Got hardware issues with an early build Pre? Go to a Sprint store NOW...

[cwgtex]

I got my Pre on launch day, and I love webOS ; however, the hardware side of things had left me a little iffy. After a few weeks, I started noticing very fine cracks around the edges of the top half of the slider. At first I thought they were my fault. Could I possibly have dropped it in one of my drunk stupors where I couldn't figure out which way was up on the device (you know you've done it too)? However, new cracks kept appearing, even without dropping it. Mine were mostly at the top left corner, and also starting around the mic hole. For a while I was content to just live with it. But the cracks kept spreading!

After talking with Palm over the phone, they recommended marching into the Sprint store and demanding that they honor the Palm 1 yr warranty (I was past the Sprint 30 day). So I did just that. I was fully prepared to debate the sub-par build quality of our early devices.

So I go into my nearest Sprint store, and let them know what I am there for. The employee tell me that normally they would treat this issue as user damage or something like that, no warranty. I calmly and briefly explain that many early adopters are having cracking issues, resetting issues, oreo issues, etc. He tell me to hold on and goes to the back. He comes back and lets me know that they have ordered me a replacement and it should arrive in 2 or 3 days. IT WAS THAT SIMPLE. I was in and out of the store in less than 10 minutes.

When I left, I noticed that there are buttons everywhere saying "give me 5". The employee that helped me informed me that Sprint will probably call me within a day or two to ask me about my visit today, and to please give him a 5 rating on everything. Sprint must be doing some new customer service improvement program with its employees.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Right now Sprint is focusing on improving their customer service image. Take advantage of this and go get treated like a human being and get your early build hardware issues addressed.

[ScrapMaker]

Not trying to downplay your experience, but this is pretty standard at Sprint. I've been getting service like this, or better for 10 straight years.

I replaced my HTC touch 8 times over 2 years and never paid a dime. Replacements were always instant, in-store. If I did not pay for TEP
There were several times where I might have had to wait a few days like you did in this post.

[Ms_Kady]

I went today and they guy told me to do a hard reset and if that doesn't work, then go back to the store and they'll order a replacement for me. He said it's standard procedure for them to have either their tech or the customer do a hard reset first before ordering a replacement.

[togurt]

I'm wondering what I should do. I have a Pre I got in mid July. No dead pixels, pretty solid, only slight oreo effect, but that doesn't bother me. I do have an issue with the battery. The phone will shut off from time to time for no reason. Like sometimes when I slide open the keyboard it will shut off, I know this is a known problem. It doesn't happen everytime, but probably once a day, more with heavy use. Should I take it back? I don't feel comfortable putting a shim behind the cover, I don't think I should have to. Just wondering if it would be reason enough to take back, or should I not risk getting a worse phone? Anyone got any feelings on it?

[ChemEngr]

Nope. My son's phone developed the same exact cracking issue. My first call was to Palm and they suggested I go to a Sprint store and they should swap it out. So I go to the Sprint store and the rep said they can't do anything because it was cosmetic. I argue that this is not normal wear and tear for a 3-mo old phone. She said that if it's not a hardware failure, they are hard pressed to replace it. So I'm calling Palm back tomorrow and ***** about their crappy manufacturing process. If that doesn't get me anywhere, I have a sure fire way of making the hardware fail!

[davis.rob]

Originally Posted by togurt

I'm wondering what I should do. I have a Pre I got in mid July. No dead pixels, pretty solid, only slight oreo effect, but that doesn't bother me. I do have an issue with the battery. The phone will shut off from time to time for no reason.

Ask for a new battery. We did this with my wife's phone (after 30 days), guy just handed me a battery, said "try this first, then bring it back if it doesn't work". Never had another problem. Sometimes it's just the battery, not the phone, that's faulty.

[togurt]

Originally Posted by davis.rob

Ask for a new battery. We did this with my wife's phone (after 30 days), guy just handed me a battery, said "try this first, then bring it back if it doesn't work". Never had another problem. Sometimes it's just the battery, not the phone, that's faulty.

Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

[rboatright]

Originally Posted by ChemEngr

Nope. My son's phone developed the same exact cracking issue. My first call was to Palm and they suggested I go to a Sprint store and they should swap it out. So I go to the Sprint store and the rep said they can't do anything because it was cosmetic. I argue that this is not normal wear and tear for a 3-mo old phone. She said that if it's not a hardware failure, they are hard pressed to replace it. So I'm calling Palm back tomorrow and ***** about their crappy manufacturing process. If that doesn't get me anywhere, I have a sure fire way of making the hardware fail!

You had an unusual experiance. Try a different store. Or, call support. In twelve years as a sprint customer I have -never- had that kind of experiance. Please try again with someone else. Also, is there any chance you were not at a sprint corporate store but at a reseller? Resellers do not conform to the same standard of training as sprint corporate stores.

