I love my Garmin c340 GPS unit. I’ve bragged about it. I’ve sold them to friends and MadeByMark.com readers. I’m what marketing theorists call an Enthusiastic Customer Evangelist — someone who is passionate enough about a product to yammer on and on about it in public without being paid to do so.
I still love my Garmin c340. My love, however, does not extend to Garmin’s tech support people … who, over the course of the past three to four weeks, have done everything in their power to turn me against their company and products. Here’s the story:
Occasionally, Garmin releases updated maps for units like mine. Updating the internal map should be easy. I mean, how complicated could it be? You should be able to go to the site, identify your unit, check for updates, download them, install them, and be off … right?
Wrong. Here are the hoops Garmin’s made me jump through over the last thirty days:
1) I went to Garmin’s website to update my maps. An online form required both my unit’s serial number (no problem — it’s on the base of the unit) and a code that was on a piece of yellow paper that came with the unit when I bought it in March (!). The box and papers for my c340 are long gone, so I sent an email to tech support explaining the situation and asking, “How can I get the information I need to upgrade my maps?”
2) Tech support replied: “What’s your serial number?”
3) I sent them my serial number.
3) Tech support then replied: “Your unit isn’t registered with us. Please send us the serial number and the six-digit code from that little yellow piece of paper that was in the original box.”
4) I explained again that I didn’t have the little yellow piece of paper. “That was why I contacted tech support to begin with,” I say.
5) Garmin’s next response? “Your last communication with us didn’t include the serial number of the unit or the name of the tech support person helping you. Please resend your request, including the serial number and the name of the tech support person in the subject line.”
6) Beginning to feel more than a little irritated, I wrote back to tech support, putting the serial number and the name of the tech support person in the subject line. Once again, I asked what I would need to do to get the code needed to download the map updates.
I also pointed out that, for months, I’ve been an Enthusiastic Customer Evangelist for Garmin. I provided two pointers to two blog entries where I talk about having the product and loving it. “It’s clear I’m a Garmin GPS owner,” I say. “And I’m willing to spend seventy-five bucks on these map upgrades. What do I have to do in order to give you people my money, exactly?”
7) Garmin replied with: “Send us your name, address, telephone number, the date of the original purchase, the serial number (again!), and a copy of your original receipt.”
8) Now was really angry. The original purchase receipt?
Fortunately, I got my unit from Amazon.com — so I had a copy of the receipt on hand. I entered my name, my address, my phone number, and my serial number … and pasted in a copy of my Amazon.com receipt. “I’ve got body fluids,” I said. “Would you like samples?”
9) Five business days went by. Garmin’s tech support fell silent.
10) Two days ago, I sent Garmin a reminder. “Did you get the receipt? Do need anything else? Hair samples, perhaps? DNA?”
11) Today, in a terse little email, Garmin finally supplied the codes I needed, along with a link to the page where I could order — not download, mind you, but ORDER — the map upgrades.
And — for the umpteenth time — in order to have the privilege of handing over nearly a hundred bucks to the company, I found myself facing a form that, once again, wants my name, my address, my serial number, and that six-digit code from the little yellow sheet of paper.
***Sigh***
Garmin had better be glad their c340 is such a fine, sexy, desirable little machine … because if my patronage depended on satisfaction with tech support … I’d be a TomTom user by now.
6/26/2007 – Their website is terrible and I was unable this evening to find an update for the maps too. Garmin really needs to listen to customers and update their website. The Kana form based email submittal is terrible. I just wanted to email them, yet I had to fight that damn form and searches to just qualify to submit it!
6/26/2007 – Their website is terrible and I was unable this evening to find an update for the maps too. Garmin really needs to listen to customers and update their website. The Kana form based email submittal is terrible. I just wanted to email them, yet I had to fight that damn form and searches to just qualify to submit it!
Garmin website was horrible. I tried to find a way to update the map for my C340, but no success. Tried email support, but did not find the submit button after finished the form. I did not have the code either, just wondering what to do next. I will not support a product which does not provide a free update. I am done with the Garmin.
I totally agree the website is horrible. I myself am trying to find map updates and reading this I say to my self “Oh dam” where can I get them?
I think you can get the updates, while saving some aggravation and a couple bucks, by searchin on eBay. Search for “City Navigator North America 2008”. Buy one that comes with the unlock code so you won’t need that yellow paper. If you have a different Garmin model, find the map download page on the Garmin site and put your serial number in. Below will appear the product you need and search eBay for it.
