Handspring Having Troubles Delivering Visors

Mad Browser noted that Handspring is having troubles. Massive hold times, downed computers, people getting charged multiple times for their orders. Its either a sloppy system, or a lot of demand.

Dissapointment

[CvD]

When the Visor was first mentioned here, I went straight to their site and began configuring an Visor that I'd like. But, things moved like molasses... I decide to try again later. I come back a couple days later, and the cool configuration process is gone, with only an option to leave behind an email address. It's too bad, but, I'm not deterred yet. I'm hoping I'll be able to order one from Amazon or so. Gotta have one!

Looks like a bit of both ...

[HalJohnson]

Chances are the problems they're having is a combonation of unexpected demand and lack of focus in regards to their fulfillment procedures.

I personally expect this type of thing in the age of product rush. Hopefully, the time they didn't put into the fulfillment, they invested in the product itself, which I would find admirable.

I don't think it makes a bit of difference to most educated consumers (the kind I hope slashdot is dominated by ), since we tend to select products intelligently. I know its a rare day that I'll pluck down my cash for the newest gadget (although this is sometimes frustrating), instead waiting for usage reviews and bugs to be worked out (not to mention the price drop that eventually comes after they've milked all the impulse buyers).

All in all, these problems wouldn't disuade me from purchasing one, especially if it's as good as it looks, which the recon (impulse buyers) will alert us to.

Delivery Problems, too

[Mike Buddha]

A friend of mine who ordered a Visor at the beginning of last month, when they first came available, recieved the cradle in the mail today. No Visor, mind you, just the cradle. Hmm. I think they'd be wise to get they's shit together before they lose a lot of loyalty from they's customers.

handspring woes from temp staff

[nevroe]

Last weekend, I was on hold trying to get some information on the status of my visor, ordered 9/28. I talked to a very nice CSR, but she spent an hour on the phone trying to find my order. Apparently, they have like 10 different databases, just they haven't merged them yet So, to try to find my order she would have to search through each one with my name, etc, and was unsuccessful for like the 5 or 6 different times she did it with me on the phone. So, it was the case of the missing order, which I've heard other people have.

Apparently, the CSR company is up in Canada, and have a slew of temp's who keep screwing things up for them, messing with the databases, etc. Just seems like they weren't ready for this, and are under a lot of stress.

Anyways, back to my situation, she eventually found it and left a message on my voice mail a day later; who knows where it disappeared to. But hopefully I'll have my blue visor dlx in just about 2 weeks.

I got mine

[LrdHghFxr]

Ordered it Sep 17th, and it arrived Oct 22.

Visor

[Anonymous Coward]

I sometimes wonder if stories like this are fabricated and paid for by the competition. I and 2 other friends orderd and received our units in under 2 weeks. Just got mine on Thrusday. I waited on hold for about 10 minutes to order. Seems pretty reasonable for a new product introduction...

Re:Looks like a bit of both ...

[marcwiz]

I tried the 888 number on Thursday and Friday. After waiting on hold for an hour I hung up. I then called the customer care number (not the tech support number) on my own nickel and was able to speak to someone right away. I had my order confirmed (I had done a phone order on 9/28) and was told my Visor would ship within 10 - 15 days. They did have the correct information. Marc

Got mine

[Jade]

My Visor just arrived this morning. I called last week and waited on hold about 10 minutes. The CSR couldn't find my order, so she said she'd call me back with the info rather than make me wait (we were on the phone about 10 minutes).
She called back about 10 minutes later, to let me know it should be arriving next week (now this week)....sure enough it arrived this morning.

If you go to Handspring's web site, there is a message from their president apologizing for the problems and saying the demand was unexpected. My guess is they didn't plan for so many people to order one before they could even see it in person.

It looks like they're trying their best to fix things as fast as possible. For example, the day the web store went up, it was so swamped you couldn't get through. So they took it down, which is better than companies that would just leave up a crappy e-commerce site rather then try to fix it.

Btw, I order a Deluxe, in ice. Do the cradles all match what color you purchased? Mine is clear, so I'm wondering if they match them to the Visor.

Re:Reason for downtime:

[Obfus]

You got that [netcraft.com] right!

