Pleased with Sprint/Palm support of Pre

[ponyfool]

I bought four Pres on opening day, one for me, my business partner, wife and son.

While I am not too pleased with the build quality, I am very pleased with Sprint/Palm's actions to address said quality.

For example, over the last six months:

• My phone had dead pixel after 3 months. Phone replaced, no questions asked.
• Wife's phone microphone was so bad, people couldn't hear her. Tech said it was probably moisture damage, but, phone replaced free of charge.
• Son's phone power button stuck (probably due to lack of care on his part). Phone replaced no questions asked.
• Business partner's phone taken over by aliens or poltergeist in that it would do some of the freakiest things by not responding, or opening cards that weren't requested, etc. Phone replaced no questions asked.
• My phone had a cracked screen due to extreme cold weather. Phone replaced no questions asked (they didn't even ask if I dropped it, etc)
• Son bricked his phone where it couldn't even be doctored due to him screwing with it during other install processes where they specifically warn you not to disconnect it, etc. Phone replaced even though we told them what happened.

Now, like I said, I'm not too pleased with the build quality. But their support is unlike anything I have ever seen before. And no, we don't have insurance on any of the phones. Maybe, just maybe, Sprint/Palm are taking their cues from Microsoft from the early days. Hardware doesn't matter nearly as much as the software. If they stay focused on their strong suit, the software, and continue to provide unparalleled support for their hardware (and fix it in future versions), I will be one customer that will continue to stay with them.

In contrast, take an iPhone in with a cracked screen, and you're buying a new iPhone. Take an iPhone in with "potential moisture damage" and you're buying a new iPhone.

While I would love to see some of the features we've all been talking about, and would love to have Palm open up the SDK more, things are pretty damn good right now, and I think they are only going to get better.

Just my thoughts.

[glenada]

Where is this Sprint store located -- Heaven?

[ponyfool]

Originally Posted by glenada

Where is this Sprint store located -- Heaven?

Downtown Portland and the one on Hall Blvd in Tigard. Have had very good response from both locations.

[dandbj13]

Portland is an Apple town. Of course the Sprint store in that location is going to try to keep customers from a mass exodus to the store next door. I was a customer at that store before there was an iPhone, I assure you, they were crap.

Build quality comparisons to the iPhone are ridiculous. The iPhone is built like a tank. Dropping the phone does not usually crack the screen. It takes quite a beating before giving up the ghost. There is a reason you do not hear about people having to return or repair the hardware. There are not many ways to water damage the device other than dropping it in the toilet. A rainy day or moist air won't do it. Very few iPhone users have ever needed to replace a unit. Good luck finding Pre users who have had only one unit.

Enjoy the Pre and Sprint, but don't make these insane comparisons. The Pre is not in the same class.

[chud311]

is it a Sprint Sprint store or an independent?

[jp99]

Originally Posted by dandbj13

Good luck finding Pre users who have had only one unit.

Pretty gross over-generalization. Many of us on this board have only had one Pre. The two in my family are both original from the day of purchase, one from June and the second from early July.

[dandbj13]

Originally Posted by jp99

Pretty gross over-generalization. Many of us on this board have only had one Pre. The two in my family are both original from the day of purchase, one from June and the second from early July.

Take a look around on this board. You are the exception, not the rule. Even if half had to return their phone due to problems, that is still way too many. Look around on iPhone boards and try to find build quality complaints. They are the exception, not the rule.

[ponyfool]

danbj13, look around at the non-apple run boards, and you'll see just as many people *****ing and complaining about cracked screens and water damage. Granted, there are more customers, and you'll note that I did say I was disappointed with the build quality. There is no doubt it is not as sturdy as many other phones.

chud311, both stores are corporate stores, but I bought them all at an independent store. I couldn't get to the corporate store because it was the same day as the Rose Parade, and the downtown store is on the parade route. I wasn't about to fight that mess.

[Xyg]

I have had issues with my hardware, but my local Sprint corporate store has been great about taking care of it with little hassle to me. I'm honestly impressed with their customer service any time I need to interact with them.

[jp99]

Originally Posted by dandbj13

Take a look around on this board. You are the exception, not the rule. Even if half had to return their phone due to problems, that is still way too many. Look around on iPhone boards and try to find build quality complaints. They are the exception, not the rule.

A while back (a few months, IIRC) there was an entire thread dedicated to posts from Pre owners who were on their first Pre. Unfortunately, you can't search on this board for the word "first" as a word in the title ("too common" so it won't take it) or I'd post the link, but it was a long thread with many, many people posting.

I'd highly doubt it would be the rule on this board that you have had two or more Pre's (ie, replacements). As the original poster noted, the build quality isn't the best, but it's not a total failure either. Your statements still fall into the category of gross over-generalization. The OP posted a solid honest assessment.

