edge of the case, thereby completing the break

At this point the piece was loose, but not falling off due to a mechanical interconnection of the fractured surfaces around the screw protrusion, but in a matter of a day or two, the screw protrusion broke completely loose and the piece fell of. At this point the fracture continued to the Calendar button hole, and a number of tiny fragment of case were broken off.

In retrospect I should have taken photos, but I hope this description clears it up for you.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 27

Re: painful crack details

quote:

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Originally posted by don

- crack then went down towards the microphone hole, passing just to the LEFT of it, and hit the edge of the case, thereby completing the break.

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__________________

"Just beam it to me."

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 7

another BVD, another cracked case!

Well it's not been long judging by the above posts, and my new replacement BVD now has a hairline crack starting at the blue case edge on the microphone side of the power button and almost through to the power button hole.

On top of that the small crack that was already evident on my recent replacement unit on the top of the springboard slot (where the hard case snaps in) is much bigger, and a strip of clear plastic about 1cm long just flaps in the breeze when I take of the springboard cover. Fortunatley this does not seem to be a structural problem, but I'm again worried about the crack at the power button.... and just a few weeks left in my original warranty.

Is it too much to ask that a device not fall apart by itself under normal use? Maybe I'm being too picky...

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

Is this primarily a Blue case problem? A colored case problem? Or just a case problem?

I just noticed some ugliness on the blue part of my case, on the left side, near the bottom (nearing the microphone).

Is Handspring willing to allow the price difference to be paid to upgrade to a Platinum with a solid grey case?

PurpleMD

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 34

I called Handspring yesterday and am having a new machine sent out to me. They acknowledged the cracking problem of the cases has been known and they will replace the unit for you. In my situation I'm about two weeks past my one year warranty but they didn't even blink an eye about it. Just sent out a replacement for my green VDX immediately.

Customer Service at Handspring has improved immensely since last year and is well worth giving them a break- about your break.

__________________
Green Vdx
The Mountain Dew of PDA's.

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

I had the same problem as the rest of you. I called Handspring to see if I could get it replaced. My 1 year warranty was up (by at least 2 months) so they said there was nothing they could do. So I told them I had seen this problem come up in a lot of discussion groups (mainly this thread) and that other people said that there was a manufacturing defect. She stumbled around for a bit but then said "yes you are right, there was a manufacturing defect with the outer casing". They are replacing it free of charge.

Moral of the story....
To get your unit replaced for this defect, tell them that you know there was a manufacturing defect pertaining to the Visor Deluxe and insist that they get you a new one.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Petersburg, AK
Posts: 131

I returned my green deluxe because of a crack near the power button, the groove the cover snaps into chipped away, and the battery cover clip broke too. My replacement arrived quickly (even to Alaska) but now I have a real problem. I can't send them my defective unit. Fed-Ex will deliver to my island but will not pick up from me. And Handspring claims to be "unable" to accept my return via US mail or UPS (I told them I would be willing to pay to ship it this way.) I know most people live in more developed parts of the world but wanted to warn others to beware the one-way-fed-ex operation.

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 45

quote:

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Originally posted by Vegaman Dan

Customer Service at Handspring has improved immensely since last year and is well worth giving them a break- about your break.
[/B]

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