THE ULTIMATE PALM PRE POOR SIGNAL ISSUE THREAD

Question

The previous thread I posted can be deleted.  This thread has everything people need to read.  Here is the conversation I just had with Palm about the rampant signal problems everyone is having with their Palm Pre phones (side note, they say they'll be calling me back in a few days.  I'll assume they mean BUSINESS days and i'll post here again tuesday or wednesday if I don't hear from anyone.) :
1:56 AM Connecting...
1:56 AM Connected. A support representative will be with you shortly.
1:57 AM Support session established with Sabino.
1:57 AM Sabino: Hello David. Thank you for contacting Palm. My name is Sabino.
1:57 AM David Doria: hi
1:58 AM Sabino: I understand that you are facing issues with weak signals.
1:58 AM Sabino: Am I correct?
1:58 AM David Doria: yes.  weak, and also erractic.  sometimes i will get full bars, and then it will jump to one bar, or none...then be roaming, then Ev, then 1x...all in the SAME spot
1:58 AM Sabino: I’m sorry for any trouble this may have caused.
1:58 AM Sabino: May I know since how long you are facing this issue?
1:59 AM David Doria: as long as i've been using a palm pre, but it is getting worse with time.  i've been using a palm pre since october of last year
2:00 AM Sabino:  Let me know the webOS version on the device and your carrier name.
2:01 AM David Doria: whatever the latest OS is.  1.4.whatever.  and i'm with sprint
2:01 AM Sabino: This seems to be the issue with the network, all the network related issues were taken care by your carrier. I suggest you to contact Sprint. They will be able to fix the issue.
2:01 AM David Doria: um, you said that before i even told you what carrier i'm using
2:01 AM Sabino: I just pulled the details using your phone number.
2:02 AM David Doria: you know that isn't true.  you know it's not sprint
2:02 AM David Doria: i just told you all my other phones with sprint worked fine here and i've only been having problems since i got a palm pre
2:02 AM Sabino: Okay, contact your carrier, they will be able to fix the issue.
2:02 AM David Doria: i've lived here for 4 years and i've had sprint all 4 years
2:02 AM David Doria: no they won't.  i've been contacting them for weeks.  they came out and checked the tower TWICE now.  there's nothing they can do.  it's a hardware issue for palm
2:04 AM David Doria: there are threads all over the internet with hundreds of people complaining about having signal issues ONLY since they bought a palm pre.  now you're telling me it's a sprint issue and you haven't even looked at my phone yet.
2:05 AM Sabino:  What I would like to do, is place your case into a special team that develops technical solutions. They will do further research on it. They would be in touch with you once they have further updates. I cannot commit to a specific callback period, but please know that we are working on your case. May I do that for you?
2:06 AM David Doria: no, because i saw someone in one thread say that palm told them the exact same thing...in 2009
2:06 AM David Doria: so you're basically saying you're forwarding the problem to a generic department to a generic person that i can't know the name of, with no contact info, and that there is no guarantee when they will contact me IF they even will contact me...but i should definitely believe they are working on the problem
2:06 AM Sabino: What exactly you want me to do now?
2:06 AM David Doria: that's ridiculous
2:07 AM David Doria: i want you to tell me why palm is not fixing this problem with the palm pre and is instead telling me it is sprint's problem and then pretending to forward the issue to another department which has already had years to fix the issue
2:08 AM Sabino: As I stated, all the network related issues are taken by carrier.
2:09 AM David Doria: it's a hardware issue
2:10 AM Sabino:  I am going to tell you about our 2 repair options:
2:10 AM Sabino:
1.  Repair return: After I create your service repair order, you receive an email with the details on how and where to ship your device for repair. The email also contains info on the follow-up process. After the repair center receives your device, you’ll receive a working device in another 5-7 business days.
2. :”With the advance exchange option, we ship you a replacement device first, and then you return your defective device to us using a prepaid label. There is a $29.95 fee for this special service but you get a replacement device within 3-5 days.
2:10 AM David Doria: you can't even KNOW it's a network issue without looking at the phone, and all evidence points to hardware since other phones on the same carrier work fine
2:10 AM Sabino: Please go through the above 2 options.
2:10 AM David Doria: this is my SEVENTH palm pre phone, sabino
2:11 AM David Doria: as many others in forums will tell you, they have also replaced their phones MULTIPLE times hoping to fix this issue.  nothing works.  there is SOMETHING physically wrong with the reception capability of the palm pre
2:12 AM David Doria: dude, stop copying and pasting what palm tells you to say and listen to me.  these phones do NOT work.  there is something majorly wrong with them and palm is cheating people out of hundreds of dollars a piece to save themselves the cost of a fix.
2:13 AM Sabino: Please hold on while I transfer the chat to our Supervisor.
2:13 AM David Doria: thank you
2:13 AM Sabino: You’re welcome.
2:14 AM Transferring session to another technician...
2:14 AM Support session established with Saben.
2:14 AM Saben: Hello David, this is supervisor Saben.
2:15 AM Saben: Please stay on hold while I go through the chat.
2:15 AM David Doria: hello, saben...i urge you to read the conversation i just had with sabino so i do not have to explain the situation again.
2:15 AM David Doria: ok, thank you
2:15 AM Saben: Thank you for staying on hold.
2:16 AM David Doria: sure
2:16 AM Saben: I understand that you are facing network issues with the phone.
2:16 AM Saben: Am I correct?
2:16 AM David Doria: no
2:16 AM David Doria: i am facing signal issues.  my network is functioning just fine
2:16 AM Saben: Okay.
2:16 AM Saben: Did you try any troubleshooting steps?
2:17 AM David Doria: yes.  i reset my phone...tried NEW phones...updated...updated PRL...etc...tried 2G only, restarting the phone after removing the battery, tried going outside...tried going a few blocks down.
2:17 AM David Doria: i can't even count how many things i have tried.  something is wrong with the palm pre
2:18 AM Saben: Did you try with the webOS doctor?
2:18 AM David Doria: i've tried every software solution i can find
2:19 AM Saben: I am sorry, I just want to know did you run the webOS doctor tool?
2:19 AM David Doria: i've been talking to sprint about this for WEEKS now.  in case you didn't read the conversation, they've already come out to check the local tower twice now
2:20 AM Saben: Okay. It seems that you did not use the webOS doctor tool on the device to check the issue.
2:20 AM David Doria: yes.  the local sprint repair center used the tool when my phone froze during an update
2:20 AM David Doria: yes i did
2:20 AM Saben: Okay. Thank you for the information.
2:20 AM David Doria: you're welcome
2:20 AM Saben: Then it seems need a repair.
2:20 AM David Doria: but this is my 7th palm pre phone.
2:20 AM David Doria: they have all done this
2:22 AM Saben: Okay. To best assist you I will escalate the issue to specialist team. They will call back you and find a resolution.
2:22 AM David Doria: are you guaranteeing me that they will call?
2:22 AM David Doria: because the last guy said someone MAY contact me but probably not
2:23 AM Saben: Yes. They will contact you. I will escalate the issue to specialist team.
2:23 AM David Doria: when will they contact me by?
2:23 AM Saben: I need few information from you to do a specific escalation.
2:23 AM David Doria: ok
2:24 AM Saben: Give me a minute while I post the questions.
2:25 AM David Doria: ok
2:25 AM Saben: Please provide the following details so that I can set up the call back from our Specialist team:
 First and last name :
 Primary phone number :
 Secondary phone number (if any) :
 Primary email address :
 Device serial number :
 Purchase date :
 Country where you purchased your device  :
 Preferred time to call :
2:26 AM David Doria: David Doria
909*******
no secondary number
******@*******.***.edu
2:27 AM David Doria: which number is the serial number on the box?
2:27 AM Saben: Open the launcher on the phone.
2:27 AM Saben: Select the Device Info.
2:27 AM Saben: You will find the serial number of the phone there.
2:28 AM David Doria: as far as purchase date, this particular phone was sent to me less than a month ago.  original purchase date of ORIGINAL palm pre was october of '09.
United States
2PM-midnight best time to call
2:28 AM David Doria: serial number: ************
2:29 AM Saben: Okay,I also need yourfull name, phone number and email address.
2:30 AM David Doria: I gave you that if you can scroll up a bit
2:31 AM Saben: I am sorry, are you refering to the one you have mentioned before entering to chat?
2:31 AM David Doria: no.
2:31 AM Saben: I am sorry, I see that.
2:31 AM Saben: Thank you for the information.
2:32 AM David Doria: ok, thank you
2:32 AM Saben: I will escalate the issue. You will receive a call from the specialist team within 48 to 72 hours.
2:32 AM Saben: Is there anything else I can help you with?
2:33 AM David Doria: i am looking forward to it. meanwhile, i am posting this conversation in the palm website forum because i want people to be updated about this problem since so many are having signal issues
2:33 AM David Doria: no, there's nothing else you can help me with
2:33 AM Saben: Here’s the reference number for our chat: Chat session ID number ********. Keep this number as a record of this chat, and if you need to call our Voice Support team or contact us again for this same issue, please refer to this number.
2:33 AM Saben: Thank you for contacting Palm and feel free to contact us for further assistance. We rely on your suggestions and feedback to help us provide the best support, so please take a few minutes to complete the customer survey that you'll receive via email. You may now close the chat window. Have a great day!
2:33 AM Saben: Bye!
2:33 AM David Doria: bye
Post relates to: Pre p100eww (Sprint)

