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Old 04-06-2010, 04:36 AM   #1
rangrang
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don't buy pocketbook reader

the product is flimsy
the customer service is sleazy
avoid it.
I will tell you the story later. I bought this product in late January and it was down in the mid-March. Within one and half month I lost $275.
the lesson I learned from this is:

1) Avoid those obscure manufacturers. Try to do business with dependable and mature manufacturers.

2) Don't rush into buying an E-book reader. The market is young and wild. Let's wait for sturdy products.

3) You cannot win your case for warrantee unless you can talk with the customer service face to face with the real thing in hand. They will not give you a reasonable diagnosis unless you can confront them face to face.

My experience with pocketbook reader is a nightmare. I am trying to forget about it. I have never been treated this bad.
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Old 04-06-2010, 05:32 AM   #2
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I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but there are many, many people here who have positive things to say about Pocketbook. I love mine and am so glad I bought it after trying to decide which reader to buy for months.

Are you sure you're problems weren't with the last firmware update that screwed up some things?

I'm guessing no-one is going to take much notice of this post unless you give us details.
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Old 04-06-2010, 05:47 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rangrang View Post
the product is flimsy
the customer service is sleazy
avoid it.
I will tell you the story later. I bought this product in late January and it was down in the mid-March. Within one and half month I lost $275.
the lesson I learned from this is:

1) Avoid those obscure manufacturers. Try to do business with dependable and mature manufacturers.

2) Don't rush into buying an E-book reader. The market is young and wild. Let's wait for sturdy products.

3) You cannot win your case for warrantee unless you can talk with the customer service face to face with the real thing in hand. They will not give you a reasonable diagnosis unless you can confront them face to face.

My experience with pocketbook reader is a nightmare. I am trying to forget about it. I have never been treated this bad.
Could you get a little more detailed, please? Since mid of last year, there was no heavy price change for Pocketbook readers. We always, always respect warranty, even to a higher degree than demanded by law. What exactly is your specific problem, maybe we can still arrange something that makes this experience a good one. Our support is also more than adequate.
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Old 04-06-2010, 10:03 AM   #4
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Dear topic starter, thank you for your very detailed list of everything that's wrong with the PocketBook.

(But I have to remind you that April 1st was five days ago!)
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Old 04-06-2010, 11:44 AM   #5
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Quote:
I'm guessing no-one is going to take much notice of this post unless you give us details.
Ditto.
People posting this kind of topic rarely come back anyway...
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Old 04-06-2010, 02:24 PM   #6
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Kind of suspicious this being the only post from this person and they're not even looking for help.



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Old 04-06-2010, 05:57 PM   #7
rangrang
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Hi, Sorry for late reply. I posted this message in the early moring (1:00 a.m.?) Now I have time to answer details.
It is pocketbook 301 plus. I have done a lot of comparison before I placed the order. If not for this bad customer service, I should say pocketbook is really a nice product with very competitive feature/price ratio.

I received the order in late January. At the beginning, I love it very much. It start (or reboot) fast, the electronic ink display is crystal clear. you can re-orientate your PDF file on the screen to have a nice display with extra margine being cut off.

I took this ebook reader meticulously careful. I usually put it on the study table. Sometime I bring it to my office, put it in my backpack which is shock-resistant. I have attached the pocketbook to the black leather(?) jacket. I have never placed heavy stuff onto it. never have it fall down to floor.

But ten days ago, it suddenly was down. The screen glass is in perfect condition. But I cannot see any legible font on the screen except some stripes of gray color. lt is like your TV set suddenly lose signal and you can only see the stripes of color or snow dots.

When your TV can not show picture, You don't rush into the judgment that this TV has been physically damaged, right? You alter the antenna to receive the signal. I think what is wrong with my pocketbook reader is some internal program goes wrong and the manufacuture need to help me revamp the internal program.

I believe the physical condition of the pocketbook is perfect. The sales representative and their customer service insisted that there is crack on the screen and it has been mechanically altered by someone. They make their judgment based on the low-resolution picture. I see the device and see no cracks on the screen. Also I have never treated this device clumsily and heave-handedly. How could a e-reader cracked when you only push the button?

