Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

Hello fellow Canucks. As Handspring's website and Donna herself have said, the bulk of backlogged Canadian orders have gone out Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday too. I thought we might start a new thread to track their arrival so we all have an idea how long it's taking. I don't think Standard overnight Fedex applies to Canada, but I'm assuming they're paying to get them to us in one or two business days (I could be wrong).

My Visa was hit with an authorization hold on the 17th (and this time it had to be Handspring) for $385.65. So far no Visor...

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

For the Canadians who have already ordered a Visor, we should count ourselves lucky ... because as of today, HandSpring "will no longer be taking Canadian orders until we begin shipping internationally early next year. (Current orders will be shipped, however.)" !!! See their site for more details: http://www.handspring.com/shipping_details.asp

I ordered an ice Vdx on Oct 27 (by phone of course) and am impatiently counting the weeks.

Rubber,
Sorry, but I don't remember whether you ordered a Vdx or Visor, but was just wondering how much tax was included in your authorization of $385 Canadian? The CSR estimated my order to be around C$430 with taxes and Express included.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto
Posts: 1

My card hasn't been hit yet. I ordered a Blue deluxe Visor with a serial cradle on Oct 5th by phone. I'm from Toronto.

All the specs on the Visor seem great and I think this is a great product, BUT the service so far had been VERY lacking. I phoned yesterday to check up on the status of my order after I read the new post of the web site about the Canadian orders. They started by telling me it will be two more weeks before I get it and that I should check on the web site because it explains this. I told them they should check there own site because it states that Canadian orders will be shipped on the 18 and 19.

At which point they tell me to check my credit card to see if it's been charged.

Am I missing something here. I purchased this from Handspring they should be able to tell me if my order has shipped and if not when it will be shipped. NOT have me check my credit card.

Handspring has been missing deadline after deadline. Which they set. I don't mind waiting it's not life and dead that I get this. It's the lack of any concrete information that kills me.



[This message has been edited by Random (edited 11-19-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 4

Oh you have got to be #$%@#ing kidding me!!!
They're NOT shipping any more to Canada until next year???!!!
I have been waiting patiently for them to sort through their problems and get the shipping times back down to 4-6 weeks before I ordered. Now, it seems I'm totally screwed. This is outrageous! In case any other Canadians are as mad as I am, Future Shop has a Palm IIIe for sale at $229.00 (CDN), available through their website.

Handspring has let down yet another major market by doing this. Their horrible, shoddy business practices continue to stupify me. How could any company be this idiotic and still stay in business? Only in the Internet Age.....

[This message has been edited by Astroboy (edited 11-19-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 8

After persistent calls to Handspring Customer Care (toll number) and an email to Donna, I was finally told yesterday that 'Canadian orders have been released'. 'Release' implies that they were 'held up' at some point. This information was never communicated either by the CSR's or the web site, nor were the reasons for the 'hold-up' ever explained. Now the inexplicable 'no shipping to Canada' comes along. Sigh !

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

Visordoc,

I ordered mine on the 25th of october over the phone and i've had to 'reorder' twice over the last 2 weeks because they lost my phone orders (twice). They said that the weborder was coming up that week and so alot of telephone orders were lost during data entering.

i recommend that all orders placed over the phone the week of october 25th are double checked...that was the week the website came up.

just speaking from experience.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

In answer to your question visordoc, I don't know what exactly the charge is for - as of yesterday, it was just an authorization hold. I asked Fedex about duty and handling fees and he said that there would be GST that I would have to pay upon delivery (this is not Handspring's to collect).

I'm not entirely surprised they have stopped shipping to Canada. Canadian orders were held up mostly I think because it is complicated to ship to Canada, even with Free Trade. Actually, now that I think about it, a lot of big US web retailers don't ship to Canada at all: Value America, Buy.com. There's a lot of paperwork, which cuts into their already slim profit margins.

The only bright side is that we'll be PDA stars up here for a while (When the Visors finally arrive), and we can tell our envious geek compatriots that they simply can't buy one yet...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 34

Astroboy -

Direct quote from the HS site from the link mentioned in the previous thread:

"Orders taken prior to October 20 over the phone from Canadians will ship today and tomorrow. You will be contacted if your order didn't ship because of credit card problems or other order information issues, but all other orders will be shipped today. Orders taken after October 20, or over the web, are still in the queue, as per the above. We will no longer be taking Canadian orders until we begin shipping internationally early next year. (Current orders will be shipped, however.)"

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Canada
Posts: 6

I too am ralley mad at them. If they didn`t have any problems, I would have ordered a long time ago...

I was waiting for them to resolve their issues; Now that some Canucks have started receiving their Visor I was about to call and order one any day now...

Arrrrrrrrrrggggg...

Now I do not want to wait till january; I wanted to buy myself a gift for xmas; looks like I might have to explore other options....

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 71

My message icons have been gettng grimmer as the days go on...

Anyway, it's 8pm on the 19th and no credit card charge. I'm not confident in the slightest that I'll ever see these bloody units I ordered as evals for my company - no matter anyway, as I won't be able to ORDER anymore for the company until sometime next year. Good grief.

