Have you returned a Pre using the PALM Warranty?

[ozziegt]

Personally I cancelled my insurance. If you really want insurance it might be better to go with Squaretrade.

[durtpatch]

I bought my pre in December and I amd now on #4. First time my ouch screen, #2 when I updated it as it rebooted after it stuck on palm screen and #3 did the same thing when I updated to 1.4. Yes I did an EPR before I updated. I stayed at the sprint store and updated the new phone there bit sprint nav doesn't work. I am thinkning of a different phone if it happens again. I can't depend on this thing at all.

[durtpatch]

Ok and it desides to miss spell words like "and" and "touch". Sorry guys.

Originally Posted by durtpatch

I bought my pre in December and I amd now on #4. First time my ouch screen, #2 when I updated it as it rebooted after it stuck on palm screen and #3 did the same thing when I updated to 1.4. Yes I did an EPR before I updated. I stayed at the sprint store and updated the new phone there bit sprint nav doesn't work. I am thinkning of a different phone if it happens again. I can't depend on this thing at all.

[Weaser999]

Originally Posted by SportingLions

Seven? I dunno if I believe this. Either you're lying or you're really not the brightest crayon in the box to get the same phone seven times.

Lol!! Ditto.

[PapaNoHair]

I had to use my insurance. I dropped my Pre on a rock on concrete and it cracked the screen. I just paid the deductible and it was shipped overnight. It was not a refurb but a brand new one.

[Mattykinsx]

Palm really should do what other companies do. Charge you a deposit... send you out a replacement and then refund the deposit when they receive your replacement.

Advanced replacements should NOT cost money.

This is a phone, people need phones.

[akashhhhh]

Originally Posted by jaileer

I'm on my seventh - yes, SEVENTH - Pre. Every time i've taken it in to the Sprint store and they swap it out for a new one. I just got my seventh on Friday and it won't access Sprint Navigation, so it looks like I'll be on number eight this afternoon...

I can believe 7 phones have physical defects, but "won't access Sprint Navigation" sounds like a software thing that you could easily fix by doctoring. Are those the type of issues that you returned the other six for?

Obsessive-compulsive much....?

[sudoer]

I finally had the USB crack spread far enough into the screen to cause the digitizer to stop working. (It stopped "all at once" rather than gradually as non USB crack digitizer problems seem to act.) Sprint sort of "forced" me to use the Palm warranty (claiming a USB crack is "abuse"). I called Palm (from the Sprint store) Monday afternoon/evening and (thanks to other posts on P|C) I asked for an advance replacement and then I asked them to waive the fee (which was perfectly reasonable since this was due to a defect.) I feel a little sad having to give up my launch day Pre, but he, it worked for 9 of the 12 months of the warranty period!

Originally Posted by SISGO

but they charge you 30 for activation and a hold of 400 in your credit card until they receive the old one!

1. They said the fee was $39 (or $39.99, I forget which) before I got it waived.
2. The hold of $400 is still correct information.

Originally Posted by Darthtoad05

Palm shipped me a phone before I sent them mine. Brand new. No refurb.

Palm shipped me a refurb. (My guess is maybe the ship new ones if they don't happen to have any refurbs ready at the time your advance replacement order comes in.) My refurb looks pretty good (although I'm still thoroughly checking it out).

Yes, I pay the $7/month for insurance. I'm a little miffed that Sprint made me jump through so many hoops for what really is a design defect with the phone.

[dwdesign]

I am about to go through Palm's Advance Exchange. My Pre has hot spots and heat blobs on the screen and a partially functional headset jack (does not pass voice to the headset mic anymore). Hopefully this will be smooth exchange. In store Sprint service was extremely unhelpful (if there is any physical damage, like a key scratch, or even a known issue like USB area crack, Sprint marks it as physical damage/abuse could deny a warranty).

I've had my Pre since pre launch day (Sprint Premier Party), and have endured the defects until some other issues forced me to realize that this had serious quality control issues.