I believe my eyes, and don't trust their judgment based on picture of the blurred screen. So I mailed the device to the customer service, hoping them to see by their eyes and change their judgment, and, thus, honor their one-year warrantee.

Per my request, they sent this device to the third party repair man. I have no way to check the credential of the third party repair man. they forwarded me the email from the third party repair man, saying the device is physically damaged with crack on the screen. So they asked me to pay hundred bucks to repair it.

I would not pay and asked them to return it to me. I want to cut my lose earlier. Based on my conversation with the customer service, I don't believe they will look at the device and make a rational judgment. I want to meet them face to face to look at the device to see where is the crack. But I can not waste more dollars on this.

Let me be modest, I might have been wrong and the crack could be internal and cannot be detected by naked eyes. But I feel this device is so flimsy. You have a $275 device and you push button for two month, and suddenly it will not work any more. Is is reasonable?

I said the customer service is sleazy because of this fact: When I purchased this device, I cannot find any information about return policy from their website. I find they have not included the wall charger and SD card in the package. But on the box, it has been specified the package should include those things. Okay, I called the sales representative and he promised me to have those things send to me quickly. Ten days past, I have not received the charger and the SD card. I called them and asked why, the guy sternly denied my request and said he has never promised to send the charger and the card to me. I felt that I have duped by the sales person. But I will put it behind, it is not big deal to have the wall charger and the SD card. the sales person has made a mistake to check the package including charger and card. Okay. I will not be bothered by that, I really enjoyed the product in the first month. It is a solid product if not for the short life. the customer service could be superb if they have been straightforward and honored their words. Now the return policy is available on their website. it says you can not get full refund if you have past the fifteenth day since the delivery. I believed the sales person have made the false promise to have me keep the flimsy product for 15 days so I can not return it for full refund. I really admire their shrewdness.

I will be very glad to answer any further inquiry.

Hey, don't think it is an April Fool's day joke, I lost 275 bucks and it is no fun.
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Old 04-06-2010, 06:29 PM   #8
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Sorry to hear this...
Where did you buy your PB from?
Thanks.
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Old 04-06-2010, 07:25 PM   #9
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Sounds a bit odd and totally out of character for anything I have read so far about Pocketbook - could you let us know where you bought the Pocketbook? I am still toying with the idea of buying a Pocketbook because of the great customer service feedback I see here on the forum.
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Old 04-07-2010, 01:06 AM   #10
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surprised

Yes I am surprised as well. I have a 360 though and do not know if they are perhaps a bit more sturdy?

It was my understanding that the Pocketbooks normally only come with a USB cable for transferring data and charging.

The screen problem does sound like an issue, I would think they should send you a replacement.

My Cool-er has been replaced two times, due to firmware issues, but no problems so far with my pocketbook 360.

I don't know of any companies that could properly service a e-ink device other than maybe Netronix? The manufacturer of the screens.

When you were having this problem with the screen were you able to talk to the device on your computer? ie could you still send it books etc.

Amy
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Old 04-07-2010, 01:19 AM   #11
rangrang
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Thank you for your interest, let me answer your question.

When the device was down, I tried to connect it to my PC to download the PDF files on the device. My computer can not recognize this device. I can not reach the PDF files on the device. This clearly showed that there is internal problem with this device.
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Old 04-07-2010, 01:21 AM   #12
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I placed order at http://www.dulinsbooks.com/
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Old 04-07-2010, 01:25 AM   #13
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I have had many email/phone communication with the sales person. I have tried hard to forget this and move on. But many people have their Ebook readers works very well for one year plus, Why should I have a device only work for 45 days?
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Old 04-07-2010, 01:46 AM   #14
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below are pictures to show that the original package has been marked to include adapter (charger) and SD card



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Old 04-07-2010, 01:57 AM   #15
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This is how the screen looks alike right now. Since it has been shipped back and forth, the stripes of gray color has become darker and denser than two weeks ago.




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