Tell us about your handheld repair stories

Bob Russell · 04-28-2006, 09:21 PM

Seeing the recent post about a broken Sony Librie reader screen leads me to ask the following questions:

Have you ever had a handheld device that needed repair?
If it was under warranty, how fast and easily could you get a replacement?
If out of warranty, what were your options?
Did you get it repaired or throw it away?

My only experience was with a refurbished Toshiba e405 Pocket PC that I bought on Woot.com. It stopped working completely. I believe it was completely unusable and would freeze up, but I can't really remember the details anymore. (You can probably find my complaints if you search the forums.)

I contacted the main number at Toshiba, and they were very nice about it, and it was still under warranty. Even though they had already exited the PDA business at the time, they were still very helpful. They sent me a replacement device, and a FedEx account number to use to ship the defective one back to them at their cost. They took my credit card number to guarantee that return.

It was almost just that easy. Almost. Everything was fine except that even after returning the defective device, they charged my credit card. It was a bit of a battle, but I finally got to someone that could help me, and it was finally resolved. Again, I don't remember all the details, but I do remember it was a pain in the neck. But all in all, I was very pleased with Toshiba's handling of the matter and I would consider them in the future for, say, a UMPC.

I also have a Treo 650 now with a finicky connector. Most of the time I have to wiggle it to hotsynch, and sometimes that's really annoying when on some days it's hard to get the connection. I'm tempted to get a bluetooth adapter for my PC to avoid that completely, but then I would have to end up turning on and off bluetooth just to sync (as I don't want the extra battery drain if that's all I'm using it for). I have a coverage plan with Verizon but I haven't checked yet to see if it covers this and how long I would have to be without a device. I'll have to check soon if that 700p shows up in May, because I may just be switching.

Other than that, everything has worked well for me. I did wear out the up/down switch on my old Clie from overuse, but it wasn't completely broken so I never did anything about it.

And I did have an SD card that stopped working from Lexar. I think it was caused by a bad USB card reader device, but I didn't figure that out until after it was replaced under warranty. They were very gracious and efficient about the whole thing, and simply asked that I return the defective SD card. Lesson: If you are using an older model card reader, make sure you have the current firmware upgrades.

So that's my story. Now tell us yours...

Note: The picture is from this poor fellow. But at least he had a happy ending!

TadW · 04-29-2006, 10:43 AM

* What were your options?

Buy a new device. Seriously, I've always found the burden of returning a device and explaining what has happened more troubling then spending the money again.

luomat · 04-29-2006, 02:47 PM

I have had to replace both my Treo 300 and my Treo 600. The key, for me, was a) purchasing Sprint's $5/month equipment replacement, b) being a squeaky wheel.

I purchased the Treo 300 with a new contact with Sprint. After 6 months of what I consider "moderate" use, it wore out (the keyboard was too flimsy but the phone part worked). I drove down to the Sprint store (an hour each way) foolishly thinking they could/would help. They can't/won't but they let me use their phone to call Sprint. The Sprint store didn't have any Treo 300s in stock, and Sprint tech support wanted to to ship a new replacement Treo 300 *to the store*.

Did I mention it was an hour each way?

I told them that was unacceptable if they wanted to keep my business. It took forever, going between people who did and didn't know what they were talking about and people who were and weren't trying to do whatever they could to help. I finally ended up getting disconnected and calling them back from my Treo and told them how upset I was at the length of time I had spent, only to be disconnected. I landed someone who was willing to help but said they just didn't have any Treo300s available.

Finally, in a fit of frustration, I offered to pay the difference between my 300 and the 600 (which had just come out). The difference was like $200, but at the time the best deal Sprint was offering was $300. He accepted my offer and essentially took back the Treo300 and sold me a 600 instead. It was expensive, but the 600 was so much better/sturdier that I was thrilled. That was 18 months ago.

Then just in January the antennae off my Treo 600 broke off. I again went to the Sprint store (a different one) and they said they could fix it *because* I had the equipment replacement program. An hour later they said they couldn't fix it but they would get me a new one in 2-3 days. But I was on vacation and was going to be gone in 2-3 days and the nearest Sprint store to me is still an hour away. I tried to see if he could upgrade me to the 650 but he said he couldn't.

