Very disappointed!!

[YorkieMom]

I have wanted a Kindle for over a year. Finally last Friday I ordered one. The Graphite K3 and the extra warranty. Then I discovered this wonderful board and the discussions at Amazon. I started reading and found the keys are wearing off threads. OH NO!! I looked at all the pictures to be able to compare when mine got here. Today it finally came. I was so excited. I opened the box and there it was "clay keys." I closed the box and put it on the dining room table and it's still there. What a bubble buster. I'm trying to figure out if I should return it and get the white one or just return it and forget about it.
A question I wanted to ask is if I order a white one and return this one will the extended warranty I paid for transfer to the new one or would I have to get another warranty for the new one and be out that $49.99. I hope I'm making sense here.
Any help will be appreciated. Thank you

[unknown2cherubim]

My experience might not be the same, but I traded in my wifi only K3 for a 3G one.  They canceled my warranty and refunded me the money which I then applied to my new K3.  I'd think they'd do the same for you.  You can call them and make sure though.

[Sandpiper]

Do NOT just forget about it.  Kiindle = it's a very good thing.

[luvshihtzu]

You can cancel the warranty online.  No need to call.  I did it last year.

[leungss]

I suggest you use it for at least 1 week and then decide whether you want to keep it or not. I have the clay key version and I love it.  All of the key prints are intact on my kindle, and I use them a lot, especially the menu , home, 5-way button, they are perfectly intact, good as new.

Don't get the wrong idea that the clay-key version will wear off and the plastic version won't.  In many cases, it's quite the opposite, it all depends on your luck.

[Kindleing]

I have the same keys on my K3-wifi (graphite) and mine show no signs of wear.  Although I'm not a heavy user, I received my Kindle September 13, and have given it a moderate amount of use and have had zero problems with it.  Not everyone has the problems you read about on the forums.

Use it and see what happens - you have 30 days to decide.

Wally

[JetJammer]

I'm a very heavy user, and frequently use my nails to push the 5way, and I've had no issues with the buttons wearing off mine.  I'd at least give it a try, there's really nothing to lose with the 30 day warranty.

[Cloysterpete]

What are these clay keys people keep mentioning and how do you know if you have them?.

[Ann in Arlington]

I can't conceive of rejecting it because of what the keys look like without even using it.  As others have said. . .give it a try!  You have a full 30 days to use it and if you really decide the keys are a deal-breaker then, you can send it back.  They'll refund the full purchase price, plus the warranty, less return shipping charges of $5 - $10.

Of course, different things annoy different people to different degrees.  But I just can not see the keys ever being an issue for me.  It's obvious to me which direction is which on the controller. . .so even if the symbols wear off some -- and, you know, they haven't. -- it's no big deal.

Again, that's me. . . . but I'd say you owe it to yourself to give it a chance before going to the trouble of returning it.

You're welcome here, whatever you decide!  

[history_lover]

What are these clay keys people keep mentioning and how do you know if you have them?.

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,37393.0.html

If the lettering on your keys isn't wearing off, I wouldn't worry about it.

Equally, I don't understand why someone would refuse to even try a product on the off chance it might have a fault.

[mom2karen]

If the lettering wears off in 6 months Amazon will replace it so it doesn't matter if you have clay keys or not.  Use it and if it becomes a problem deal with it then.

[dimples]

Give it a try Don't forget that you mostly see complaints online, the people who have no problems have no real reason to post about it. For everyone who has a problem there are many more out there without any issue. Give it a shot and enjoy your kindle. Worry about all that other stuff only if you turn out to have problems

[KindleChickie]

Use it until the letters wear off and call Amazon for an exchange.  Problem solved.

[LCEvans]

When I got my K2, I read so much about fading in sunlight and I worried that I'd gotten a defective product. Then I decided that even if my screen faded, I'd keep the Kindle because I rarely read outside. As it turned out, mine was fine and I was worried over nothing. Your keys won't necessarily wear off. Give it a try and see how much fun Kindle is. If you have a problem, Amazon CS is super. Good luck.