[hparsons]

Originally Posted by dandbj13

Take a look around on this board. You are the exception, not the rule. Even if half had to return their phone due to problems, that is still way too many. Look around on iPhone boards and try to find build quality complaints. They are the exception, not the rule.

I couldn't disagree more. Taking care of the customer is not the exception. Reading posts on this board don't indicate the "rule". For one thing, usually folks only come to a forum like this if they're having trouble. Those are frequently repetitive posts from the same disgruntled users. The few customers that post about good experiences don't typically post multiple times about it. So, the tendency on this forum is to hear about the bad, not the good.

I also disagree about the Apple forums. Would you like examples?

[mrloserpunk]

Originally Posted by dandbj13

Portland is an Apple town. Of course the Sprint store in that location is going to try to keep customers from a mass exodus to the store next door. I was a customer at that store before there was an iPhone, I assure you, they were crap.

Build quality comparisons to the iPhone are ridiculous. The iPhone is built like a tank. Dropping the phone does not usually crack the screen. It takes quite a beating before giving up the ghost. There is a reason you do not hear about people having to return or repair the hardware. There are not many ways to water damage the device other than dropping it in the toilet. A rainy day or moist air won't do it. Very few iPhone users have ever needed to replace a unit. Good luck finding Pre users who have had only one unit.

Enjoy the Pre and Sprint, but don't make these insane comparisons. The Pre is not in the same class.

working for att in wireless sales (telesales) I've encountered plenty of people who have dropped and broken their iphones. Water damage and everything else under the sun. All the same stuff that happens to every cellphone. If you think any smart phone is indestructable your an idiot.

oh yeah with the iphone being so sturdy why is it that asurion won't insure it but they will my pre?

duh. Large screen=higher chance of cracked screen. Reguardless of the make or model...you lose 1 point for such a stupid generalization.

[Colonel Angus]

Originally Posted by hparsons

I couldn't disagree more. Taking care of the customer is not the exception. Reading posts on this board don't indicate the "rule". For one thing, usually folks only come to a forum like this if they're having trouble. Those are frequently repetitive posts from the same disgruntled users. The few customers that post about good experiences don't typically post multiple times about it. So, the tendency on this forum is to hear about the bad, not the good.

I also disagree about the Apple forums. Would you like examples?

I may be wrong but I would think there is a large percentage that come here to learn how to enhance the device. I do however agree that the majority are looking for a fix and could care less about tomorrow let alone yesterday.

[Tcub]

The Pre and Sprint work well for me. In fact the reason I have a Pre is because I dropped my iPhone! AT&T's support isn't great and Apple's is only good if you have an extended warranty..

As for warranties, paying $7 a month is a wonderful insurance policy on top of a one year warranty. I've gone through 4 Pre's with no questions asked.

[mrloserpunk]

Originally Posted by Colonel Angus

I may be wrong but I would think there is a large percentage that come here to learn how to enhance the device. I do however agree that the majority are looking for a fix and could care less about tomorrow let alone yesterday.

out of the 4 pre owners I've met, I'm the only one that uses precentral.net...idk why but the others just tend to email me or ask me their questions when they see me....not sure what that means, but all are aware o this site.

[curtissc]

My Pre, that I had owned since the first day they were available, started showing problems with the touch screen a couple of weeks ago. It was intermittent, but I knew how to demonstrate it. Took it in yesterday, and it was replaced with no questions.

[Shadavis08]

Originally Posted by dandbj13

Take a look around on this board. You are the exception, not the rule. Even if half had to return their phone due to problems, that is still way too many. Look around on iPhone boards and try to find build quality complaints. They are the exception, not the rule.

do you know what your talking about ? ive had the same phone since i got it lol

[bill.millett]

I have had one and only one pre, and it's still solid. No issues (that I didn't cause myself, and were easily fixed with software). I think the Pre is solid enough, but I do believe the original hardware had some issues, and getting refurbs might be one of the big reasons that people that are exchanging are seeing multiple trade ins. (Get a crappy phone back for the crappy one you turned in).

Maybe there are more Pres that break than iphones as a percentage. Maybe not. Extrapolating from this board or your group of friends or whatever does not make it real. My buddy with an iPhone has had it stop working at least twice in the last couple of weeks. Never happened with my Pre... So does that mean all Pres are better than all iPhones? No. It means just one Pre (mine) is (so far) less trouble than one iPhone (his).

All conclusions aside, it's nice to hear that Sprint has been good to you guys. Bell isn't as nice up here, but Palm was excellent to me when I had problems with my Touchsone, even though I had it bought in the US and shipped to Canada.

[abbdu4]

im still on my first pre june 20th.

[erikgolson]

I just got my 3rd Pre last Wednesday. I'm also on my second touchstone. Like everybody else here, I've had no problems exchanging phones and one of the Sprint employees even told me that the Pre was pushed out before it was ready and that is why they are having so many issues with the hardware.