Refurbished Pre arrived damaged.

[GLAzedFAith]

I just got my pre replaced under warranty from sprint because it was freezing up and the camera app was causing some crazy stuff to happen.

Previous problems notwithstanding, the replacement arrived with a tiny scratch on the bottom left corner of the front panel. I thought very little of it as it was clearly marked as a refurb, so I just assumed that a few minor imperfections were normal. Otherwise, I had no problems.

Well, after two days of use, I pulled it out of my shirt pocket, where it has been alone, in a loose pocket, with no keys or other potentially damaging objects accompanying it for two days. The "scratch" has expanded from the edge across the microphone hole and is now officially a crack in the front of my pre. That was 2 hours ago.

Just now checking it again the crack has "spidered" out and joined up with the center hole where the useless silver button is. What is my recourse? I've emailed sprint about the defective device they shipped me, but I'm certain they'll only say that if there was a problem with it I shouldn't have activated it and they will assume I've just dropped it, or something similar. I can't afford to pay a 100$ deductible to get my "warranted replacement" replaced... HALP!

[GLAzedFAith]

o noes...now I'm afraid to use it...i would swear it has gotten even worse in the past few minutes texting...

This phone is like an egg...extremely solid unless it has the slightest flaw...then the whole thing just falls apart...when will the cracking stop? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! And why hasn't anybody responded?! Anybody else had this issue?

[maryinredding]

I have heard on this forum and other forums that you will get a better response if you call Palm. After all, they are the ones who refurbished it and it is still their problem, at least for the first year.

[GLAzedFAith]

Thanks for the response. I may try that monday if I don't get any other suggestions. I've already emailed sprint about it. We'll see where that goes.

EDIT: Here's a question...I'm on palm's website and everything they have points back to sprint...they offer "phone support" for 14.95, ***? and "out of warranty repair" for $199...how the hell is that even an option less than a year from launch? How do I actually reach someone useful at palm? I know somebody here has that answer. Thanks in advance.

[hparsons]

Originally Posted by GLAzedFAith

I just got my pre replaced under warranty from sprint because it was freezing up and the camera app was causing some crazy stuff to happen.
...

Originally Posted by GLAzedFAith

...
EDIT: Here's a question...I'm on palm's website and everything they have points back to sprint...they offer "phone support" for 14.95, ***? and "out of warranty repair" for $199...how the hell is that even an option less than a year from launch? How do I actually reach someone useful at palm? I know somebody here has that answer. Thanks in advance.

It's the option because that's what Palm has always offered after a unit is out of warranty (this isn't their first smartphone). It's their standard bit of information.

You didn't buy it from Palm, you bought it from Sprint. They are who you need to deal with, at least at first.

I'd suggest that when you talk to Sprint, you calmly explain to them the situation. Chances are, your guess is probably right; however, if you go ballistic on them, then it will almost certainly be right. You'll get no where with an attitude.

For future reference, refurb units are not "used, repackaged, and sent out". They're refurbished. The plastic cases are replaced, and most moving parts are (typically) replaced as well. A refurb should look like a brand new out of the box unit.

[GLAzedFAith]

Thanks for the response. It was very late, I was very tired, and I was getting more and more angry with the situation. Of course they have other handsets that they'd repair. I'm going through the "proper channels" with sprint...we'll see what happens. I've never had a problem with refurbs before, as I have dealt with many in different types of products, and this won't dissuade me from future refurbs, but armed with this new knowledge, I won't be hit with another broken one, that's for sure.

[GLAzedFAith]

Just got off the phone with Sprint. They apologized very sincerely, and even acknowledged that the unit was delivered damage; hooray. They also acknowledged that they could send me another one! Huzzah. The problem here is that they ALSO acknowledged that once the phone was received by the warehouse that they would see that it was damaged and charge me to replace the phone... Wait, what? My other option is to go through the insurance company and have them replace the device, charging my empty-because-i-just-payed-bills checking account $100, and then sprint will credit my SPRINT account for the $100. I can't buy groceries with "Sprint Bux". I also don't think that it's legal for me to file an insurance claim on a device that was defective upon receipt. What do I do now? If I keep using the damned thing, I just know the damage is going to get worse.