[cwgtex]

Originally Posted by ChemEngr

Nope. My son's phone developed the same exact cracking issue. My first call was to Palm and they suggested I go to a Sprint store and they should swap it out. So I go to the Sprint store and the rep said they can't do anything because it was cosmetic. I argue that this is not normal wear and tear for a 3-mo old phone. She said that if it's not a hardware failure, they are hard pressed to replace it. So I'm calling Palm back tomorrow and ***** about their crappy manufacturing process. If that doesn't get me anywhere, I have a sure fire way of making the hardware fail!

Keep going to other stores until you get the answer you want. Be firm, but not rude. Keep on the point of you not being the only customer experiencing premature wear (cracks, oreo, etc). Drive home the point of you being an early adopter and the initial batch had terrible quality control. And, like I said, currently the store near me is doing that "give me 5" thing, I think the employees are more likely to cater to you right now and actually do all they can. Have you tried recently?

[pomokey]

I had a similar experience as ChemEngr.... except I was within my 30 days. my phone has a serious gap between the two halves, and is extremely lose. I explained that I had seen other peoples phones which were solid and tight. the guy at the store said that since it wasn't affecting the 'functionality' of the phone, that they would not replace it.

unfortunately, it's the only sprint store within a >50 mile radius of where I live(that's as far as the sprint store locator will go). I will be going to chicago in a few weeks, so I might give a few of those sprint stores a try.

[Daemon]

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

Not trying to downplay your experience, but this is pretty standard at Sprint. I've been getting service like this, or better for 10 straight years.

I've not had great service at my local Sprint store. I went in 26 days
after purchase of the Pre and calmly showed em the start of the Oreo
problem and generally loose and sticking slider, and that I'd like it
replaced with new build unit. They told me that they can't replace it
with anything other than what's in the store and they only have old
inventory and won't have new build units until the old are sold (which is
all a lie because we know they can order them, as the OP confirms).
Then they topped it off by showing me that one of the employees
had just bought their own Pre the day before, and that its slider
was also loose (as though that made it ok). I told em that was an
unacceptable excuse and then things got a little heated. They told me
the manager was on vacation but would be back in a couple days
and they swore up, down and sideways they'd have him call me (to get
me out of the store) before the 30 days passed. Of course the manager didn't call, and
I ended up having to go out of town for a few days, so the 30 days since purchase
passed with no replacement.

I really really dislike fighting stupid battles like this, and haven't had the
energy to back for more abuse from Sprint store employees.

ian

[swiharta]

screen crack stories kept me off the Pre for a while, but after the $50 price drop, I couldn't resist. Very happy so far, but awaiting the cracks, doing my damn best to baby the hell out of it.

I bought at Radio Shack, but should I be able to also go to the Sprint store and have them honor the Palm warranty in case I get cracks past 30 days?

[jmcging]

I went into my local store (which is a corporate store, not franchise) with bad pixels on screen over the USB and down by the launch bar and they looked at the unit and told me they'd call me when the new one came in (this was in late June so the units were backordered) and a week later they gave me a new one. No issues. No arguments.

Find a corporate store. They seem more likely to do good things for you from what I've read.

[Derrythe]

Originally Posted by swiharta

I bought at Radio Shack, but should I be able to also go to the Sprint store and have them honor the Palm warranty in case I get cracks past 30 days?

Any store that sells the Pre should honor the Palm warranty regardless of where you purchased the phone, because technically Palm is honoring it. When a store does a warranty replacement they either get a new phone for you from Palm or give you one of theirs, then get a replacement from Palm. If you can't find a store that will, you could take your case directly to palm who should take care of it themselves. Palm likes you to go to a store first to discourage people from returning a perfectly good phone just to get a new one.

[Dcthomas53]

I am on my forth PRE. First three all lasted about 10 days before the black screen of death occurred. Latest one after 4 weeks has suddenly developed earpiece black outs. Sometimes the earpiece just does't work. I have to switch back and fourth to speaker phone. Interesting that the Pre warranty is 1 year. No one at Sprint has told me that.

Service in the Sprint store has been excellent!

[phidalgo]

Originally Posted by pomokey

I had a similar experience as ChemEngr.... except I was within my 30 days. my phone has a serious gap between the two halves, and is extremely lose. I explained that I had seen other peoples phones which were solid and tight. the guy at the store said that since it wasn't affecting the 'functionality' of the phone, that they would not replace it.

unfortunately, it's the only sprint store within a >50 mile radius of where I live(that's as far as the sprint store locator will go). I will be going to chicago in a few weeks, so I might give a few of those sprint stores a try.

I had a similar problem at a corporate store and actually made a thread about it on this forum.

From what I learned, it really depends on the Manager and their personality. I went to another store after filing a complaint with CS and had no problem.
In fact, the manager at the other store was very quick to offer me a replacement and was very friendly.