Six days without my palm so far

[acolythe]

Six days ago I sent my palm to Palm on eto have the digitzer serviced. I was unable to access the lower icon strips on my T# when it was opened up. I am starting to have more serious withdrawal. I managed this long by using my wife's old 505. Now the need is getting stronger to write and read memo's to access the notes I carry in it for work to access the programs and calulators that make my life so much easier, read teh ebook that was only half finished ( Tears of the Girafee). I hae visited all my usual palm sites daily ( palm blvd, mike Rhodes site, brighthand, palmone city, pda 24-7, palm addict, palm loyal. If this carries on I may have to sign myself into a detox centre. Is there one for palm users?

[PalmTealLover]

Don't know what I'd do in your position; probably would NOT HAVE bought a 500 Series for "backup;" I'd have gone with a Tungsten E - but then all the connectors don't fit.

Good news it's 6 days closer including a weekend (don't know if you use it for work, or work weekends). In any case the "spare" ou bought you could probably get your $$$ out of, or use as a "beam clone" for address book, databases, etc.

When you get it back, if it's not pristine or has scratches you didn't put on it, hold til OS6 and keep THAT one for spare; you can still get $$$ for the 500.

Hope all is well soon.

[acolythe]

I thought about the Tungsten e as a spare. But... m500 has an 8 hour battery life and the spare will be for meetings and core aps. Games I can live without for a while. So m 500made most sense. Tungsten E will not connect to key board or power to go sled. I am hoping for pristine. Good points thlugh. You know the liklihood of palm releasing a bug free os 6 is very low. look at the T3 so far...

[Dropshort]

Chum,

With all the problems (most probably self inflicted...) I too have sent my PDA back to Palm ER.....had thought about doing the Advance repair, but went with the skin flint option instead. It's been gone since Friday afternoon, with orders to call me as soon as it gets there. And so begins my wait.........

Dropshort

[acolythe]

So drop shot
My condolences
My experience is they will not call you when it gets there. I tracked mine with fedex and I know it arrived the next day. So one week ago tomorrow it arrived. They said 5 working days for repair I am hoping to see my T3 near week's end. Stillno sign of the m500 I bought on Ebay. My wife is getting withdrawal becasue I have her 505. My wait seemsinterminable

[TweetyT3]

They will not call. Everyone that I talked to there had a speech everytime I called.

I must admit, I did get mine back faster than I anticipated. I sympathize with your withdrawal symptoms.

The best way to track these things is through the tracking #, no one else will tell you anything. Now that mine is back, I considered calling Palm to see what they did or what was wrong. I have a feeling though that they won't be able to tell me that much. Just be happy when it returns that it might work again.

[Dropshort]

Hang on let me get this right.....you get your PDA back but you don't get to know what was wrong in the first place? It would be great if they could just go so far as to say, software corruption or hardware malfunction. Great.

I know that the T3 got there yesterday as the tracking sheet actually told me the name of the the chap who signed for it (should I be concerned it was a Mr M Mouse?), but it's not showing up on the Palm site tracking system as of yet, but then again checking every hour probably isn't the best policy is it? A watched kettle and all that.

In the mean time I've reverted to my old m505, purely for address book and calendar. I now realise how good the T3 really is! Agendus has loaded onto the 505 but I find some of it very hard to read. Tried to point this out to the wife but I was merely told "you're not still trying to convince me are you", and "yes the T3 must be great, that's why you had to send it away"......no soul that woman. It's' also sobering to hit some of the various programmes which merely say "nice try sonny, doesn't work on this one does it?" ( I paraphrase).

Dropshort

[TweetyT3]

No, they never told me what the diagnosis was. At this point, I'm not sure that it matters so long as it is working.

I did the same thing I watched the pot every few hours. I got some satisfaction knowing that I had some inside info. I even went so far as to call every day. I actually got a little testy on the second day. I was under the miguided idea that a little intimidation would help my cause. (It didn't)

No, I would not say that M Mouse signing for my T3 would make me feel that comforted. Unless your wife is a "palm geek" like we are, she may never understand. My husband thinks that I have this strange crazy obsession. I always have my palm in hand when passing time. I not always playing games I might add... well, sometimes.

Tweety :rolleyes:

[Dropshort]

...I've just had a contact from Palm central saying that the T3 is on its way back..... should be with me in 3 working days. Living in Oklahoma and with the repair centre being in Texas may have something to do with it.

