After reading the reviews on this product the actual shipment was delayed 2 months. I should have known this was a product with issues.
The good news...it arrived and works OK for charging an iPhone 3G and a Motorola Bluetooth headset.
The bad news...It does not work for a Blackberry Bold 9700 and apparently other devices.
The really bad news and the reason for this review...Belkin's customer support is a disaster.
The unit comes with two short micro USB cables (one typical of cameras and headsets and one that matches the Blackberry adapter) but no explanation as to why. The micro usb cable works fine for the Bluetooth headset. The other cable that fits the Blackberry does not charge the Blackberry and if used requires the Blackberry to be reset by removing the battery.
Tucked into the minimal documentation is a slip of paper I originally missed that indicates a Belkin website for a special cable for the Blackberry Bold and other devices. I went to the site, ordered the free cable and in short order got an email reply from Belkin that my order was received.
A week later no cable. Multiple calls to the 24x7 customer support ended up being disconnected or routed in a circle. The chat option failed with three different Browsers. A email request for customer support required multiple tries to get past the required support description before it was accepted. Again an immediate email indicating reply with 1 business day. FIVE DAYS later an email comes indicating that the cable order was unrecognized, the issue was closed, and a recommendation that I call customer support! This smells like Belkin is still unprepared to support this product on any front.
Being a glutton for punishment I tried customer support again. After ignoring the instructions (none recognize their new Conserve line of products) and finally got a person that transferred me to another person that started to help. 30 minutes later after forwarding the email (from Belkin!) that said my cable was ordered I ended up with a promise to fix and a return call. 24 hours later , no replacement order, no call back.
Whatever Belkin was doing from the time the product was announced and the two months later they shipped; it wasn't telling their customer support organization about it nor was it testing it with common products.
BUYER BEWARE
UPDATE 3 WEEKS LATER: More calls to Customer Support and more emails back indicating no such cable order; I gave up and ordered the cable again. At this point the original packaging is long gone and it does work well on two devices. Surprise...A customer support call back after a disconnect resulted in a promise that the cable would be shipped immediately. I asked for a confirmation email. No email as promised but the free cable arrived...Good news... the cable works and the Blackberry Bold now charges.
The next day another box arrives from Belkin... I now have a bag of 10 of these cables. I can't wait to see what's on my doorstep when I return home this evening! Being a good citizen I called the Belkin RMA number to offer to return all of these extra cables...SNAFU...long time on hold..Raj tells me I called the wrong number; Don't think so but OK; Raj offers to transfer me... click click click... back to Raj! Raj suggests I wait an hour and call back after their phones are fixed...SIGH...I think not.
UPDATE 4 MONTHS LATER:
Since we use this product daily and I have had no contact with Belkin's abysmal customer support since the initial review, I've decided to revise the overall product review due to Belkin's startup woes and comment on the device itself.
We are a no land-line house and this cleans up the clutter & cable mess on the counter. With the right cables it has been happily charging ipods, iPhone, Blackberry, Motorola Bluetooth headset, and misc guest cell phones that use the universal USB adapter. The only thing to be aware of is that small devices charging on their own that draw little current and are completely empty (like the Bluetooth headset) will eventually trigger the auto-shutoff feature and not get a full charge. iPhones and Blackberrys don't have this issue.
New bottom line...buy it you'll like it...unless you need any customer support...but that's true of many companies these days! Belkin Conserve Valet F7C008q Energy-Saving USB Charging Station
With the Valet, it does what the product description says it does: it charges your personal electronic devices (PEDs) and then shuts off to save on the costly "sippage" that traditional charges take from your monthly light bill. However, this is problematic if you're like me, and enjoy a fully charged cell phone in the morning when you're ready to roll out for the day.
Typically I leave my phone plugged in overnight on my nightstand so it's fully charged in the morning. The Belkin Valet charged my phone in probably under an hour, and then shut off, allowing my phone to drain nearly empty by morning (the useful "20% battery remaining" message popped up as soon as I went to check my overnight emails). This isn't Belkin's fault by any means, as the product does what it's supposed to do, but I wanted to make potential buyers aware that if you plan on using this device to keep a fully charged phone overnight, seek another product.
The Valet has moved from my nightstand to office desk where it has successfully corralled the usual tangle of white USB chords.
I am currently charging my iPad2, an iPod Touch, and my DroidX phone. This charger only provides 500mA output, which is the same as most USB/USB 2 output amperage on your computer. So if you try to USE your iPad while it's charging, it's going to say "Not Charging"...because it's not. The charger can not provide the power to run the iPad and charge it at the same time...just like the USB port on the front of your computer can't. However, if you put the iPad to sleep (close the smart cover), then when you plug it in, you hear a small "meep" that says "I'm charging!" Leave it there, and it'll be charged in a few hours, just like if you used the front of your computer. If you want to be able to charge your iPad and use it at the same time, you'll have to plug it into the wall. Only there is enough juice provided to run it and charge it at the same time. My other devices seem to be charging fine.
I wish there was a way to order extra cables from Belkin. They provide a mini-USB and a micro-USB. I would love one (or two) small 30-pin adaptors so I wouldn't have to wind the iPod and iPad cabling around the charger. But it's a small gripe. I have extra cables, so this isn't much of an inconvenience. I don't plan on continually taking the cables on and off of the charger. - Belkin - Charger - Electronics - Energy Savings'
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