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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Will success spoil Palm Computing?
Now that they've got you addicted to their device, are you feeling that Palm Computing is taking you a little for granted? One of our readers thinks they are.
As you're probably already aware, if the screen on your Palm device cracks, the only avenue for repairing it is through Palm Computing's "Customer Care" unit. You order a replacement Palm device and, for $100, Palm Computing sends a reconditioned model to you. You send your broken one back, which they repair and make available as a trade-in for the next poor owner whose Palm device is damaged. In theory, it's a sound system. In practice, it's a nightmare. If RhinoSkin, which markets a titanium-shelled storage case for the Palm device, knew what I know now about how difficult it is to get a damaged Palm unit replaced, they'd surely base their entire marketing on experiences such as mine.
My Palm unit travels in 3Com's padded leather belt case. One morning, less than two weeks after I took delivery on a Palm IIIx to replace a device I passed down to my wife, my Palm unit emerged from its case with a cracked screen. I have no idea how it happened, but there it was.
"… almost all my will to live having been sapped away by some of the most insipid New Age music I've ever heard…"
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I called Palm Computing's repair line at 888-956-7256, and was immediately put on hold. A recorded message informed me that they were experiencing a higher than normal call volume. So far as I can tell, a higher than normal call volume is a normal call volume. I've called the number several times since and have always gotten this message. More than 20 minutes later, almost all my will to live having been sapped away by some of the most insipid New Age music I've ever heard, I was able to speak to "Monique", who told me that she could arrange shipment of a new Palm IIIx. A new one would be sent, since not enough Palm IIIx models had been returned damaged to get the stock of reconditioned devices built up. My replacement device would arrive in three to five days. I would be charged $100, even though I didn't believe that my device had been mishandled.
Apparently, if there's a manufacturing defect that could result in a stressed screen, which cracks, it's still the customer that pays. A week-and-a-half later, no replacement device had yet arrived. Great. After becoming addicted to carrying this thing, using it literally dozens of times a day, a useable unit had not yet materialized. By now I had waiting longer for a replacement Palm device than I'd had my original Palm IIIx before its screen cracked. I called Palm Computing again. Due to higher than normal call volumes, I was put on hold. More than 40 minutes later I decided to stop holding and call the number for Palm's accessory order service. Perhaps they could confirm the date the replacement was sent to me, the name of the shipper used, and a tracking number. No, they could not. "Chris" said that she had heard that Customer Care was having problems getting replacement units out, but she could not access Customer Care's shipping records for me.
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