The store clerk eventually gave me a refurbished 600 that was supposed to go to another customer who hadn't picked it up in 2 weeks (I still don't understand why anyone would do that) and ordered a new refurbished one for the other guy.

I left quite happy, until I made a call on the phone and realized that the earpiece speaker was blown. It sounded terrible, but I could at least hear.

I called Sprint again (from a landline) and told them how upset I was at the huge waste of time after having been told (on the phone) the night before just to go to a local Sprint store. The woman promised to have a replacement sent to me at home and have me send back the one I had.

A week passed and no phone. I called again and they said there had been a problem but they would send out a new phone, which arrived a few days later.

As soon as I picked it up out of the box I heard something rattle inside of it like a piece of loose plastic.

I called again and spent at least an hour on the phone (most of it on hold) after being disconnected multiple times while on hold. I got someone and gave her my phone number and told her that if I was disconnected again, she could either find a way to call me back or my next call was to my credit card company to stop future payments of my Sprint bill and I would be an ex-customer. She spent the better part of an hour with me on hold and her apparently "working the system" to find out what was wrong, she found out who I needed to talk to, and stayed on the line until he picked up.

I told him the story of what happened, he promised to get a replacement out the same day (I think it arrived the next day).

I opened the box simply hoping for a phone which worked, and was thrilled to realize that he had sent a 650, no charge. The only drawback was that it was the model without a camera, but really I think I used the camera maybe 3-4 times a year, so it was hardly a big deal.

So those are my replacement stories. I think there have been a few others of the "something isn't working" variety where they have sent me a new one and I sent them back. Most of the time it is a $35 fee, but considering what a 650 costs, I figure that the $5/month replacement fee is about the best money I spend to make sure that I have a functioning phone. The other piece of the puzzle is definitely to have patience until you get someone helpful, to not be rude but definitely express your displeasure when appropriate (realizing that the person you are talking to didn't cause the problem and probably would very much like to help you in any way they can).

04-28-2006, 09:21 PM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Tell us about your handheld repair stories Seeing the recent post about a broken Sony Librie reader screen leads me to ask the following questions: Have you ever had a handheld device that needed repair? If it was under warranty, how fast and easily could you get a replacement? If out of warranty, what were your options? Did you get it repaired or throw it away? My only experience was with a refurbished Toshiba e405 Pocket PC that I bought on Woot.com. It stopped working completely. I believe it was completely unusable and would freeze up, but I can't really remember the details anymore. (You can probably find my complaints if you search the forums.) I contacted the main number at Toshiba, and they were very nice about it, and it was still under warranty. Even though they had already exited the PDA business at the time, they were still very helpful. They sent me a replacement device, and a FedEx account number to use to ship the defective one back to them at their cost. They took my credit card number to guarantee that return. It was almost just that easy. Almost. Everything was fine except that even after returning the defective device, they charged my credit card. It was a bit of a battle, but I finally got to someone that could help me, and it was finally resolved. Again, I don't remember all the details, but I do remember it was a pain in the neck. But all in all, I was very pleased with Toshiba's handling of the matter and I would consider them in the future for, say, a UMPC. I also have a Treo 650 now with a finicky connector. Most of the time I have to wiggle it to hotsynch, and sometimes that's really annoying when on some days it's hard to get the connection. I'm tempted to get a bluetooth adapter for my PC to avoid that completely, but then I would have to end up turning on and off bluetooth just to sync (as I don't want the extra battery drain if that's all I'm using it for). I have a coverage plan with Verizon but I haven't checked yet to see if it covers this and how long I would have to be without a device. I'll have to check soon if that 700p shows up in May, because I may just be switching. Other than that, everything has worked well for me. I did wear out the up/down switch on my old Clie from overuse, but it wasn't completely broken so I never did anything about it. And I did have an SD card that stopped working from Lexar. I think it was caused by a bad USB card reader device, but I didn't figure that out until after it was replaced under warranty. They were very gracious and efficient about the whole thing, and simply asked that I return the defective SD card. Lesson: If you are using an older model card reader, make sure you have the current firmware upgrades. So that's my story. Now tell us yours... Note: The picture is from this poor fellow. But at least he had a happy ending!

