Kudos to Garmin Customer Service [Archive]

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AusFletch

05-12-2006, 04:41 PM

My Garmin 2610 screen recently delaminated. I love my gps. I was sad. :(

The GPS was <1 year old and still within the warranty period but I could not find the receipt anywhere. Garmin accepted the unit for repair on warranty with no cost to me even without the purchase receipt.

Today I received a BRAND NEW replacement unit from Garmin less than 10 days after I shipped them the broken unit and just in time for an upcoming trip to Florida. They transferred all my maps, routes and waypoints and even moved over the 2gb memory card I accidentally left in the unit when I sent it to them.

I wanted to make sure I shared the great experience with this vendor. I complain as much as the next guy when I receive poor customer service but the fact is I have experienced much more great service than poor service. Garmin just placed themselves in the GREAT category and have made me a 'Garmin-first'-type customer.

http://ausfletch.smugmug.com/photos/32299460-S.jpg

I have my gps back now. I love my gps. I am happy. :sun:

-FLETCH

kurt

05-12-2006, 04:54 PM

AusFletch

05-12-2006, 08:28 PM

Well, good for them, but, they require registration and have tighter security based on serial numbers than anyone I've ever dealt with. They should know to the minute when you registered it. A receipt should be redundant for them.

No kidding about the security. I keep expecting them to ask my favorite color all Monty Python-esque every time I work on their site.

Still, their warranty is abundantly clear about the receipt being required and they could have - like other companies often do - made it an issue.

The turnaround time was as impressive as the actual work itself.

-FLETCH

Tourmeister

05-13-2006, 12:24 AM

:tab I will always buy a Garmin GPS in the future unless something really incredible comes out from a competitor. Some of you may have seen the pic of my crushed unit after I flipped the GS onto its backside. Garmin replaced it with a brandnew unit for $100. It was out of warranty and suffered abuse, not a defect. They were happy to do it. I would have been out another $400 to replace it. I got the new one in less than a week.

:tab Dad had a 276 that got a bum battery. They sent him a new battery, no questions asked, and he got it in two days.

:tab My 60CS power button was having problems. The unit was filthy when I sent it in. The casing also had some severe vibration induced scarring from rubbing againt the ram mount when I used it on Dyna Sport's KTM. I sent it in for the power button issue. They fixed that AND gave me a brand new outer casing at no charge even though I did not even mention that. From the day I mailed it until I got it back was seven days.

:tab Their unlock codes are a pain, but they are only needed for a few of their programs. I have never had a problem with using them. I have always been given new codes for free when units have been replaced or swapped out. I guess it would get to be a real pain if I actually had a bunch of GPS units and I had to buy extra codes for the extra units :shrug:

TexasTri

05-13-2006, 06:17 AM

Hey Ausfletch,
I just got the 2720 and was wondering what sort of mount you had hooked up. It looks like it would also work for mine. Additionally for the other Garmin users, When I got mine I registered it and did the unlock to get any map updates, but it indicated there were none available. This seems strange as the neighborhood I live in has been around for over 3 years and it is not on the current maps. Am I missing something?
Thanks

AusFletch

05-13-2006, 08:03 AM

Their unlock codes are a pain, but they are only needed for a few of their programs. I have never had a problem with using them. I have always been given new codes for free when units have been replaced or swapped out. I guess it would get to be a real pain if I actually had a bunch of GPS units and I had to buy extra codes for the extra units :shrug:

Scott, it is nice to hear my good experience was not an anomaly. It really is amazing how quickly they took care of it. I have dealt with similar issues with other companies and it takes twice that long just to get a response. I really place a high value on customer service and will gladly pay a premium for honest, reliable service. It costs less in the long run. File that in the 'Things my Dad taught me when I was a kid that I didn't believe at the time' category.

Hey Ausfletch,
I just got the 2720 and was wondering what sort of mount you had hooked up. It looks like it would also work for mine. Additionally for the other Garmin users, When I got mine I registered it and did the unlock to get any map updates, but it indicated there were none available. This seems strange as the neighborhood I live in has been around for over 3 years and it is not on the current maps. Am I missing something?
Thanks

TT, That is a Touratech locking mount that bolts directly onto the crossbar on my GS. It is kinda pricey but it works great and Touratech falls solidly in the good customer service category in my book, too.