Answer 1

So they finally called me back, but I didn't get the call because.....I had no signal.  HAHA
I got their voicemail and called back.  First, they tried telling me YET AGAIN that it was Sprint's problem.  They said that if I call Sprint, they will give me a device to boost signal in my home.  I said, "That's fine, but what do I do when I'm in the rest of the country?"  Then they told me it was a software problem and that I need to run WebOSdoctor to reinstall the operating system.  I told them that this is my 7th Palm Pre.  I told them that Sprint already used the Doctor...like I told the online tech people.  But this guy on the phone wasn't having it.  He told me that he didn't think Sprint was able to do that (so I can, but Sprint can't =/?) and that I should do it just to be sure.  He said if that doesn't work that they will try out a NEW Palm profile and see if that fixes it.  If neither of those works, he basically admitted there are no other options.
I asked him if there is some sort of way they can physically upgrade the antenna system with a better material or placement and he said that Palm has no department able to do that. 
I told him about the various threads online like this one, where dozens of people complain about the same  issue.  He told me to just do the WebOSdoctor and call him back.   I asked him if this has fixed signal problems for people previously and he said that he doesn't get to know the end result of his suggestions to customers.   How unprofessional is that?  How is the guy supposed to get better at his job if he's not allowed to find out if the fixes he suggest to people actually work?  That seems nuts to me, but i digress.
I haven't tried the Doctor yet.  I'm going to, but I'm just being lazy because I know it won't work, and it's going to be really annoying to update my phone and backup photos first and all that good stuff.
I will post back after I run the doctor and try the new Palm profile.  Until then, I'd REALLY suggest you all do what I did and call Palm, insisting they fix the problem, even if it means a recall.  They aren't gonna do it just for me, no matter how many times I complain.  That's a fact.
If anyone DOES call Palm, it would probably be a good idea to bring up this thread and also to post here about what they tell you!