EDIT: Oh yeah, they also gave me the "option" of going to a Sprint store, Corporate was strongly recommended, and to see if they would replace the device. If is some pretty shaky language, especially considering the nearest Corporate store is an hour away. "Now I can't guarantee they will replace it, but if they do, then they'll at least be able to tell you whether or not you'll be charged for it." WHAT? If they did replace it, they would have to order a replacement unit which would mean I would have to make that trip TWICE. That's 4 hours round trip.

[Levi4u]

Palm Pre Screen Cracked - webOS Hardware - Palm Support Community

407-531-4496 Call Palm, They will replace it!

[edlex]

That's a good lesson for all of us. If you get a defective replacement alert them immediately. Do not wait until it gets worse because then it's deemed your responsibility. Do not accept anything that you won't take responsibility for later.

[GLAzedFAith]

Originally Posted by Levi4u

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Palm Pre Screen Cracked - webOS Hardware - Palm Support Community

407-531-4496 Call Palm, They will replace it!

Spoke with another rep via the web-chat option and got the same rigamarole, although everyone I have spoken with has been extremely helpful and seemed to understand my problem, but the people they are talking to apparently already have a script made up for this. What I don't understand is why they are willing to suggest I file an insurance claim for a phone that was received faulty, and then just reimburse me for the 100$...no WONDER the price has gone up on insurance deductibles, if this is how they take care of their problems. I asked the rep, just on the offchance that I did request a new phone, and they noted it was received damaged, and shipped it back to the warehouse, how much I would be charged for the damaged pre..."the full price of the Pre, $549.99"

From their website:

21. Why did I receive a non-returned phone charge of $50, $100 or $200 on my Sprint Account?

If you received a charge of $50, $100, or $200 on your Sprint account, it is most likely for failure to return your defective, non-working phone within 15 days. This resulted in your Sprint Account being charged one of these non-refundable charges as agreed at the time of your order. If you have additional questions please contact Sprint Customer Care.

22. Why did I receive a $125 charge on my Sprint Account for a "damaged beyond repair" phone?

If you received a charge of $125 to your Sprint account, we have received your return phone and found it to be damaged beyond repair. Damaged beyond repair could include but is not limited to: the phone showing signs of liquid damage or corrosion on the internal pieces of the phone, the phone itself is in more than one piece, or will not power on. These fees are non-refundable. If you have additional questions, please contact Sprint Customer Care.

So what they are saying is that if I "accidentally forget to return the device, or if I damage it beyond repair, they will charge me less than if I leave it in the same, slightly damaged condition it was shipped to me in? SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE... I can't fathom these people's logic. I guess I'm going to just call Palm, and see if they have more concern for the End User. Thanks everyone for your advice.

P.S. not sure if i've used the web since i got this phone, but it won't start, and when I try to Orange + tap the Web icon, it starts to load the little info box, then it locks up the launcher and I have to reset...I've tried a partial erase already...

[GLAzedFAith]

I posted more of the story...not sure why my post has to be reviewed by a moderator first...do I seem like the kind to post profanity and vulgarity? Yeah I guess I do, but I don't, i didn't, and I won't.

EDIT: There it is. Thanks, Mod

[GLAzedFAith]

Calling palm in the morning, after i call sprint to reset the network blah blah so I can reactivate the damn thing. Hopefully palm will resolve my issues.

[ivhs72]

Originally Posted by edlex

That's a good lesson for all of us. If you get a defective replacement alert them immediately. Do not wait until it gets worse because then it's deemed your responsibility. Do not accept anything that you won't take responsibility for later.

Initially it was so small he thought it was a scratch, not a crack. Only after it became worse did he notice it was a crack. Personally, I would have complained if it was scratched. Refurbeds should look just like new.

[ivhs72]

My experience with Sprint and returned phones is that they will charge you when the ship a replacement phone to you, but when they receive the defective phone back, they also credit you the amount they charged. This is to ensure that the defective phone is returned in a timely manner and not kept by you.

