# tomtom nightmare



## tessajoe (Sep 23, 2008)

my 3 month old 730 crashed on the 2-2-09,i got in touch with tom tom who told me to send it to holland via DHL,i did this on the 2nd,DHL picked it up on the 4th,today i rang tom tom who informed me that the device had arrived to=day 8.30.they are now saying it could take upto 10 days to repair and another 5 days to deliver.that will take me upto the 24th.tomtom have not been good at customer services,from the outset i told them i was not able to speak portugese,yet it was left upto me to arrange with dhl portugal to pick the tom tom up very difficult when you dont speak the lingo.then they told me they wont pay for the repair unless i have my recipte of purchass,so i had to go and find a printer,and print off my bank statement{lucky i didnt pay cash}this they accepted.i have been stuck in sagres for one week [on site] now i could be here for another 2 weeks.i dont think i will buy another tomtom ever.


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Tessajoe,
I'm in a difficult situation with your post because I can see 2 sides to it. 

Tom Tom customer service has always been a bit shoddy. But in the last 18 months it has got worse and the quality of the product has deteriorated. The core navigation remains good but with every update they add features that don't work and break ones that did work. On top of this there is a constant stream of subscription based services which just don't deliver in the UK. A look pocketgpsword.com or gpspassion forums will show you the level of dissapointment with the product. Customer services suffers from the classic situation when companies grow too quickly and they employ cue-sheet readers instead of people with a clue.

On the other side of the coin, and with the greatest of respect, sending an electrical item back while on a campsite and hoping it returns in a few days so you can move on is risky to say the least. But if you're on a long stint maybe you had no choice. 

I really only get inolved in 2 forums. This one and pocketgpsworld and to see constant complaints about Tom Tom customer services in the forum for motorhomes shows the level of dismay everyone is experiencing. 

Tom Tom are playing a dangerous game. If someone pops up with a half decent cmpetitior product run by people who care then they are in big trouble because some of us have had enough.


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## tessajoe (Sep 23, 2008)

*tomtom*

thanks for your reply jimbo,i am going to phone tom tom and ask if they can forward it on to mazarron if its not to much trouble to them.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*TomTom*

 Ciao tutti,
well now, very interesting, because I was about to make a post giving some praise to TomTom. My 710 Go broke because I paid 79 Euro for a new map and map updates offer, and then tried to upload them without success because they were too big.
Anyway after lots of computer hassle and swear words, TomTom Milano told me to send it to Holland, giving me a repair code, and instructed me to contact DHL with a code number they gave me.
At 10:00 a.m. 02 Feb. I contacted DHL
at 12:00 a.m. same day DHL picked up the Tom Tom from my home.
On 03 Feb I received an email from TomTom advising me that they had received my 710.
On 05 Feb I received an email from TomTom advising me that my 710 was on its way back to me, giving me a UPS tracking code.
The UPS tracking code tells me that at the moment it is about 60Kms. away from my home, so am expecting delivery tomorrow. Of course I don't know yet how effective their intervention has been, nor if they are going to charge me, since it was out of warranty.
Still, I'm quite impressed.
saluti,
eddied


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Eddied
If you are happy then fair enough. That's what counts. However the problem you encountered stems (if I'm not mistaken) from the software not checking available space for temporary files during the install and has been an ongoing issue for several versions now. It should work but it doesn't. That along with stuttering voices with latest version on the x20 range, bugs that were fixed then reappeared in later version and features on the box which don't work as described.

If you have a basic Tom Tom one there is no doubt that it is a well crafted piece of hardware and navigates well. I personally have issues with it because I once loved TT for it's simplicity and reliability. I now feel like I'm gettting short changed for the outlay on expensive features.

And I appreciate that you (as I do) judge companies not so much on their problems but how the problems are dealt with. However when the same bugs have cropped up in upgrades for 18 months it's like the issues arent being dealt with. 

Tht said I hope it comes back shiny and fresh and you don't end up a little bit jaded with it all as I am.


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## Chris_s (Jun 5, 2008)

It surprises me that anyone would travel in another country without a good road map.  Sat Nav is good but we know in this country that it is not perfect.  Add on less than fluent language problems and it is easy to be up the creek without a paddle! 8O 

Am I just old fashioned, over careful or just plain sensible in being prepared? I would have reverted to road maps and dealt with Tom Tom on return to the UK. While spoil your travelling and put all the blame on one piece of technology? :roll:


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Pah. Who needs roadmaps 

I've got a TomTom 

And as backup, I have the same TomTom software/maps on an SD card that fits into my phone. And I carry a backup disk with it all on as well 

Oh - and Autoroute on laptop.