I just went the through the same process. Basically you must provide the registration number that is provided in the product packaging.
You must provide the registration number along with the serial number (located on the device itself) to register the product with garmin (on their website). The problem is that most people don’t register their product when they buy their GPS (we get enough spam already).
Then a year later we realize that there are some new roads out there and we want to get our devices updated with the latest maps. We go to the Garmin website (by the way a really really poorly designed website, but that another issue) and the only way to order the CD (that is correct, they don’t allow a download) is to provide the registration and serial number. For most of us we through the packaging away a long long time ago. So we are stuck with a GPS that we are unable to update.
Here’s what I did, call support and be really nice and tell them what you did, i.e. bought it last year and now you want to update the mapping software but I no longer have the registration code. The tech support girl gave me the registration code. Remember to be polite because they don’t have to do it and in that case you are up the creek without a paddle. The reason they have this policy is to prevent theft of these devices. Not the best way to go about it.
Most people think about updating the map software until a year or so is gone
If you’ve lost your gold colored card ( there’s a reason it’s that color, because if you lose it, you’ll think it was real Gold) and you don’t have a purchase receipt,(threw that out with the yellow card you thought you didn’t need)then.. you’re done. You might as well pay for the upgrade CD ($$$) or get a new GPS with upgraded features. I thankfully saved all “gold” cards from my GPS systems with all the paperwork, something rare for me, but I had a feeling they were very important. I just purchased my 4th Garmin product and I’m going to have the gold cards laminated! Maybe keep them in a safe, but do everything in my power not to lose them. I don’t want to deal with Garmin’s tech support and go through the fun like the author of this story did.
Update: I must say to Garmin’s credit that if you keep your yellow, I call “Gold” card and remember your purchase date by checking the receipt, credit card statements or call the company you purchased the Garmin from (just ideas in case you lose your receipt)…Once you register your Garmin, add in the magic code from the Gold sheet and purchase date, updating could not be easier. They simply mail you the update CD free and my C340 is over a year old. I agree with other posters that the website could be easier, especially at login ( it kept giving me a hard time) but once you make it on the site, register and update, you start to like Garmin inc. again. Of course we love their products.
Love the product, but yeah, if you thow away that box you’re screwed. Their support and website stink. I simply did an end-around and bought my map update DVD via http://www.thegpsstore.com.
I wholeheartedly agree. I love my C320 and I had kept everything from the product. I ordered the new 2008 CD and waited. By the time I got the 2008 CD in the mail, my wife had thrown away my boxes and paperwork. I installed the CD and went through all of the steps, but I couldn’t send it to my unit because I needed the unlock code.
I tried to go online and get my code, but apparently they think I never registered my unit. I did. Now I am being asked to pay the $79 to unlock my unit for a disk that I have sitting right here.
Ridiculous.
I understand the that TomTom has free map updates. Anybody have any experience with other GPS units that have free maps?
I have been through the same horror show as you. Go figure, a few weeks ago I purchased the 2008 update for $69.00 Now they released the 2009 update. It’s a pitty they rape us with the cost of a GPS and they rape us again to keep it up to date.
GPS units are rapidly dropping in price which is great. With Garmins service as it is,,,,,,, I’m not dropping any more money in there laps.
Garmin,, You need to change your ways,, real bad!!!
I have gone through the laborious process of getting the update disc and unlock code, but after loading the maps the code doesn’t work, so I can’t use the product at all. And they think they provide First Rate service. I think this is refered to as theft or fraud.
I bought a Garmin 1100. Could not find any link to go to in order to download any updated maps. Not only that, my garmin did not have a serial number in the box. No yellow paper to get a number from. So I am stuck with a garmin that can only give me directions locally. LOL. Oh what a dummy I am. Should have gone with TomTom.
After owning my Garmin for a year now, I found that tech support still is just as intelligent as the day I called them a year ago. Then one day I was traveling over 500 miles, it told me to "turn now". Okay, that would be nice, except it was a huge lake. Now, a few more miles up the road, all of a sudden it started downloading maps while I am traveling. Now, I can go anywhere and will not try to talk to tech support. Wonder what country they are in. Maybe I was talking to Peggy in Russia.