Linda

[kisrita]

I have the graphite 3G version with the clay keys too, and no sign of wear.  You have 30 days to decide if you want it, so use it and check for signs of wear. Or, you can send it back, buy one from Target, then you have 90 days to check for wear and decide if you want to keep it.

[StaceyHH]

I honestly can't tell if I have the "clay" keys or the regular plastic. The stamp on my down arrow is a little faded, it'll probably be gone in another couple of months, but I'm sure I'll remember where "down" is. LOL!

Seriously, what the other people said, if it bothers you that much, return it and get the white, but you might think about trying it out first. You can send it back inside your return window without going through warranty service, even if you try it first.

[laurie_lu]

Don't you take the chance of getting a refurbished model if you wait to return it months later??

[Tam]

I also have the so-called clay keys - at least my keys are rather textured instead of the slightly shinier plastic of the rest of the kindle. I use my keys a LOT - going on the internet, browsing the Kindle Store, typing facebook posts - and none of the letters are fading at all.

So just having textured keys does not mean the lettering is doomed to fade - mine are fine and it looks like lots of other people have good keys too - even if they are the dreaded Clay!

[tamborine]

My keys are plastic, and the Home, Menu, Back & 5-way arrows are starting to wear off. But with my luck, I'd exchange it and get another one with the same problem! I know which key is which, so I guess I'll just live with it.

[jaylynn]

I'm having no issues with the keyboard.  I can't imagine not even trying out a much-wanted Kindle because of the possibility of something rather minor.  This might be one of those instances when knowing too much is a bad thing.  I think of all of those people with Kindles out there who don't read message boards who are happily using their Kindles unaware of these issues that in truth of fact affect very few people.  The people I know who have Kndles but who don't frequent KB or Amazon boards have all loved their Kindles, have never had problems with them, and are well, I guess, blissfully ignorant. 

[Meemo]

Much as I love KB (and clearly I spend a LOT of time here) - this is a case of TMI - you're letting Too Much Information get in the way of enjoying something you've been waiting for for over a year.  Pretend you never heard of "clay keys".  Bust out that Kindle.  Download a book.  Enjoy your K3!  

You've got 30 days - enjoy it for 25 and then decide whether you want to make a change.  I haven't read up much on this because I'm sticking with my K2, but I suspect it's like the sun-fading issue with the K2 - there was a bad batch - in this case probably a batch of the paint for marking the keys that was a bit off.  The sooner & more you use it the sooner you'll know whether yours was part of that bad batch.  It's probably just me, but I can't imagine letting something I've been waiting for for so long just languish on a table without even testing it out - it was pathetic how quickly I jumped on my K1 and my K2 after I got them.  

[Ann in Arlington]

Don't you take the chance of getting a refurbished model if you wait to return it months later??

Amazon's policy is that if it fails in the first 30 days you'll get a new one as a replacement -- though it might be marked "R" on the box since it's a replacment and won't necessarily have the plug and Quick Start leaflet in the box.

After 30 days, they may send a refurbished unit instead.  This is normally not a problem as it's been put through it's paces and repackaged as refurbished.  But, logistically, they aren't likely to even HAVE any refurbished units of the K3 for at least 2 to 3 months after release -- which was only August 26.  I think the chances of you getting a refurbished unit on a replacement request before the end of October are slim.

If it concerns you, it's perfectly reasonable to talk about it when you call for replacement and see what they say.

[fairy_dreams]

As the creator of the Clay vs Plastic keys poll, I'm sorry about all the confusion/misconceptions/disappointment!

I have "clay" keys myself, and they have not rubbed off at all. In fact, I like them better now because I think that they have better contrast (much easier to see the letters). And if you look at the poll, there is a good chance that your lettering won't rub off!

Give this K3 a try, and if the letters start disappearing, you can always return it.

[Alice Y. Yeh]

I got my graphite in the first wave and have been giving the keys a fair bit of usage (thank you, Every Word!) The letters are still completely fine, so you might have gotten a dud the first time around.

[KimberlyinMN]

I think I have the clay keys -- no sign of wear and it's been used daily since August 27.