The bracket is part #01-065-0066-0 and here is the Touratech link (I think you may have to search for the part - the site is a bit byzantine):

http://www.touratech.de/shop_uk/enter.html

Touratech says the same mount works for the entire 26XX/27XX series and it should as the cases are identical. I don't have a picture of just the bracket for the 2610 but here is a picture of the same identical TYPE mount I had (and TxCpl has now???) for a GPS V:

http://ausfletch.smugmug.com/photos/46507126-S.jpg

toliver

05-13-2006, 09:07 AM

I've had a similar experience with Garmin. My 376C had intermittent problems and I could not find my receipt. They replaced with a new one and I had it back in less than a week. No Charge. Of course, the 376C had not even been available for a year when this happened. Still great service in my book.

A friend had a Magellan that did not have a serial number for some reason. The numbers are burned into the units. He had a lot of problems getting them to activate his mapping software but they finally relented.

Tom

mcrider

05-13-2006, 10:26 AM

This is like asking what is the best dual sport bike, but here goes. :zen: What is the best Garmin GPS for use with DS bikes?

My Magellan 320 just died; it will not receive. Magellan says it is no longer made & not fixable. I just got it hard wired with a new mount. :doh: The strange thing is that the last coordinates displayed were of a grave yard. :-(

I used it to map trails mostly. It had cities loaded, but no roads. I've seen others talk about having road maps loaded. What GPS does that & can they be turned off. I want to still be able to map trails, etc.

Tourmeister

05-13-2006, 03:49 PM

I think bang for the buck, I would get either the 60CS or the 276Cs. If I could afford it, I'd get the 276 because of the larger screen size and extra memory. I have been using a 60CS in dirty rough conditions for about two years and other than crushing it have never really had any problems. Plenty of memory to hold maps for where I am riding. The only downside is the smaller screen.

Tx Rider

05-17-2006, 06:27 PM

Garmin just came out with an X series that supposedly takes SD memory cards, might be worth looking at.

Texas T

05-17-2006, 08:01 PM

Garmin just came out with an X series that supposedly takes SD memory cards, might be worth looking at. And Sandisk just released a 1 gig SD card that is ALSO a flash drive and plugs into a USB port.
http://ebm.sandisk-dm.com/c/tag/aBEaSalAajgk5AfEuMkAAAAAArP/doc.html

Tourmeister

05-18-2006, 02:03 AM

cmartin

05-18-2006, 08:41 AM

Garmin just offered a $100.00 rebate on the purchase of a 76Cx or 76Csx, if purchased between 5/16/06 - 7/9/06.

Offroute.com (http://www.offroute.com/product/view_product.asp?x_ID=148703&new=1&fromsearch=1) has the 76Cx for $399.95

The rebate makes it cheaper than the 60Cx. with a larger memory card.

I love my 76Cx. I bought a 1gb card and loaded 3/4 of the US. The 128mb card that came with the unit is loaded with Road & Rec.

Tourmeister

05-19-2006, 01:07 AM

Wow! Sweet deal. Do they have the same sized screen?

cmartin

05-19-2006, 09:02 AM

yes they have the same size screens. But the 76Cx is better looking.

All questions about units answered here: 76CX vs 60Cx (http://gpsinformation.us/gps60c/g76Creview.html)

Tourmeister

05-19-2006, 12:03 PM

:tab When riding, I hook my fingers under the ram mount to stabilize my hand. This leaves my thumb free to manipulate the buttons on the 60CS without obstructing my view of the screen. This is handy when scrolling the map. With the buttons on the top, that might be more difficult. The one thing I wish was different about the 276 is that currently the buttons are on the right side of the unit. For a bike, it would be more convenient to have them on the left. Again, this would allow you to operate it without obstructing your view of the screen.

kurt

06-05-2006, 02:33 PM

So far, I'm not loving Garmin's support. Three calls, three trips through voicemail to hear I can expect a wait of 30-35 minutes. My e-mail from their website has gone unanswered today. I expected faster/better service.

