[OSM-talk-be] happy with garmin service

[Luc Van den Troost]

Hi,


As most users here are supposed to be 'heavy gps users' I would like to
share an experience with a broken garmin GPS device.

3 years ago I bought me a Garmin Zumo 500, a GPS designed for motorbike use.
I choose it because some of it features
- it is waterproof
- it is easy to operate wearing gloves
- it comes with a special motorbike mount
- it can track the route you have been riding
- it comes with -good- software, not just to give you the fastest way from
point A to B, but to plan a complete route, that you can transfer to the GPS
device.

The 500 was roughly the same device as the 550, but only preloaded with the
benelux maps (but with the euro maps delivered on dvd) and with some minor
differences in software. Also the 550 came with an additional car-mount that
was not included with the 500. But for the price difference (450 euro or so
for the 500 against over 600 for the 550 I made my choise for the cheapest
one)

After a few years of use I still was VERY happy with it. It kept working
under the most terrible situations, pouring rain for a whole day...

Unfortunately it was NOT undestructible, and while tracking the Eurostar
high speed line it dropped off the table and fell with the screen on the
waste basket...
Broken screen.

First I tried to send it in for repair at www.tiptoets.nl but that was a
mistake. the garmin screens are custom made and are not available in the
after-marked, so after 5 months I finally succeeded in getting my broken
device back. Tiptoets just costed me about 25 euro postage fees, and 5
months of lost time.

I had it sent to Garmin itself trough the dealer. I sent only the device,
not the accessories.

Garmin replaced the device with a new - or an 'as new' completely revisioned
one - not the 500 model that is discontinued by now, but the more expensive
550 model. I got a COMPLETE BOX, including all the accessories - charger,
mounts, including the car mount, software and latest versions of the maps -

For the replacement I got charged 210 euro.

As my only alternative for the repair was to buy a new 550 model - as I
really want to stay with the Zumo - that costs 610 euro, I was very pleased
with this. Basically it 'saved' me 400 euro, wich is about the price I
originally payed for my 500 device.

Out of warranty service still exists!


Luc / Speedy
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