On the HIMS list, I saw someone who send in a booksense for repare.  HIMS 
sent a email with photos claming that it was ddropped.  The customer stated 
it had never been dropped and said they would never buy another HIMS 
booksplayer.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jordan Gallacher
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 12:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A Recent Interaction With HumanWare

I had the same issue with them a few years ago regarding my BrailleNote not
working correctly.  I recommend highly the book player from Hims Inc.  The
one I have works great, and it has been through a lot in the past 5 years.
Jordan

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 11:40 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]