Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 14

Is Handspring any good about replacing cracks to a VDx that seem to be due to manufacturing problems? A while ago, my Visor started cracking between the power and datebook button. I didn't think much about it, because it was small and didn't really seem to affect anything. The damage just seems to be appearing; I haven't done anything extraordinary to the case -- it just started happening in everyday use.

Now, those two buttons sometimes take a press or two to get a response, and the cracking has spread down the left side of the case (above the power button) and down to the microphone in front.

Cosmetically, I don't really care if it's a little cracked but the buttons "missing" has me concerned. Handspring's warranty implies they don't cover the physical casing, but I think I remember hearing somewhere that some of the earlier Deluxe builds had manufacturing weaknesses. Is that true? Will Handspring cover the repair/replacement for the damage I've described?

Thanks,
TBK

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Cambridge, MA 02155
Posts: 18

Cracked plastic

Unfortunately I've had three visors replaced because of this problem, and now it's out of warranty. I've been on the phone to Handspring today about it. It's really unfortunate, a clear defect. The most recent one is less than a month old, and the plastic is just crumbling. I'm a very gentle user, too.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 14

Re: Cracked plastic

quote:

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Originally posted by susanrm
Unfortunately I've had three visors replaced because of this problem, and now it's out of warranty. I've been on the phone to Handspring today about it. It's really unfortunate, a clear defect. The most recent one is less than a month old, and the plastic is just crumbling. I'm a very gentle user, too.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Cambridge, MA 02155
Posts: 18

Warranty

It was Handspring's warranty. I bought it directly from them. And no, it was no problem getting it replaced, since it was due to a manufacturing defect. We'll see how they do with the current problem now that it's out of warranty.

BTW, what color is your Visor? I wonder if it's any specific color(s). Mine's green.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 14

Re: Warranty

quote:

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Originally posted by susanrm
It was Handspring's warranty. I bought it directly from them. And no, it was no problem getting it replaced, since it was due to a manufacturing defect. We'll see how they do with the current problem now that it's out of warranty.

BTW, what color is your Visor? I wonder if it's any specific color(s). Mine's green.

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Last edited by TromboneKenny on 04-03-2001 at 09:34 PM

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 17

Same problem, but the vdx(green)is working ok so far. No known history of trauma. Have had this one for about 6 mos.

__________________
'Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler'--Albert Einstein

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

Cracked Blue Deluxe

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: Jul 2000
Location: Cambridge, MA 02155
Posts: 18

Up to Platinum

I ended up going to the "top" (Handspring directly) because I didn't want yet another bad replacement. I wanted to find another solution. We finally came up with a full refund for the VDX, and I would purchase a Platinum. Thus I ended up spending about $50 to upgrade after a year of use. Not bad, but if I could have waited a few months, it would have been cost-free. Anyway, the plastic was really crumbling, so it couldn't wait.

So far the Platinum is doing okay, but you can't see cracks beginning like in the VDX casing.

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 17

Has anyone else upgraded to a platinum in exchange for a cracked vdx and $50?

Are there any problems reloading everything onto a platinum? I am using the vdx with the 16mb Hagiwara which works great, so I don't want to rock the boat.

__________________
'Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler'--Albert Einstein

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Cambridge, MA 02155
Posts: 18

Clarification

Hi there,

Just to make it clearer, I returned the faulty unit to a person at Handspring who issued a full refund (sans tax) to my credit card. I then walked over to CompUSA and purchased a Platinum. The person at Handspring wanted to get the unit personally so she could see the cracked housing herself.

On changing the data over, the only issue was with a corrupted file that did take me a while to track down. It's been a while since I did it, so I can't recall what it was. To be safe, though, it's useful to disable all hacks and make sure you have the latest versions of most or all of your apps before upgrading. It is running a slightly different OS.

Susan