On November 6, I placed an order on Handspring's web site, specifying "Express Shipping". Just called to check the status of my order, and I was told that they couldn't give me a status because "the web site is still down". The Handspring representative implied that if I had placed my order on the phone, as opposed to online, they might have been able to give me a status. ( "You'll have to wait till the web site comes up. Then we'll be able to give you a status." )

Hmmm......sounds suspiciously like NT [netcraft.com] went down, taking all online order data with it.
But then, We're all biased here. ;)

Re:Got mine (cradles)

[nevroe]

The cradles only come in the graphite and ice colors. You get an ice cradle if you ordered a "cute"tech visor, ice, blue ...

Why Palm's not afraid...

[homunq]

Visor is a small company with a lot of talent. Palm is about 10 times the size and, although it's been bleeding talent because it's been shackled to 3Com, still has some pretty good engineers. I think the Visor is an excellent product; but the Palm V is the hottest-selling palm out there, and the springboard module means Handspring won't have a small procuct like this for a long while.

The handheld market is a HUGE and growing one, and there's currently room for 4-5 different products to be runaway successes. Handspring is being bowled over by just one such success. The good news is, with Palm's aggressive licensing strategy, the whole market is moving to PalmOS, and they won't pull an Apple.

another problem: Handspring violating GPL

[peterw]

There's another problem that I thought Slashdot would care more about. Last week, Handspring released their "PalmOS GNU Tools" [handspring.com] Spftware Development Kit, which, by the admission of their own included documentation, is based on GNU's gcc tools. The problem is that Handspring is in violation of GPL [fsf.org] Section 3, insofar as they have not made the required offer to make the source for their "GNU Tools" available. (Their documentation says that "The source code to the GNU tools is freely available on the Internet under terms of the GNU General Public License as are all derivatives based on the GNU source code, including the [PalmOS GNU Tools]." but does not give any indication where.)

Handspring is not responding to emailed questions about the problem. Word on usenet [sys.palmtops.pilot] is that they plan to release the source, but not now, and maybe not for the current version. Of course GPL Sections 5 and 7 clearly state that you can't distribute derivative works unless you're prepared to offer source at the same time.

-Peter, no longer so enthusiastic about Handspring

Tell us more!

[LinuxGeek]

Can you compare it to a palm? Is it faster, does it run all your other palm apps? Did you get the blue one? :) In general, what are your impressions of the quality, workmanship, etc...?

Can you think of any more annoying questions I could ask?

Thanks

Order number please?

[Falrick]

Ok, I'm not going to pretend that I am a database expert by any means. However, an order number would be a good start on anything. This is sort of how my last (third) phone conversation went. A little history:

Oct 15, 10:00 P.M. CST

I called to place my order for a Handspring Visor Delux. I was originally going to order the Visor Delux along with a Flash backup module. At about 10:30, I was greated by a real living human being. I was impressed that there was anyone there, so I didn't mind the 30 minute wait. After talking with the order department for about 10 minutes, I decided to go with just the Visor Delux (kudos go to the phone support guy. He knew a great deal about what he was talking about and was able to communicate it to me.) So the order process has begun (around 10:40). He asked what my Credit card number was. I told him. After that he asked if I could hold for just one moment. I said sure, why not. I'd been waiting for 30 minutes by now, so who cares? After 2 minutes on hold, the recorded opperator came on and told me that the number I had dialed was not in service. "The number that I dialed?" I though. I didn't dial any number. The phone clicked off and I went back to a dial tone. This made me very very nervous. They had my Credit Card number, but not my address!

Oct 15, 10:50 P.M. CST

I called back to finish my order. Around 11:20, I reached who was quite possibly the worlds most disgruntaled order operator in the world. His name was Troy. He asked what he could do for me, and I explained that I had been cut off during the taking of my order. He asked if I remembered the name of the operator that was taking my order before, which I didn't (unfortunately). So he got angry with me and told me that I had to wait on hold for a minute. Because this is where things went awry before, I asked for his name and his extension and if there was any other number to reach him asside from the 888 number. He told me his name and then informed that there was no other way to reach him and I just had to wait like everybody else. He clicked me over to hold, where I waited nervously for about 5 minutes before he came back. He said that he had found the form that was in the process of being filled out (he had to find the guy that I was ordering from before and get my information from him. He couldn't look it up himself) and asked the rest of my information. Several times he told me that he wanted to get out of there and go home. Great. My order was taken at 11:28 P.M. CST (I wrote it down).

