Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 55

Well, after ordering the second day Visors were avaiable (I would have ordered on the 14th except I overlooked the phone number on the Web page), I have just cancelled my order.

Quick timeline -
9/15 Ordered Graphite Visor Delux.

10/22 Called to confirm order. Discovered transposed credit card numbers. Corrected the mistake and was promised delivery by Nov 5.

11/3 Called today and was told that they had halted shipping while credit card duplicate charge problems were corrected. It would not ship for at least another week but for sure in the next two. That would put me in the 7-8 week delivery time - acceptable for a car, not a PDA.

I guess I just got tired. I work in ecommerce/ordering and this type of support is unacceptable. I have not given up on Handspring overall, just on this order. Now I will wait things out and see what happens after the holidays and decide what to get after that (a color Visor?). My upgraded Palm Personal is none the worse for wear, and it has yet to fail me. Good luck to the rest of you and keep posting - I may not have one, but they are still great machines.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Marietta, Ohio USA
Posts: 92

You are not alone.. I cancelled too
on Monday 11/1...I order a Palm IIIx
from Buy.com and just got it today...
I ordered 9/24... I just got tired too.
I am a patient guy but you have to draw the line sometime.. I will have an opportunity
at Comdex in LV this month to give them
my feedback !

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 55

I received this response after I emailed Ms Dubinski notifying her that the poor customer service had caused me to cancel my order...


Kemp,

Thank you for taking the time to write me this note. Believe me, I've not
been happy with our rocky start-up here, and it pains me to disappoint
customers. We had some significant problems with our logistics systems that
have been very difficult to overcome. I apologize for the frustration it
has caused you, and I hope we will earn back your business in the future.

Donna

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Marietta, Ohio USA
Posts: 92

I cancelled my order too... I got a Palm IIIx
yesterday. What I find amazing is the "Oh well, you-cancelled-your-order, see-you-in the-future" attitude... If it were me,
All those that cancelled, I would call them
up personally and offer to ship their Visor
to them overnight at a discount (30% off or something) to show good faith.. Most people
who cancelled will most likely never buy again from them... OR at least, if someone
cancelled by email (like me), send an email
reply apologizing and offering a future discount or SOMETHING ? Geezzzzz... I find this all very amazing ! Just amazing...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 187

Maybe you bailed too soon. If you read the response that I got from the CEO (under a different thread), you would have gotten FedEx for free.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 55

FedEx isn't the point. A 7+ week wait when I was one of the first to order is the point. People who ordered over a month after I did already have their Visors. I am not paying full price for such poor service. I would have kept my order if they had offered me a discount, but all they have offered was an upgrade to Priority Shipping (which I had requested when I originally ordered, but they had somehow missed). Before one single review had been published, I ordered the product because of my faith in Hawkins and Dubinsky. Even after the fantastic reviews, poor service caused me to cancel. Problems are understandable, but the failed promises and this wait are not.

[This message has been edited by Kemp (edited 11-04-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 187

If you REALLY read the fine print, express shipping IS NOT overnight shipping. All of the orders were to go out via UPS. The only thing express shipping does is SHIP the order within 1 business day of processing. Some companies call this "priority handling".

The upgrade that is being given to all botched orders is overnight shipping. Also, a few people are also getting some extras. Overnight shipping costs considerably more for the company and is the "right" thing for them to do IMHO. If memory serves me correctly, I was the first to call for FedEx shipping and a 5 pack to satisfy me for the "trouble" caused by the CSR's. It seems that HS is delivering the former to everyone, and the latter to at least some. Because of that, and the very positive personal response from the CEO, I can't complain.

[This message has been edited by staad (edited 11-04-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 55

You are correct on the shipping issue. My mistake.

Had I received the service you have, I too may have been swayed to stick with the order, but they made no such effort. I am glad they are trying. I want the company to succeed and I have not given up on Handspring, I have just given up on my first Visor order. Who knows, I may buy one at a store once they are released to tother sales channels.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 187

I understand why you cancelled. I was almost at that point myself. I have (as of last night) received an acceptable answer and solution from the CEO, so I am hanging in there. It took a too much work on my part to come to this resolution, though. That is unfortunate.

This company has had a really terrible start. The CEO had admitted that. If they didn't have such a great product, I would have bailed out too. I hope that the company has "turned the corner" and that all will be well from here on out. We need them in the marketplace to compete with 3Com to make both of their products even better.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Barnegat, NJ, USA
Posts: 72

I had a bad time with the shipping issues I ordered mine on november 1 via the web.

I called November 3rd and guess what

" I am sorry, I have no information on that Name or Order Number"

I said, "well then what the hell is this
conformation E-Mail all about?"

"Oh---- Can you Hold?"

I said, "I have been for 1 hour!"

"Did you order over the web?"

I said, "Yes"

"Then we have no information for 2 weeks"

I say thats unacceptable and inconciterate of them to keep me on hold that long only to be told " Then we have no information for 2 weeks"

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 187

You ordered on Nov 1st got a confirmation email and called on the 3rd???????

4-6 weeks until it ships. Give it some time!
And you wonder why the hold times are so long??? Try back around the end of November.