shepd's Journal: Motorola V101 Communicator is DEFECTIVE

Yup, you heard it here. I've been jerked around by Motorola and their poorly designed product. They don't want to do jack to improve their product, and don't even consider these defects. I just thought I'd be a nice netzien and let you know.

First off, lets start from the beginning.

June 24, 2002: I bought the Motorola V101 Communicator from this Future Shop. While the price was high (approx $300 after taxes and 2 year extended warranty) the features this item has were worth that price. Later that day, I subscribed to Rogers/AT&Ts more Talk than Type service. Both experiences with both companies were good. After getting the phone subscribed, I decide to try it out. This is when I find the first defect: The huge ridge on the handset, and the overall design of the handset makes it very difficult to have it in a position where you can hear the conversation without the handset digging into your ear. OW!

June 25, 2002: Well, despite the sorry design of the handset, I decide that its still better than having to connect their handsfree earbud every time I want to answer a call, so I live with the lack of comfort. This is when I discover the other serious flaw in their phone. The belt clip is virtually non-functional. It constantly pops out of the phone and will not stay put, even when you meticuously follow the addendum inserted into the manual on the topic. Unfortunately, also due to poor design, the holster they also provided with the phone will not fit it when the handset is attached. I figured that perhaps the clip I received with my pager was defective, and since I really wanted to keep that handset attached, I decided to seek out a replacement.

First on my quest to get a working belt clip was the Future Shop I bought the phone from. They explain to me that this defect is common with all V101 Communicators, and that they know of no fix. I left unsatisfied with their explanation. Why would a company as (supposedly) intelligent as Motorola not test something as simple as (and as important as) a belt clip?

Finding it difficult to get ahold of someone at Motorola who could help me, I called Rogers/AT&T instead. They knew of no such problem, but kindly provided me with Motrola's wireless customer service number. I called it right away and was greeted by an American accent. I explained my trouble with the phone to her and she said there was no known problem with the belt clip, but she'd send me one right away. When she found out I live in Canada, they couldn't help me. They explained that Motorola refuses to deal directly with Canadians for returns and that the only way a Canadian can get satisfaction is from the store they bought it from. How faithful to the Arrogant American stereotype Motorola was turning out to be.

So, I called Future Shop back, and asked to speak to the manager. I asked if they could have been mistaken about the belt clip as a Motorola representative had clearly explained to me that there was no known defect for that part. He suggested that I return to Future Shop and they'll have a closer look.

June 27, 2002: I return to Future Shop and they allow me to try out a fresh belt clip from another package. Its just as defective as the one I own. Knowing this proof that Motorola is misrepresenting the truth in this situation, I was fuming (but as courteous to the Future Shop people as possible, who've been nothing but helpful). In my travels this day I happen by a Rogers store and figured I'd ask the sales clerk there for a little help when they weren't busy.

They explained (and demonstrated) that the only way to attach the belt clip to the pager is to push down extremely hard on the center of the belt clip. Hard enough that the plastic bends under the stress each time and gives way. Obviously, this sort of force requires you to remove the belt clip from your belt (rendering it mostly useless) and risks damaging the phone. To make it worse, he says that most all Motorola products that use the same belt clip, all the way to their old 2-way radios, have exactly the same defect.

So, now I'm left with a handset that hurts, and a belt clip that threatens to break the phone, and a company that doesn't give a crap about the end users experience with their product, and appears not to test their product for years and years.

Thank God for that extended warranty. If you buy one, you should know you'll probably be needing it!