I can't speak for Canada, but I am rather disappointed in our Nuvi 650. We just got home from a 3 week jaunt throught AL, KY, and TN. Sometimes she was flawless, other times she sent us down dead-end roads (been dead-ends for 25 years!). Also, what she called the shortest route was not! Now I know it's not the unit's fault, but give me a break, those dead-ends were dead-ends before commercial GPS was available!. I too had lots of trouble with downloading the new 09 maps. Customer service was NOT that helpful.
USAF retired
'98 F-150, 5.4L, 3.55 gears, tow package
2004 Jayco Jay Feather 26S, 4500 Lbs dry
One terrific wife
Frost, the RooRoo
I'd point out, regardless of what side of the border you are on, that the basemaps in any GPS are just a starting point. I use my US Garmin Rino in Canada and love it. I have purchased both the City Source DVD and the Canada Topo. Adding detailed map data for where you will be traveling and customizing it for your purposes is key to getting everything out of your device.
While you may considre the weak basemaps a ploy to sell more product like the MapSource DVDs (and it partially is) you must also consider that there is just not enough room on any of these devices to put detailed maps for everything into the unit.
I'd also add that, in this particular case, that there are differences between CDN and USA models of most GPSs. This isn't marketing, folks; most of it is based upon the law. Know what you are buying before you buy it.
2001 Coachmen Leprechaun 314SS (Acquired in July 2008)
T-hawk wrote: Garmin is a great company. Their customer service, IMO, is second to none.
If you live in the USA, you could be right, but from experience I agree with the OP. The map in the Garmin I purchased was and still is next to useless in the Maritime Provinces. The help (using the word loosely) from Garmin was worse. The jackass I had contact with knew less about the product than I did. Guess what I got in an email a week back, a new map is available, but once burned twice shy. I now use Google to find a location, print a map and it hasn't failed me yet.
Buy another Garmin, or their maps, you'd have to be kidding. On the first trip with it my wife wanted to throw it out the window, I wouldn't let her, I wanted to keep it as a reminder not to be stupid again.
If I ever get tired of printing maps, I may buy another GPS, but it won't be a Garmin
Cheers Willey
I think statements like this which state that Garmin maps are junk are funny. Garmin uses NAVTEQ maps. NAVTEQ is an industry leader in mapping and is used by quite a few different manufactures.. with the exception of Tom Tom who uses TeleAtlas almost all the other leading GPS device use NAVTEQ including OEM factory installed GPS systems. So that said.. maps between the devices out there are virtually the same if the units are purchased around the same time. To say one map sucks is to say they all suck. Garmin for one releases the updates a lot faster than many of the other companies as well.
The import/export rules and laws are set by Governments. Not just the U.S. but Canada too. Perhaps the U.S. is blocking the "export": or maybe the Canadian govt is blocking the "import"?? In either case, it is not Garmin's fault.
For a long time the U.S. would not allow "export" of 128 bit encryption software. Mexico will not allow the "import" of any product that is also made by some company in Mexico regardless of price or quality difference.
Interesting. I am a Canadian, however purchased my Garmin C530 from the US, and have never had a problem getting updates no matter where I have been in North America.
J & M
2005 Cardinal 33TS LX with TrailAir
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 4x4 DRW D/A (LLY) Crew Cab
A few years back I ordered a GPS thingy that turns your laptop into a GPS. I waited until the new (at the time) update came out. I had to order it directly from Garmin since it was new and the vendors didn't have it yet, I even paid list price because I wanted the latest edition because I was leaving on vacation in a couple days.
When I ordered it I specifically asked if it was the new version and was told yes. Guess what? So I called them and they sent me the update. It arrived just before I had to leave so I was afraid to install it thinking I might mess something up and would be without the GPS altogether.
Fast forward less than a year. I'm getting ready to go on a trip again. I try to install the update and it wouldn't work, need to go online and get code (tried that wouldn't work) so I called Garmin. They tell me no deal since the even newer version would be coming out soon.
So I paid them for something they wouldn't even let me use. There was no expiration date on the update disc they sent me or I would have taken care of it. I had no idea I would have to go online to use something they sent me in the mail.
Next time one of there competitors gets my money because they wouldn't give me what I paid for and it wouldn't have costed them anything. Sounds like good business to me.
As W said fool me once shame on ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
* This post was
edited 08/02/08 05:05am by Yellermanx *
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