Hi Jim,

I have the Book PortPlus, and it works all right, but as you say, for features and UI, the Stream has it beat. Except on customer service. Excellent design of a player though, shame the company is so rotten.

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: [log in to unmask]




> On Apr 11, 2015, at 8:06 PM, Jim Gammon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Buddy, I have a VoiceNote where the BlueTooth chip quit.  After phone 
> diagnostics with HW, I sent the unit in.  While I am convinced that they 
> could have changed out a chip on the board, HW said I would have to buy an 
> entire new board because they could not waranty just a chip.  So, some $1200 
> later, I got my VoiceNote back.  I will say that it works fine but overall, 
> HW's customer service is sadly lacking.  Oh, then there's the time HW told 
> me they were absolutely not coming out with a new replacement for the 
> PowerBraille, then, not more than a couple months later, they boldly 
> announced their new APEX BrailleNote model which had been undergoing 
> research and development for Two Years.  Go figure.  I don't know how they 
> can or will stay in business pulling stuff like that.  Having said all that, 
> I will say that the new VR Stream is a terrific unit and if mine went south, 
> I would probably buy a new one.  The Plextalk player recorder is a good unit 
> and in fact, a much better recorder than the VR Stream, but for podcast, 
> internet radio, NFB newsline, and NLS, the Stream has it all over the 
> Plextalk.  73, and good luck, Jim WA6EKS
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Buddy Brannan
> Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 9:40 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: OT: A Recent Interaction With HumanWare
> 
> Sorry for any stray nasty characters here.
> 
> Still haven't decided what I'll do about this. Their response to my =
> email will help determine that, perhaps.=20
> 
> Just posted to my personal blog at=20
> http://buddy.brannan.name/blog/2015/04/what-to-do-about-humanware/
> 
> What To Do About HumanWare?
> 
> Back in August, I purchased a second generation Victor Reader Streamfrom =
> HumanWare at a promotional price. While I thought that the included =
> accessories were a bit stingy (a case with no belt clip and no SD card), =
> I thought the device itself was well designed and well executed. The =
> user interface was a worthy follow-up to the first generation. It has =
> easy-to-use controls that are intuitive, and really, I liked mine so =
> much that I often used it instead of other players I have around here, =
> including ones on the iPhone.=20
> 
> Back in February, my Stream developed a problem. Some important controls =
> (play, fast forward, rewind, and the sleep timer button) started acting =
> strangely. They would either intermittently not work, or they would =
> intermittently act as though multiple buttons were pressed at the same =
> time, or one button was pressed multiple times. Both hoping the problem =
> was a fluke and would clear itself up, and also because I had more =
> important things to deal with at the time, I put the player aside. When, =
> recently, I pulled it out again and the problem persisted, and my other =
> irons in the fire were well into resolution, I called HumanWare tech =
> support and sent my Stream off for repair. They received it Tuesday, and =
> I received the following Email from them today:
> 
> Recently you sent us equipment for repair.
> 
> After evaluation,  the technician found out that the damages caused to =
> your unit cannot be repaired.
> We will have to replace the unit.
> He also found out that these damages are not manufacturing issue and so =
> cannot be covered under warranty.  We took some pictures.  If you need =
> copy of them, please let us know.
> 
> Please find attached a copy of the quotation for a replacement unit.  As =
> soon as we receive your purchase order or payment we will proceed the =
> order and the unit will be sent to you.
> 
> Please take note that after receiving this quote, if you do not wish to =
> proceed with the replacement unit, HumanWare will return the unrepaired =
> unit and freight will be at your expense or a diagnostic fee, if =
> applicable.  In case you do not require the unrepaired unit back, =
> HumanWare will dispose of it for you. Failure to reply will lead to unit =
> disposal after a period of 3 months following quote issuance.
> 
> If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the customer =
> service department.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Customer Service, HumanWare Inc.
> 
> My first reaction wasn=E2=80=99t disappointment over my problem not =
> being covered under warranty. (I did read the attached PDF and saw that =
> I can get my out of warranty problem replaced for half the cost of a new =
> unit.) No, my first reaction was to marvel at the sheer rudeness of the =
> email. The problem wasn=E2=80=99t a manufacturing problem, it=E2=80=99s =
> your fault, and we=E2=80=99ve got pictures to prove it. Rude and =
> confrontational all on its own, but remember, this is a company whose =
> primary audience includes people who are blind. This specific =
> product=E2=80=99s main users, and buyers, are people who are blind. =
> Those would be people who cannot see pictures, no matter how damning the =
> evidence.=20
> 
> Of course, if this were merely an oversight, it might be excused, but =
> it=E2=80=99s a pattern. HumanWare has put out several marketing =
> campaigns with product teasers that were purely visual in nature. Hey, =
> look at the picture of our new product! We won=E2=80=99t tell you what =
> it is, nor will we describe the picture, but you=E2=80=99ll love it! Oh, =
> by the way, it=E2=80=99s a braille display, we find out later. Really?=20=
> 
> 
> I should stress here that I don=E2=80=99t find fault with their =
> conclusion necessarily. After all, I could have accidentally done =
> something or other to break the thing. That sort of thing happens =
> sometimes, in spite of our best intentions. My problem is with their =
> delivery, which struck me as abysmally bad customer service. I therefore =
> replied with the following:
> 
> Hello:
> 
> Thank you for your Email regarding my damaged Victor Reader Stream. =