One thing that does concern me is that the e-mail does say "You should be receiving your replacement Palm handheld within the next three business days via Airborne Express". Now I realise that I should not complain especially as it would appear I'm going to get my T3 back quicker (almost ) than the $40 Advance Repair option, but I sent the original PDA back, and was hoping that the same would come back....we'll wait and see (and I did make sure that I kept the original serial number).

Dropshort

[TweetyT3]

From the sounds of what your wrote, it seems that you might be getting a replacement. Don't know if that matters unless the case is banged up. Look at it when it comes back.

Check Airborne, I was able to follow when it arrived at the postal annex. I was able to see when the attempted delivery was made. Since no one was home to sign for it, I called and requested a second attempt that same day. I work a few miles from home and was going to go home to wait for it. As a coincidence, I saw a DHL delivery truck pulling into a sandwich shop near home. I followed it and found that it was the truck that had my palm, he gave it to me and I went back to work happy. You might be able to pin down exactly when it will arrive.

Good Luck, Let me know how everything turns out.

TT3

[Dropshort]

Felt really bad on letting folks know how soon I (apparently) am having success. The whole idea about sending back the T3 to get it fixed was that I got my machine back....I had a screen protector on it from boxwave which was working just fine, and whilst I shouldn't be ungrateful, I'll be a little 'miffed' if I get a battered case back! We'll see by 3pm tommorrow which is when it is suppossed to be arriving.

Dropshort

[Dropshort]

Well my T3 is back and looking at the serial number, it is mine after all! Not to rub it in to those of you who have waited an interminable time, but sent Priority Post, and getting it back by 2pm the following Thursday, has to be pretty good for anyone's money. Add to that, it was just the regular return option and not the Advance Return. As I type it's back safe in it's cradle next to the PC merrily charging up. The paperwork which came back with it said to charge it up for a minimum of 4 hours (ahhh the agony!), so I'll be a good lad and do as it says. As others have said, there is absolutely no paperwork to say what was wrong. But the buggers have gone and taken off my screen protector, damn them!

Anyone any idea why they would need to do that? And in addition, is the totally drained battery a clue to what they may have done?

Thoughts?

Dropshort

[SoS]

have they replaced the battery?? oooohhh the very idea!

[Dropshort]

......if that's all they've done, then I'm going to be back to square one......oh grief now you've started the doubts! I know I shouldn't have but I just switched it on to see if I was back to factory state....answer no.

Kinoma, Docs 2 Go, Real Player etc, etc are still there. I had hoped that having realised that they weren't what I wanted I could just leave them off this time. Kind of confuses me....the errors, the freezing up of the T3 were certainly not down to the battery, well IMHO anyway.....I'll give it a bit longer then load up the software again. Fingers crossed. So far, as far as I can see they've taken off my screen protector and drained the battery!

Dropshort

[Dropshort]

...came down this morning, pda ON in cradle (wasn't when I went to bed).....have tried about 8 times now to reset, again can't get past the opening PALM POWERED big icon screen.....can't even do a hard/soft/limp/pathetic reset.....

Can anyone recommend other resets other than the pen in back with power button pressed type resets? Something in the back of my memory remembers a posting concerningf a reset in the cradle....

...I can't seriously be sending it back again surely ("and don't call me Shirley")

Dropshort

[TweetyT3]

Hey,

I can't believe that they would send that palm back to you this way. You need to contact them and find out what they did to it. Why won't you do a hard reset? You wanted to wipe out some programs anyways. Add programs back one by one and see if you can figure out what is bugging your machine.

I'm surprised that they took off the screensaverl, they had no need to.

I wonder if they understood why you sent it to them in the first place.

I'd call them and ask for a supervisor type or above.

TT3

[Dropshort]

I've got in touch with PalmOne and when I eventually got through, I've ended up now doing the Advance Return Option. I am also sending a letter to PalmOne to express my disgust. Unfortunately I got into something of a 'barney' with the guy on the other end of the line, so didn't get any further than him, and couldn't afford the time to hang up and try to get someone else (it took me 30mins to get through...boy am I looking forward to the customer satisfaction survey.....)

I tried to get through to the guy above but no joy and I kept getting sent around the houses, so have cut my losses and gone for the AR option. At least that means that I get a different model, with no problems (ha, in my dreams....); dents I'll live with just give me a macjine that works!

