And right you are Jim.  I need input from you younger guys to keep me 
on the straight and narrow!!
patAt 07:09 PM 4/11/2015, you wrote:
>Pat, don't get your nickers in a knot, remember, it's just the moon that is
>influencing your thoughts and behavior.  Peace and 73, Jim WA6EKS
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Pat Byrne
>Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 1:29 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: OT: A Recent Interaction With HumanWare
>
>Buddy,
>Nice replacement for customer service.  And of course offering blind
>folk pictures is a lot of crap.  Some years ago I was authorized to
>have a replacement Stream within warranty but I haadn't sent the
>crappy case or the CD that came with a new unit.  They refused to
>replace my unit until I provided those parts.  I suggested they take
>those parts from my replacement unit, but that wouldn't do.  By the
>way we had moved and the missing pieces were packed away
>somewhere.  Not sure if I ever found them!  I finally bypassed
>Customer Service and the not-so-helpful desk and went up the
>management scaale until I got satisfaction.  So there is perhaps a
>history of B S service there.
>Humanware is not alone; another manufacturer in the last year put out
>a unit saying it would support NLS books.  I believe it was well more
>than six months later before that support actually appeared.  So
>perhaps other providers of equipment for the blind are okay with
>putting out unsupported products and backing them up with half-assed
>service.
>Ain't it all grand!
>Pat, K9JAUAt 11:40 AM 4/11/2015, you wrote:
> >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]