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04-29-2006, 10:43 AM	#2
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	* What were your options? Buy a new device. Seriously, I've always found the burden of returning a device and explaining what has happened more troubling then spending the money again.

04-29-2006, 02:47 PM	#3
luomat Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2006 Device: Treo650(SprintPCS)	I have had to replace both my Treo 300 and my Treo 600. The key, for me, was a) purchasing Sprint's $5/month equipment replacement, b) being a squeaky wheel. I purchased the Treo 300 with a new contact with Sprint. After 6 months of what I consider "moderate" use, it wore out (the keyboard was too flimsy but the phone part worked). I drove down to the Sprint store (an hour each way) foolishly thinking they could/would help. They can't/won't but they let me use their phone to call Sprint. The Sprint store didn't have any Treo 300s in stock, and Sprint tech support wanted to to ship a new replacement Treo 300 to the store. Did I mention it was an hour each way? I told them that was unacceptable if they wanted to keep my business. It took forever, going between people who did and didn't know what they were talking about and people who were and weren't trying to do whatever they could to help. I finally ended up getting disconnected and calling them back from my Treo and told them how upset I was at the length of time I had spent, only to be disconnected. I landed someone who was willing to help but said they just didn't have any Treo300s available. Finally, in a fit of frustration, I offered to pay the difference between my 300 and the 600 (which had just come out). The difference was like $200, but at the time the best deal Sprint was offering was $300. He accepted my offer and essentially took back the Treo300 and sold me a 600 instead. It was expensive, but the 600 was so much better/sturdier that I was thrilled. That was 18 months ago. Then just in January the antennae off my Treo 600 broke off. I again went to the Sprint store (a different one) and they said they could fix it because I had the equipment replacement program. An hour later they said they couldn't fix it but they would get me a new one in 2-3 days. But I was on vacation and was going to be gone in 2-3 days and the nearest Sprint store to me is still an hour away. I tried to see if he could upgrade me to the 650 but he said he couldn't. The store clerk eventually gave me a refurbished 600 that was supposed to go to another customer who hadn't picked it up in 2 weeks (I still don't understand why anyone would do that) and ordered a new refurbished one for the other guy. I left quite happy, until I made a call on the phone and realized that the earpiece speaker was blown. It sounded terrible, but I could at least hear. I called Sprint again (from a landline) and told them how upset I was at the huge waste of time after having been told (on the phone) the night before just to go to a local Sprint store. The woman promised to have a replacement sent to me at home and have me send back the one I had. A week passed and no phone. I called again and they said there had been a problem but they would send out a new phone, which arrived a few days later. As soon as I picked it up out of the box I heard something rattle inside of it like a piece of loose plastic. I called again and spent at least an hour on the phone (most of it on hold) after being disconnected multiple times while on hold. I got someone and gave her my phone number and told her that if I was disconnected again, she could either find a way to call me back or my next call was to my credit card company to stop future payments of my Sprint bill and I would be an ex-customer. She spent the better part of an hour with me on hold and her apparently "working the system" to find out what was wrong, she found out who I needed to talk to, and stayed on the line until he picked up. I told him the story of what happened, he promised to get a replacement out the same day (I think it arrived the next day). I opened the box simply hoping for a phone which worked, and was thrilled to realize that he had sent a 650, no charge. The only drawback was that it was the model without a camera, but really I think I used the camera maybe 3-4 times a year, so it was hardly a big deal. So those are my replacement stories. I think there have been a few others of the "something isn't working" variety where they have sent me a new one and I sent them back. Most of the time it is a $35 fee, but considering what a 650 costs, I figure that the $5/month replacement fee is about the best money I spend to make sure that I have a functioning phone. The other piece of the puzzle is definitely to have patience until you get someone helpful, to not be rude but definitely express your displeasure when appropriate (realizing that the person you are talking to didn't cause the problem and probably would very much like to help you in any way they can).

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