I thought that with the speed it came back that all they did was recharge the battery click a few screens, say can't see what the problem was, remove the screen protector, and send it back. I don't honestly think that in the time it was with them that it could have been sorted out properly. My main worry was if I send back this one yet again, same thing will happen and I'll be getting pi**ed off again and sending it back AGAIN, and I can't afford to do that.

In answer to your question Tweety, I couldn't even get back to the hard reset point, to try to reload one by one. Yesterday, when I loaded my programmes on I avoided old programmes, like WorldMate and Keyboard, which some had advised may have been at the root of the problem, and did it very systematically. All was well when I went to bed....... This morning it was forzen on the Agendus Today page and that's when I started having the 'fun'. Neither a soft nor hard reset would get me past the Palm Powered logo, until about the 8+ attempt when I finally got through to the hard reset. The I got the digitizer test with the "classic' input screen at the bottom of the screen and nothing above it....then after a soft reset it returned to the digitizer which this time wouldn't respond....then a hard reset returned to sticking on the Palm logo.....(anyone bored yet?!). Another hard reset, worked fine for 15mins then froze again...that's when the guys I work with started looking for cover, and I started running up my phone bill, after trying the PalmOne site to see if there was anything in the FAQs that hadn't been there before (i don't know, something like "What to do if your T3 takes offence that your a Brit and freezes on you").

I would like to have dug my heels in over this one (can't believe that Iambic and now Palm have stung me twice in 72 hours), but I really need the damn machine back. I have all the data back home but that's not much good when I need it here.

The replacement one should be with me on Monday/Tuesday but I'm not holding my breath.

Have a great Friday,

Dropshort:mad:

[TweetyT3]

Oh, Man!!

I am so glad that you weren't face to face with those palm folks. You should make them repay the advance repair cost. There is no reason that you should have to pay again.

Oh, I am so mad at this company for having done this!!!!

I know that at some point I may very well have to return mine again too. They have some racket going here!

You should not have to be without yours again over the weekend.

Sorry that you have to go through this, I sympathize with you.

TT3

[Dropshort]

I've sent a letter to them, not that I'm expecting too much back after all, I'm a drop in the ocean aren't I? Fully expecting the standard "sorry for the problems....standard procedure.....won't happen again" etc etc.

Just massively disappointed in Palm support (although you just have to trawl the sites here to see that's no surprise). Like I say, I could have sent back the original machine to see if they could sort it out, but I'm paranoid that the same would happen again, and I don't think that they would take back a T3 that had recently "bounced" off the wall.

It didn't really help that I couldn't really understand the chap in the customer department, but I'm not a big believer in shooting the messanger. The folks that man the lines just do what they can whilst fielding the flak, whilst often being only allowed to follow the steps that come up on the screen as they talk to you. After someone like me who had been obviously angry over service, would you ask whether I'd mind if I were sent a customer service survey if they weren't following a script? Does anyone know where the Palm support work out of? I don't think that from the accents of the three folks I've spoken to that it's in the US, but I could be wrong, but that shouldn't make any difference for a multinational company

Thank goodness it's POETS (Pi** Off Early, Tommorrow's Saturday) Day............

Dropshort

[TweetyT3]

Someone told me that when you make those service calls, they bounce out of the country to India for example, where I think that Palm is based out of.

Dell computers does the same thing which is why their service is just as bad. Unfortunately, we just bought a Dell notebook for my son for college. I did however buy an extended service plan for him. Hopefully we won't need to use it.

Tweety

[acolythe]

Wow
horror story
I purchased a palm m 500 and even thjough it came without a leather flip cover, I like it. I now have it set up with programs I need and very few games. it is faster than my wife's m 515 and its battery lasts a prodigious time. BUT my Tungsten t3 is nowhere to be seen. Palm promised repairs by the end of 5 business days, which would have been three days ago. I was hoping they'd have it back to me since Fedex took less than 24 hours to get it from me to them. No joy yet. We'll see if its fixed. As suggested above I'd do the hard reset and seeif that solves your proble. What you may have remembered is to reset the device while in the crade in order to reset the battery chargering circuit's memory so that it will fully recharge. I do not think this will help in your circumstances.
Barry
we are a sorry lot are we not?
I am learning to appreciate the simplicity of the palm m 500, its slim line and light weight. That was the Zen maybe i should sell my T3 and buy a game boy? or a zodiac?
or nothing and just enjoy the m 500

[fnagle]

Just a note on Palm Support Location. They probably have more than one, but when I was last in the US with a problem (Feb), my call was handled out of the Philippines. I just asked the person on the line where they were located and what the weather was like! Then again, I wasn't having the same type of problem and was probably in a little better mood! Good luck with your replacement.

fnagle

[acolythe]

Today makes 2 weeks. Not a peep from plam. However I am liking my m 500 better and better. Small fast and long battery life. Poor for games great for the core aps. Maybe I should have not been seduced by the new and shiny T3?