But I'm patient. One more week and I cancel and buy a IIIx or Vx, even though it goes completely against my gut.

-Doug

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 31

Well, it seems my Canadian VISA credit card was dinged for ~ CAN$390/- as of two days ago or on Wednesday night. So, right now I am looking forward to receiving this VDx hopefully on Saturday !!! Right....! It's more probably on Monday....right!!....when I get it, I will let you guys/gals know what condition it is in.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 30

I spoke to a CSR on Friday
First time I heard good news. My Visor shipped on Thursday, Priority U.S. Mail, 2-3 day delivery, hopefully I'll see it either today (Saturday) or Monday.
My Visa was also charged about $390 on Wednesday. I ordered Oct. 1 and live near Toronto.
I'm expecting GST to be payable upon delivery. I'll keep everyone posted.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 4

I have given up on Handspring. Went to Future Shop on Sunday and bought a Palm IIIe. Not as good a product as the Visor (at least from what I hear), but at least it's in my hands! Maybe late next year, when they've ironed out all their shipping problems and fixed the horrific customer service nightmares, I'll upgrade to a Visor, but until then, all I can say is that the score is: Handspring: $0, Palm: $250.

Handspring is going to have to do a lot of work to fix all the bad feelings they've caused, especially amongst Canadians.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 10

I agree that Handspring has really let down the Canadian market - as well as all their other customers! However, I was one of the lucky few - I phoned and agitated several times after ordering 2 VDlx's on Sep 15 by phone - wanted them for our birthdays in mid-Nov. After much expensive phone discussion, argument, persuasion, etc. the units arrived on Nov 15, 10:00 pm - just 2 hours before the first birthday! (I went to the local FedEx office in Mississauga (near Toronto) to pick them up!) Let me tell you, they were worth the wait! Mine is USB syncing with Outlook 98 and Win98 just fine - great screen, great to have the xtra memory. Reverse light backlight in the dark is rather neat and a lot clearer than I expected based on various other posts I read (just hard to read in a sort of twilight type of light).
I find it hard to believe that, once they had the Canadian shipping problems sorted out - which they obviously do now that I have received mine which was sent to me in normal, if very slow, due process - that they would just cut off a valuable source of customers. I am afraid that now I have the units, if Handspring doesn't get off its tush with these customer order problems, that the company is going to crash and then I will have 2 expensive, unsupported units!
Also, I had ordered a modem - which is backordered - does this mean I won't get it now? Most distressing.
Have any other Canadians received their orders yet?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

How many of you Canadians got a blue one?

They lost my order (blue) once, when I called again just to make sure. So now I've ordered twice, with the claim that they'll ship the second one with the same shipment as those ordered at the same time as my first order (Oct. 23). Whatever. All I know is that my credit card has not yet been charged.

Interestingly, two sources (incl. their sales rep) have now stated that their (a?) order centre is on Bloor St. here in Toronto.

So we canucks have screwed up Handspring?

Eug

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 57

So, no Canucks have reported in today (Monday). The big mailout was on Friday and possibly Saturday (according to the Handspring site), so they better be showing up very soon. Michael posted above that they were using priority mail for deliveries - so no Fedex overnight (yes, they really care about Canadian orders...) - it could conceivably be as late as Wednesday. I just want this to be over...

[This message has been edited by Rubberdemon (edited 11-23-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

USPS Priority Mail? They told me UPS Express and that everyone was being charged the higher shipping rate for Canada by default (a good thing).

Either way just be happy you're not getting it via UPS Standard or else you'd be paying a huge brokerage charge. You'd save US$3+ up front but would later pay probably about CAD$40 in brokerage fees, ON TOP of GST and PST. (Yes, we have to pay PST too now.)

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 14

my credit card have been hit for 493 $ last night
i expect to receive my visor today or tomorrow
hope i don't need to pay gst after too.....
finally maybe i can stop bugging Donna Dubinsky and Barbara Grossman

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 30

Well it's Tuesday morning and I saw the Priority Courier van deliver the mail to our superbox. But no package for me, not even a notice to pick it up at the Postoffice. It really is true that things take longer when you're constantly thinking about it. I feel like a kid at Christmas. I did'nt think I was being overly optimistic that my Visor would arrive yesterday since I was told twice by CSRs that it shipped last Thursday (just foolish I suppose). I also want this to be a over. It will be awhile before I participate in e-commerce again. This is just the price to pay for leading edge products I guess, well that's what I'll keep telling myself anyway.

Again, I'll post the minute I receive it, hopefully tomorrow!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 5

I ordered on the phone on September 24th and have still received nothing! I have called them many times and have been told many times that my Vdx will ship that very week. This has been the information I've been getting since mid-October.

They called my on Friday to tell me that my credit card expired and to ask for the new number. I was issued a new Visa in November and I had already called them 4, yes 4, times to give them that information - they kept losing it!!!!

Still no charge to my card and no sign of my Vdx. I am ready to scream!!!!!!

Incidentally, after my last phone rant to a CSR they sent me a free leather case (after I insisted that I deserved something to make up for the pain). I got that in two days. Now if I only had something to put into it ...