Technology

In 2019, I placed a pre-order for a Purism Librem 5. It was touted as a Linux mobile phone, providing an alternative to the two big players in the cellphone operating system space. Two years later I attempted to cancel this pre-order, as the promised device had failed to materialize. Three years after my original order, I got an e-mail indicating the device I no longer wanted would finally ship. It took almost six years from my original order to get a refund. I was met with tons of excuses from support staff and eventually had to file a complaint with my credit card company to finally get the money restored. I’m honestly shocked Purism is even still in business. They’re a horrible company filled with liars. No one should give them any money for what must be garbage products.

I was made aware of many of the issues facing Purism, and specifically the Librem 5 phone, back in the fall of 2019¹. Still, I decided to keep my pre-order, in hopes I would see a product that would eventually provide an alternative to the closed duopoly of Android and iProducts. In 2021, I realized my trust in Purism had been misguided and requested a cancellation of my order. It would be nearly six years from my purchase date before the company would refund my order. They made up excuses and even put me in a “refund queue.” The following is a timeline of communications:

E-mail Communication

Purism’s support personnel kept trying to tell me refunds didn’t apply to my purchase, even though it was clearly stated I could refund my order based on their refund policies on their website at the time my order was placed². Asking on forum posts, it seemed clear that Purism was openly lying³ and trying to prevent further hemorrhaging of funds as they failed to deliver their product. The following are the e-mail threads between myself and Purism support.

Refund and Credit Card Investigation

I was surprised when I received an e-mail stating I would be getting a refund in July of 2025. Had I finally made it through the “refund queue?” Only a few days after this refund did I get the following letter from my credit card company, stating that they had completed their investigation of my purchase from Purism.

I had made this complaint to my credit card provider in the fall of 2022, and it still took over two years for the dispute to be resolved! Had I not involved my credit card company, I doubt I would have gotten a refund.

The State of Linux Phones

My original $699 had been held for nearly six years! Purism essentially got a six year interest-free loan from me and many other customers⁴⁵. I had moved three different times and even ordered and received a PinePhone during the time when Purism failed to deliver anything.

I’ve never done a full post on my PinePhone. I worked on it briefly for a while, but other projects took priority, and it has ended up confined to its box for years. But unlike the Librem 5, the phone did actually exist. I ordered it, it was delivered and I was able to boot it up and start working on it. In recent years, I’ve found it easier to maintain privacy and control over my phone by removing Google services from Android devices.

I’ve never owned a Purism product, and after this experience, I never want to. The company failed on multiple levels and has never owned up to their mistakes. They are likely still holding money hostage from many customers, and using that capitol to keep what must be a horrible mess of a business from collapsing entirely. Even if their products aren’t complete garbage, they are obviously untrustworthy, and I can only imagine warranty claims would be a nightmare. If you’re looking for a company that produces good open-source hardware that respects their customers, Purism is not what you’re looking for.