Oct 20, 11:00 P.M. CST

I called to verify that my order was in the system. After a new record 1 hour and 30 minutes on hold, I talked to a living person that told me the only way to look up my order was by my name. I asked if there was an order number assigned to me and if I could have it. He said that no, there wasn't. After 5 minutes of querying the database, he told me that he couldn't find me which meant that the order department probably hadn't entered me into the database yet. I said, "You mean that you don't enter me into the system?" He told me that no, their system is being rebuilt (or reorganized, or something along those lines) because it couldn't handle the volume of sales that they had experienced. I asked how many handsprings had been ordered. He guessed around 10,000. Rob, how many users do you have in the slashdot database? I'm guessing over 10,000. What are they using? Access?

Oct 22, 5:45 P.M. CST

I called again to check on the status of my visor. This time, I was on hold untill 7:15 before I gave up. I hadn't even clicked on to their second holding system (yes, they have two hold systems.) If you get a recorded man saying that they are experiencing an "unusual volume of calls" (If they are always having an unusually high volume of calls, then it ceases to be unusual, right?), then that is hold system number 1. Hold system number 2 is a lady saying that you have been placed into a priority queue. Expect to wait 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours in the second system.

Oct 23, 2:50 P.M. CST

I'm going to call again. Let's hope that I get through to find that my nice blue Visor order has been processed and is only waiting on the factory to finish building it.

Re:Uhhh... November?

[Obfus]

Whoops!
I meant October.

Handspring lost my order.

[visor]

With some money to burn, I ordered 10 Visor Deluxe units on the first day the phone line went live. Somehow I had faith that Handspring would deliver. Well, after calling 12 times and sitting on the phone at least an hour for each call, I don't have much confidence in Handspring. I was told that the units would be $240.00 each, and all units would ship together. Then I was told 3 weeks ago that they would be 249.99 + 8 shipping and shipped separately. Then I was told my order was shipped and I couldn't change the color I selected. I wanted 2 of each color. When My card wasn't billed on Oct 15, I was told they were on the way anyway. I was told to call UPS, but Handspring couldn't give me a tracking number. Isn't it illegal to advertise and then not fulfill on the advertisement? I ordered the 10 units to give away for the holidays and just to have fun. What a load of BS Handspring has given me. If they had just been honest and said we don't have a clue then I would understand. Instead, they keep telling me that my units have shipped and should have arrived. Also, when pressed I was told to call "Corporate" in California, so I did. They had no clue either. (BTW, 650-230-5000 x429 is Hawkins #) At least I haven't been billed. I think I'll cancel my order and blow my money on something else.
Grow up Handspring
Learn how to run a business

Good luck getting help if your Visor breaks!

How to get attention

[JoeShmoe]

Okay...no one seems to have mentioned this, so thought I'd share a dirty little secret with my fellow slashdotters.

When a company pisses you off...fails to respond to your questions...or is just generally unreachable...there is something can get you on the inside track...run a WHOIS. Check out what is listed for handspring.com:


JD TECHNOLOGY (HANDSPRING-DOM)
189 RENARDO AVE.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043
US

Domain Name: HANDSPRING.COM

Administrative Contact:
HAWKINS, JEFF (JH28760) [e-mail]
650 230 5000 (FAX) 650 230 2100
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
BOLY, JEFF (JB37706) [e-mail]
650 230 5000
Billing Contact:
JD TECHNOLOGY (JT240-ORG) [e-mail]
650 470 0944
Fax- 650 470 0943


Presto...look at all that information. There's a couple of fax numbers. Why not sent them a firm, but polite request for information? According to the WHOIS, they have phone numbers that begin with 650-230 and 650-470. Why not try wardialing them to see what other extensions you can find?

Notice the e-mail addresses and the pattern they follow: first initial plus last name. That means that you probably know the e-mail addresses for everyone on the Executive Team [handspring.com] like Donna Dubinsky, Ed Colligan, Bernard Whitney, Mike Gallucci and so forth.

Also rememeber that any other domains that show up on a WHOIS can lead to more information. Check out all the other domains [networksolutions.com] that ol' Jeff currently owns.

Now, of course, this is dirty dirty pool. These people are not going to like being contacted directly. But this only underscores how STUPID it is that Network Solutions forces us to put our real information in a public database. That's why I run a WHOIS on major technology companies every day. Whenever I get a busy Vice President on the phone...I am sure to let him know how I got this phone number so he can be sure to let that @#$!@$#! Network Solutions know what he thinks of this WHOIS nightmare.