> While I appreciate your telling m that the repair is not covered under =
> warranty, not being a manufacturing defect, I can=E2=80=99t say I =
> appreciate your delivery. You have pictures and are happy to send them? =
> Great! This would do me, as a blind person, and by the way one of your =
> primary markets, any good, exactly how? Would it really have taken you =
> that much more time to have explained, in plain language, what the =
> problem was? =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, it looks as though your Stream got =
> splashed with water.=E2=80=9D Or =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, we found =
> foreign matter in your play button.=E2=80=9D Or perhaps, =
> =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, a peanut butter sandwich will not fit in the SD =
> card slot.=E2=80=9D? Really, an Email that says, =E2=80=9CSorry, 
> it=E2=80=99=
> s your problem, and we have pictures to prove it=E2=80=9D is rude and =
> confrontational, besides being terribly unhelpful to a blind person, who =
> is, I may stress, part of one of your primary markets. I would suggest =
> that this is an unacceptably poor level of customer service.=20
> 
> Allow me, if I may, to craft an Email that you may use in future =
> dealings of this nature. I=E2=80=99ll even give this to you at =
> absolutely no cost. Feel free to use it in full or in part. Do not, =
> however, use the Email you sent me in future dealings of this nature.=20
> 
> =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-Cut=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-
> 
> Dear [Insert customer name here]:
> 
> We are writing to follow up with you regarding your recent repair =
> request, with RMA #XXXXXX.=20
> 
> After inspecting your [product name], our technicians have determined =
> that the damage cannot be repaired, and a full replacement of the unit =
> will be required. We found the following problems:
> 
> * There was foreign matter dropped into the controls.
> * Liquid damage from [water, coffee, etc.] is apparent.
> * A peanut butter sandwich will not fit in the SD card slot. Please do =
> not attempt to put one there.
> * A crack in the control board indicates a drop from a significant =
> height.
> [And so forth]
> 
> If you wish to inspect the damage as outlined above, we can provide =
> photos upon request.=20
> 
> Unfortunately, this damage is not covered under the limited =
> manufacturer=E2=80=99s warranty, as it is not a manufacturing defect. =
> Please see the full statement of warranty here: [insert URL to limited =
> warranty]
> 
> Since your [product] was returned to us within the warranty period, we =
> are prepared to offer you a non-warranty replacement at half retail =
> price plus applicable shipping and tax. Please reference [invoice =
> number] when you phone if you would like to take advantage of this =
> offer. For your records, we have attached an accessible PDF with full =
> offer details. This offer is good for 90 days from today.
> 
> Alternatively, if you wish to have your damaged [product] back, we =
> require that you pay return shipping charges. If you do not wish to take =
> advantage of our replacement offer and do not want your damaged =
> [product] back, we will be happy to responsibly dispose of it for you at =
> no additional charge.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns, please phone or Email. We are =
> available weekdays from [range of hours], Eastern time.=20
> 
> We appreciate your business. Thank you for being a HumanWare customer.=20=
> 
> 
> Sincerely,
> Joe Schmoe
> HumanWare Customer Service
> 
> =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-CUT=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-
> 
> Let me stress here that I have no doubt that you really do have pictures =
> of the damage. I also have no problem believing that the problem is not =
> covered under the warranty terms, not because I know what caused the =
> problem (I don=E2=80=99t), but because, let=E2=80=99s face it, stuff =
> happens, sometimes stuff even happens of which one is unaware. It would, =
> therefore, be really helpful if you could tell me, in plain language, =
> the nature of the problem, so that I know what caused the keys to do the =
> strange things they were doing. I would really appreciate this =
> information.=20
> 
> I really love the Stream. It=E2=80=99s a fantastic product. It does what =
> it does very, very well. It is well designed and easy to use, and 
> I=E2=80=99=
> ve found that I have started using it in favor of other book =
> players I have around here, including ones on the iPhone. So, yes, it =
> really is a great product for the tech savvy blind guy, too. I would =
> even like to get a second one for my wife, who has just lost all of her =
> remaining vision, has very little feeling in her fingers, and is not at =
> all technology friendly. She has a first gen Stream and likes it a lot, =
> and I know she=E2=80=99d like the new one even more. Unfortunately, due =
> to the nature of your communication, I honestly don=E2=80=99t know what =
> I want to do about either a replacement or a second unit. How can I, in =
> good conscience, support a company with so little regard for its target =
> audience? After all, your Email is only one of several such instances; I =
> reference the several years of product teasers (at least one of which =
> was for a braille display) that were purely visual in nature. Can I, =
> indeed *should* I, support a company who, essentially, thumbs its =
> collective nose at the population it purports to serve?=20
> 
> Cordially,
> 
> Whether HumanWare was right or wrong in their determination isn=E2=80=99t =
> really the point. Well, I guess it kind of is, because I have no idea =
> either way, having been given no information about it. But even if they =
> were correct in their assessment, their handling of how I was updated on =
> my repair status left pretty much everything to be desired. In short, =
> their Email was a great example of how not to do customer relations. If =
> you do customer relations this way, stop it. Please. Just don=E2=80=99t.
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194=20
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: [log in to unmask]