Tourmeister

06-05-2006, 04:22 PM

I'm beginning to think it might be you :-P Seriously, call at non-peak times. Monday is horrible because everyone is back from the weekend with broken GPS's ;-) Call on Tues or Wed in the afternoon. I have never had any trouble getting through. Never tried email though.

kurt

06-05-2006, 04:37 PM

After 45 minutes on hold, I finally got someone. He went through all the same steps of verifying software, reaquiring the satellites, clearing the memory and all that. Told me to call back if that didn't work after he couldn't explain why I had signal for brief moments and hours without. He did suggest maybe weather conditions played a factor on Saturday :lol2: A brief ride confirmed the obvious. It's not working. Maybe it is me. I have high expectations and hate being treated like I'm bothering someone after spending money to purchase their product. Incidentally, the option to purchase accessories by phone picks up on the first ring. :-P

Seriously, call at non-peak times. Monday is horrible because everyone is back from the weekend with broken GPS's

Shouldn't they add support capacity on those days? Surely they could hire some Indians that work weekends for pennies.

bushwhacker

06-05-2006, 04:49 PM

I have a 76CS that I got for a christmas present in 2004, no idea when it was purchased and did not have a receipt.

One of the battery tabs broke off around august of 2005 and I used a small piece of metal to wedge the battery in and kept using it.

In late October of 2005 I sent a request to return it for service explaining it was a Christmas present and I had no reciept.

They sent me a return authorization number and I sent it in and had it back within two weeks with the guts installed in a new case for no charge.

-

bushwhacker

06-05-2006, 04:51 PM

Tourmeister

06-05-2006, 10:13 PM

See Kurt... it has to be you ;-) I did not get any kind of run around any of the times I have had to use the customer service. Did the guy give you an RMA?

kurt

06-05-2006, 10:45 PM

Did the guy give you an RMA?

They did after the second call. We'll see how the repair/replacement goes.

Tourmeister

06-05-2006, 10:49 PM

I am predicting several weeks of no GPS showing up, then finally being lost all together, unreturned emails... and a new bike... :nana:

kurt

06-05-2006, 10:59 PM

I am predicting several weeks of no GPS showing up, then finally being lost all together, unreturned emails... and a new bike... :nana:

Garmin's handling of this is out of my hands, but I'll take you up on the new bike part of the wager. ;-)

Tx Rider

06-06-2006, 09:18 AM

So does that mean a 60CX could have 1Gb of memory? Heck, I still would want the 276. I have never had an issue with running out of memory for maps and I generally load both the City Select maps AND the Topo maps so I can toggle between them.

They make 4GB SD cards these days, enough to hold the entire U.S. maps, that is IF the garmin will accept and read a 4GB card. Not all devices will read them but anything newer than a year or two old should.

And now that garmin has done a new compression on their maps, and are fiting the whole US on more GPS's, if it becomes available for newer units it might be possible soon to get the whole US street maps and topo on one 4GB SD card.

What I would like to see is a 276 type model that takes that 4GB card. That and a cheaper annual rate for the weather radar service and such.

kurt

06-16-2006, 12:40 PM

Just a follow-up. My doorbell just rang and DHL dropped off a replacement Quest complete with new S/N and an unlock code. Other than the initial frustration of trying to get to a human, I guess this worked just about like it should. They honored the warranty and replaced the defective unit in a timely manner.

Now, who wants to buy a new Quest with a powered motorcycle mount WITHOUT the Mapquest software? 6 months left on warranty plus a 90-day extension.

Squeaky

06-16-2006, 12:43 PM

Good to hear.

Other than the initial frustration of trying to get to a human, I guess this worked just about like it should.

I think we all knew (or hoped) it would end well. Maybe you've been in a hands-on, personal career for so long, you don't want to believe that the rest of the world of customer service doesn't (unfortunately) have anything personal to it. It's a ringing phone or an email to answer, not a person. It's problem solving, not customer service.

Ok, so it's a little customer service worker rant... :doh:

Tourmeister

06-16-2006, 01:56 PM

So now you are selling it and getting what... :scratch:

Are you going to start going through GPS's the way you go through bikes?! :nana:

Squeaky

06-16-2006, 02:43 PM

Are you going to start going through GPS's the way you go through bikes?! :nana:

Ooh, I hope so! I'd love a good used one. One ride with Skid's 376c and I'm hooked!

kurt

06-16-2006, 03:21 PM

So now you are selling it and getting what... :scratch:

Are you going to start going through GPS's the way you go through bikes?! :nana:

Nope, the girls want a handheld model more suitable for geocaching. We may end up with two which wouldn't be so bad considering how little I stand to gain from the sale of the Quest.