Anyway...if you goal is to find out when your Visor is shipping...contacting someone on a WHOIS is a good way to make sure you get put last on the list. But a friend of mine had Handspring put an $800 hold on his credit card (which would cover the cost of THREE Visors, not the ONE he ordered) and after politely alerting everyone at Handspring to his problem, he got a personal apology from Donna. And later that day, a phone call from Sally, the head of customer service promising to resolve it ASAP.

So...to review...if you have a SERIOUS issue...go ahead and try a WHOIS. But remember that this type of contact can easily be considered abuse, so if aren't careful and tactful you will end up doing yourself more harm than good.

- JoeShmoe

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

That's the price you pay...

[Robotech_Master]

...for being an early adopter. Maybe other people have more money to throw around than I do, but I wouldn't want to order a Visor just now anyway. My IIIe, crippled though it is, can still do most of the stuff that a Visor could, since I don't believe there are very many springboard modules out yet...and with color Palms on the horizon, why would I want to buy something that I'd just want to trade in again a week later?

Not to mention that by a few months from now, they'll probably be available in Best Buys and Circuit Cities and such all across the country, with no pesky waiting for your order to come in.

I am looking forward to the Visor's enhanced capacities...but not to the point where I want to subject myself to the hassle of ordering them direct yet.

Re:another problem: Handspring violating GPL

[zantispam]

If I were you, I'd get ahold of Bruce Perens [slashdot.org], either here [mailto], or post something to Technocrat.net [technocrat.net]. Doesn't look like he's gotten wind of this yet.


Note: I would do it myself, but I am way too busy to provide the proper follow-up...

Linux PalmSync?

[billpena]

Can the currently available tools for pilot syncing (kpilot, staroffice, etc.) be used with the Visor? I figure they should, same OS, but ... since I haven't read any explicit news about compatability, I don't want to assume ...

-creon

why is this a troll?

[Tsian]

I honestly didnt mean the post as a rant (tho i suppose it turned into one).

Still, what makes it a troll comment?

Visor vs. Palm Vx

[UncleRoger]

Okay, here's a (semi-) related question:

I was thinking of buying a handheld for my wife for her 30th birthday coming up in a few weeks. Of the Palm's, I'm looking at the Vx, pretty much the top of the line, except for the wireless connectivity of the VII (which she doesn't need.)

Then, along comes the Visor, with what looks like pretty much the same specs as teh Vx, except a little heavier, but for nearly half the price. Seems almost too good to be true.

So, my question is, aside from the ordering problems, and potential new-product-troubles, is there any reason not to get a Visor instead of a Vx?

Re:Looks like a bit of both ... (growing pains)

[mal3]

I ordered a DVD from them next day air, and they said it would ship in 24-48 hours. Two weeks later it gets to my home, unfortunatly i was in San Fransico at the time and Fedex shipped it back. I was fairly pissed, when I e-mailed them about it they said they had to wait until they got it back then they would reship. By this time I was completely pissed that they didn't even offer a refund so i sent them the standard, the least you could do is refund my money, send me another, close the store, and shoot the manager speil. They refunded my money and sent another free of charge.

testing

[CmdrTaco]

this is atest of the national broadcast system.
Hope it submits

testing

[CmdrTaco]

this is atest of the national broadcast system.
Hope it submits
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Re:How to get attention

[jebbono]

This is good advice. In really dire circumstances, it can work. One time, I had ordered some components from a company that promptly folded. They had my money, I had no gear. Their normal phone lines were disconnected. Through whois-derived faxing, emailing, and hacking about with their voicemail system, I was able to bitch to enough people to get a refund. In a lot of voicemail systems, you can press # or * and it'll error on something like, "invalid selection" and give you a new menu. Of course, there will be the old, "If you know the extensiion of the person your trying to reach..." when you get to this, hit a bunch of digits. If it doesn't get to anyone, sometimes the VM system will offer you a directory, this is the jackpot. Write down all these numbers for calling and faxing. If you bombard them with enough angry letters, they may get scared or annoyed and send you your money. This worked for me that one time even when the company had released official press releases that they were no longer doing refunds. I got my f!@#$#ing $1200 bucks back. This leads me to my next lesson. Beware of internet retailers who's prices are "too good to be true". Chances are they won't be true for long.

The source is now available

[peterw]

I just got word from the Handspring folks that the source code package is available on their Web site, same page as the binary package. Problem solved.