Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Before you purchase a Handspring product for any important use, make sure you can live with their dismal customer service. I purchased a Handspring Visor Deluxe in January which arrived within about 12 days. Later, I ordered a backup module and case. The backup module arrived in about a week. The case, even though I was told it was in stock at the time of order, is on back-order. It has been three weeks now, and each time I have called to inquire about my order all the service representative can tell me is that it is on back-order and they don't know when I can expect it to arrive. I asked if they could substitute the case I ordered with one that is currently in stock, and I was told this was not possible. I was also told that once an order is submitted to their warehouse it cannot be canceled. I spoke with their customer service supervisor who said basically the same thing and told me to simply refuse to accept receipt of the shipment if I didn't want it. No one at Handspring seemed interested in solving this problem.

A case is a pretty non-essential item, but just imagine if you needed a backup module, memory module, or possibly a replacement for your Visor. You are totally at their mercy as to when you can expect delivery. Service after the sale is as important, if not more important, than the sale itself.

If you plan to use a PDA for anything of major importance, you should consider purchasing one that is available locally such as the 3Com products -- at least that way, if you are ever in need of service, extra parts, or a replacement, you will not be subject to a long wait or disinterested customer service representatives.