Originally Posted by GLAzedFAith

Just got off the phone with Sprint. They apologized very sincerely, and even acknowledged that the unit was delivered damage; hooray. They also acknowledged that they could send me another one! Huzzah. The problem here is that they ALSO acknowledged that once the phone was received by the warehouse that they would see that it was damaged and charge me to replace the phone... Wait, what? My other option is to go through the insurance company and have them replace the device, charging my empty-because-i-just-payed-bills checking account $100, and then sprint will credit my SPRINT account for the $100. I can't buy groceries with "Sprint Bux". I also don't think that it's legal for me to file an insurance claim on a device that was defective upon receipt. What do I do now? If I keep using the damned thing, I just know the damage is going to get worse.

EDIT: Oh yeah, they also gave me the "option" of going to a Sprint store, Corporate was strongly recommended, and to see if they would replace the device. If is some pretty shaky language, especially considering the nearest Corporate store is an hour away. "Now I can't guarantee they will replace it, but if they do, then they'll at least be able to tell you whether or not you'll be charged for it." WHAT? If they did replace it, they would have to order a replacement unit which would mean I would have to make that trip TWICE. That's 4 hours round trip.

[edlex]

Originally Posted by ivhs72

Initially it was so small he thought it was a scratch, not a crack. Only after it became worse did he notice it was a crack. Personally, I would have complained if it was scratched. Refurbeds should look just like new.

Any flaw should be reported and recorded even if you choose to keep the phone. That way if you call back because it got worse they have notes that said the phone had the issue from the beginning. I agree with you, refurb should look and work better than out of box since it has had more attention to detail IMHO.

[halcyoncmdr]

Refurbs should have an entirely new case on them. Only the circuitry is going to be reused, since that is the most expensive part of the phone. Plastic is cheap, electronics are not. So they are going to use whatever circuitry they can again and just replace the casing. If it was scratched at the beginning you should have called in to have it notated, or taken it into a store, but that's the past.

My best recommendation, cracks are considered physical damage so if the store if going to make you pay the deductible (as the policy would have them do), I would call Palm and go through them since they are the only ones who are refurbishing the devices at the moment.

[sixersman111]

Originally Posted by GLAzedFAith

I just got my pre replaced under warranty from sprint because it was freezing up and the camera app was causing some crazy stuff to happen.

Previous problems notwithstanding, the replacement arrived with a tiny scratch on the bottom left corner of the front panel. I thought very little of it as it was clearly marked as a refurb, so I just assumed that a few minor imperfections were normal. Otherwise, I had no problems.

Well, after two days of use, I pulled it out of my shirt pocket, where it has been alone, in a loose pocket, with no keys or other potentially damaging objects accompanying it for two days. The "scratch" has expanded from the edge across the microphone hole and is now officially a crack in the front of my pre. That was 2 hours ago.

Just now checking it again the crack has "spidered" out and joined up with the center hole where the useless silver button is. What is my recourse? I've emailed sprint about the defective device they shipped me, but I'm certain they'll only say that if there was a problem with it I shouldn't have activated it and they will assume I've just dropped it, or something similar. I can't afford to pay a 100$ deductible to get my "warranted replacement" replaced... HALP!

my dude call palm. They will fix everything for you for free.

[miles4000]

I on my 3rd Pre and its the first refurb and I think in my case its so far the best one. Prefect screen, no loose battery resets, no turning screen. I went through Palm to get a ticket and then went to Sprint repair Center so they could order me my replacement.

[Clack]

Originally Posted by GLAzedFAith

o noes...now I'm afraid to use it...i would swear it has gotten even worse in the past few minutes texting...

This phone is like an egg...extremely solid unless it has the slightest flaw...then the whole thing just falls apart...when will the cracking stop? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! And why hasn't anybody responded?! Anybody else had this issue?

I am curious: do you use the Touch Stone to charge you phone?

[GLAzedFAith]

No, I haven't gotten the touchstone yet. If I can get this device replaced, I hope to have one next payday...otherwise I'm going to have to file an insurance claim and it'll take a full billing cycle to recoup the "credit" from my sprint bills. Didn't get a chance to call palm. Forgot my phone was my alarm (doh!) and i was up until 4 AM trying to get the thing restored and login to my palm profile unsuccessfully so I overslept and barely had enough time to call sprint to get my msl and reset the ##RTN# stuff. Tomorrow could be the day.