[mjbuf]

i got my pre off of ebay i believe it is a launch day pre and recently the oreo effect has gotten really bad idk if the person got it from sprint forsure i have no purchase info. would i be able to use the 1yr warranty still since EVERY PRE hasta be under 1 still ?

[cglaguna]

i have used palm advanced exchange, (never paid the $25 or $50 the asked for) several times with Treos without issue. Brought broken Pre (ran over it with power car seat, touchscreen stopped working) Pre into Sprint and they replaced in 1 day (with refurb) Both good options.

[grndslm]

Originally Posted by Mattykinsx

Palm really should do what other companies do. Charge you a deposit... send you out a replacement and then refund the deposit when they receive your replacement.

Advanced replacements should NOT cost money.

This is a phone, people need phones.

It doesn't cost money. You take it into Sprint and they replace it for you with a refurb phone, possibly a new phone if you're lucky. See here...

Support - Article

Originally Posted by mjbuf

i got my pre off of ebay i believe it is a launch day pre and recently the oreo effect has gotten really bad idk if the person got it from sprint forsure i have no purchase info. would i be able to use the 1yr warranty still since EVERY PRE hasta be under 1 still ?

In order for Sprint to honor the 1yr warranty, you have to be the first person to activate the device with Sprint. If they did not activate it (highly unlikely) and then sent it to you, Sprint won't be an option for you. Well... it doesn't hurt to try. Lemme know if that actually works... because I canceled my Sprint line and am going to re-open it in a few months, where I'll still be under my 1yr warranty period, but I'll be activating the same phone twice... so that's kinda a "grey area" deal, I'd assume. Perhaps you won't have any trouble at all. You'll never know if you don't try...

And there's always going straight to Palm with the warranty claim. Not such a big deal if you have a backup phone, like any reasonable person would have. A Palm Treo 755p or Centro cost about ~$50 on eBay.

[dwdesign]

In California, Palm will charge $29.99 plus tax (Shipping tax? Some states, including CA allow this for certain reasons/conditions.). I had to have the warranty handled through Palm as Sprint claimed physical damage by user because of a scratch on the screen (hairline stress crack a bottom). My issue was a defective (really) headset jack.

I just received mine from Palm. It is a refurbished unit that does not come with a battery. A few notes:
- The exterior screen looks new
- The keypad buttons look new
- The sharp edge at the bottom of the keyboard plastic has some minor superficial scrapes
- The mirrored inside back has a long scuff mark that looks like the slider mechanism rubbed against it
- The inside label under the battery is highly worn with some of the MEID numbers almost rubbed off (my Pre from June 5th looks new inside here)
- The bottom corner of above mentioned inside label is peeling away
- The battery compartment area is a very snug fit
- Viewed from the side, there is an uneven gap between the 2 halves. No oreo, but apparently that can be adjusted as my last phone had some oreo but was tightened up after I had Sprint replace the power button
- The USB door does not close all the way flush, it is uneven
- The USB port itself has a slighly different shape (the metal receptacle is different)

I'll update this with additional info if anything significant comes up. Just want people to be aware of what some refurbs could be like.

[sudoer]

dwdesign,
Great observations! (I hadn't thought to check the mirror for scratches. Sure enough, my refurb has "more scratches than a weeks worth of use".)

Originally Posted by dwdesign

In California, Palm will charge $29.99 plus tax (Shipping tax? Some states, including CA allow this for certain reasons/conditions.). I had to have the warranty handled through Palm as Sprint claimed physical damage by user because of a scratch on the screen (hairline stress crack a bottom). My issue was a defective (really) headset jack.

I guess the "fee" must vary by state then (or perhaps this is a "... plus all you can steal" incentive for Palm employees) I think you can ask to have the fee waived. (I did, but the manager "made me pay" by asking the same stupid questions (like "did you drop the phone?" and "explain the problem with the phone") all over again.)

Originally Posted by dwdesign

I'll update this with additional info if anything significant comes up. Just want people to be aware of what some refurbs could be like.

Good idea! Yours is "worse that I would expect". The scratches are expected but barely visible numbers and loose stickers seem (at least to me) like valid reasons to ask Palm for a "do over" (totally at their cost)!