[Dropshort]

Repalacement T3 now here, charged up and working fine. Thanks to those who've PM'd me to ask how it was going, really appreciated. And I would add that if there is anyone in any doubt after browsing these pages, I for one nominate PalmTealLover for services and patience well beyond the call of duty.

Dropshort

[acolythe]

good for you
No sign of mine yet
I tried to track my repair order on website but cannot seem to get it to work formo Canada. Tried the global support page but canot find the right link I emailed palm for help and on two occasions I got back a gibberish letter that was in HTML commands
sheesh
I guess I need to be patient. Today is 19 days without my T3. Was supposed to be repaired in 5 working days. They received it the day after I fedex'd it whcih nmeans they have had it for 17 full days... not all working days however. Still, I expected it back this time last week.

[TweetyT3]

Where in the world did you send it to? I would be screaming at them by now! Let them have it!!!

[acolythe]

Well today makes three weeks. Sent the palm to Marham Ontario the Canadian palm repair place. I know it arrived the next day. I am going to call palm support tomorrow and try to find out what is up. They are threatening to charge 40 dollars for the support call. The m 500 has been a good interim organiser. But I picked up my wife's 505 yesterdaya nd the color screen looked so good....

[acolythe]

On Monday I called palm technical support canada ready to bite off a head if asked to pay $40.00. Fortunately i was not. After lots of questions on the rep's part and a new incident number it becasme clear that they did not know what was up with mu t3. So I was told to call back today. Today I was told there had been a problem in shipping and that it would be off to me in 5 or 6 business days. Originally i was told from their receipt that It would be sent back in 5 business days. I wonder if this means they have not looked at it yet. I have learned to love the m 500 and now have itr customized to my liking. I bought a copy of the jot/word complete bundle for os 3.5 and up. I found it cheap at Future Shop online. Now my palm m 500 has write on screen capability too. Neat. And word complete is occasionally helpful. But I miss my T3. Its liek a ferrari and an old pickup truck.

[TweetyT3]

I can't believe that this has gone on for so long. Wasn't their original promise for them to have the unit back to you in 5 to 7 business days upon their receipt of the unit? Didn't they have anything to say about that? They should throw in something else for your trouble. Over 4 weeks is inexcuseable. Did you try to speak to anyone higher up the ladder? I would want to by now. My regrets that you have to deal with this. Palm service is very frustrating. Good luck.

TT3

[acolythe]

I had a PM from another Canadian user. He advised me that he ahd had a tungsten E sent to markham Ontario adn when it was returned to him repaired it was a t3 which he sent back to them. I wonder if the problem in shipping that the tech rep mentioned was that they had sent my T3 to him?
b Starting to go through major withdrawal and the m 500 is not helping as much as it did. Esp with adventures in infinite space having been just released.
b

[acolythe]

Its wed and still no T3. AStrawares discount on Strange adventures in Infinite space ends Friday? Should I buy it without trying it on my T3? Oh the difficult decisons. The m 500 does not do it for me anymore... I want my T3 back.

[acolythe]

I bought from Astraware, strange adventures in Infinite space becasue the sale ends today. But I have no T3 to try it on. UGH

[acolythe]

I called Palm Wed ( 2 days ago) and told them that I still did not see my palm after three weeks. I was told it had been shipped by Puroloator and that they would send me an email when they knew ETA. Today is Friday. When I got home toady A box was waiting for me. My Palm! Or was it? The slider was much looser than mune. I checked the serial number. Different. I wonder if they sent a refurbished T3? I wil have to call again Monday. Did they lose mine, could they not fix it? You'd think it would not take 8 weesk to decide it could not be fixed?
And so the saga goes. I am anxiously giving it the three hour charge and will see if it works now.Of course I will need yet another number from Agendus and the other progtrams that use the device nimber. What a pain. They will think I am stealing their programs, I suppose. Should I accept the ( if it is)_ refurbished model? Do new ones have easy open sliders or does this indicate its been used? So far I am suinularly unimpressed with Palm. Anyone know who I can complain or write to? Like the CEo for instance?