Garmin - Excellent Customer Service

[richardbd]

My trusty Garmin Zumo 550 finally gave up.

Riding through Croydon at the end of last week, it suddenly started to behave as if it had never been used before - demanding screen recalibration etc.

I nursed it home, did a hard reset and updated the firmware, only to find that it had somehow lost the unlock file for the maps. I found a way on a Garmin forum to rebuild and replace that, only to find that now the bluetooth wouldn't initialise. I tried everything, including yet another total rebuild - nothing. I had to admit defeat - and also admit that it was probably being dropped once too often in its six year, 30,000 mile life that had done for it - not the ride through Croydon.

Monday 08.30 I call Garmin UK, talked them through what had happened and what I'd tried. "You're right, it's dead" was the considered response. However, the nice lady then said "if you send it back to us and give us £111, we'll replace it with a refurbished unit - but it might take 10-14 days". Off to the post office I go. Next morning at 09.30 I get an email confirming receipt. Same day at 16.30 I get an email confirming despatch of a replacement. 09.30 next morning a UPS man knocks on the door with the new unit.

I open the package to find what appears to be a brand new Zumo 550 - not a mark on it - and not only that; it has the latest maps too. From memory, the map upgrade alone is worth over £50!!

So, I always thought Garmin was superior to TomTom - now I'm totally convinced...

 

[hatzyian]

Did the same thing last year, but I ended up with a 660, and they delivered it by courier to Cyprus.

 

[Kritou]

Did the same thing last year, but I ended up with a 660, and they delivered it by courier to Cyprus.

Have you tried OSM mapping on it? I'm well impressed - and if anything it's even better in the North

 

[stolzy]

I got the same deal and had my maps updated from 2008 to 2012.

On the other hand they need good after sales service because of the shit quality of the stuff they sell.

 

[hatzyian]

Have you tried OSM mapping on it? I'm well impressed - and if anything it's even better in the North

I've got the local Garmin (Geometric) maps on the SD card, very good mapping, plus lifetime updates. About 90€ to get, but well worth money. The Turkish occupied north is fairly well covered.

 

[Blackal]

I got the same deal and had my maps updated from 2008 to 2012.

On the other hand they need good after sales service because of the shit quality of the stuff they sell.

I've never had much call to criticise their quality, after a Quest, Streetpilot 2610, Zumo 400, Zumo 550..............

But this was my experience of dealing with their after-sales service................

I can echo Mike's experience:


Was down in Southampton earlier this year, and my sister was complaining that her 3 yr old Garmin Nuvi 360 (top of the range at the time) had pitched a fit.
I phoned up Garmin and asked if I could drop the unit off at their new headquarters at Totton, rather than posting it?

http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/si...t;jsessionid=19FAE96ECB6A6EBF7A97E00513919E43



The girl on the phone said to bring it in, and someone would meet me and give me an initial appraisal and take it from there.

A girl came out to reception to see us, and listened to an explanation of the symptoms on the Nuvi and appeared very helpful, so..................

I handed her my broken Zumo car mount (I had foolishly tried to aleviate the stiffness in the ball-joint by putting a couple of drops of extra-virgin olive oil in the joint ) which had started to break up due to destabilisation of the plastic in the cup and asked if they could repair it?


Thinking "in for a penny.................." - I also asked her about the upgrading of a Zumo 400 (UK mapping) to full European mapping using the £36 upgrade disc. (I had been told by the retailer that it would upgrade the maps, and when it didn't - I thought I had been thrown a "wobbly ball")

Anyway - the result?


1) My sister's Nuvi (out of warranty) was to be repaired (replaced) for £75 including P&P

2) My Zumo car mount has been repaired and posted out to me FREE OF CHARGE

3) The girl printed out a step-by-step instruction sheet for upgrading the maps on my Zumo 400.

Two weeks later - My sister received a brand new Nuvi, FREE OF CHARGE, with an apology for the "delay"

I have no reason to believe that anyone dealing with those problems by phone or e-mail would have been treated differently.

I can't think of a single reason for straying from the Garmin camp.


Al

Al