Save a tree - bin road maps


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Chris, when I read the title I was prepared for some poor soul being led (by Tom Tom) into an ambush of rabid gassers and the poor owner not being able to reverse out of trouble because of their braked 'A' frame. Not someone who can't manage to travel abroad without a bit of electronic kit that can let you down anytime. 
I agree that waiting until you are home would have been a safer bet as far as getting the unit back. 

I have noticed a tendency to overstate the case in thread titles on here - 'nightmares', 'rip off' when asked to pay the commercial rate for something and 'HELP' without any qualification when often all thats needed is a read of the *** manual.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

I have just removed two posts by tessajoe containing personal insults and a threat of violence.

This sort of post will not be tolerated.

tessajoe has also been excluded from this thread.


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Chris_s

Yes you're old fashioned...... you asked for that ;-)

A place for both. My favourite thing about a paper map is perusing it with a glass of wine in the evening. But GPS all the way for me on the move.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I too was caught out by the update exceeding the size of my memory but it was a TomTom Home problem not a tomtom 700 problem. Once I got the updated version of TomTom Home it found the right sized file and by deleting the old map from the TomTom (whilst retaining it as a backup in my computer) I was able to install the new map.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Hi Gaspode, I have just got in from an evenings curling (great thing hairdressing) and missed the deleted posts!!
If they were anything like the PM I received from same poster then it is probably just as well!!


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

We recently had to wait for some documents to be Fed Ex'ed out to us in Spain, so had to stay at La Manga for a week. The documents took 5 days and cost the best part of £20. The replies we sent by registered mail from a Correos back to the UK. Price 7.25 Euros and it took 3 days as promised. Sometimes these courier firms aren't always as good as you think they are going to be.

Back on topic though we had a problem with our TomTom caused by me not connecting to the internet to update the software for about 12 months. Something you are supposed to do every couple of months. I cintacted TomTom customer services who rang me back and talked me through the whole re-loading and re-booting of the software via their website. It took them 45 minutes to do this and all the time they were polite and professional. They even told me about free P.O.I.s on aires in France, CL/CS sites in the UK and LPG filling depots in Europe. The girls mum had a motorhome and knew exactly where some of them were. Now that was impressive!


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*TomTom*

 Ciao Sallytraffic, and thanks for the tip. I'll see how I go on with that.
Must admit that I have GPS because realtives thought I needed one, not because I wanted one. To get from A to B tend to still use road maps, and then Tom Tom just to home in on a precise loacation at 'B'. In fact very often forget to take TomTom along at all.
Been using road maps since my first Hallwag showed Danzig as 'zurzeit unter Polnische Verwaltung' and Trieste as 'Free State under United Nations mandate'!
saluti,
eddied


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I have always relied on maps, but a few years ago got a laptop and Autoroute was given to me. this is invaluable to plan a route. I have just got a TT720 and reading through this thread do I take it that one "has to update"
or can I just carry on touring until later this year before i consider it needs doing.

cabby


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Cabby
if it's a brand new (not second hand) 720 then you get whats called the Latest Map Guarantee. This means if there has been a map update since it was built then you will be allowed to download it for free. It last for 30 days from the date you registered it via Tom Tom Home (the software you run on your PC). There is an imminent update of map at the moment and you get 30 days so might be worth connecting it in about a week or so.

I have a 720 so feel free to PM if you get stuck. I'm not the oracle but I know the quirks of the device.

I strongly recommend the Tom Tom Go/Rider/One section of www.pocketgpsworld.com too. Anything that isnt there isn't worth knowing!


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Oh Cabby, one other thing, the maps and the operating system are 2 different things. You might be offered a software update, a map upgrade or both. Just in case it's your first venture into GPS.

And don't subscribe to their speed camera database either. It's not a patch on the downloadable one at the aforementioned website.


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## Chris_s (Jun 5, 2008)

jimbo_hippo said:


> Chris_s
> 
> Yes you're old fashioned...... you asked for that ;-)
> 
> A place for both. My favourite thing about a paper map is perusing it with a glass of wine in the evening. But GPS all the way for me on the move.


Well Jimbo_hippo! Perhaps I did ask for it but I also have a great sense of humour and know I am not really that old fashioned. I do use my Tom Tom but I am also a good road map reader and have been a Girl Guide leader (be prepared!). Maps and sat nav should be used together - I have found both can be out of date, even when new! I must say though I find better things to do when having a glass of wine though - leave that to the imagination! lol :wink:


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*tomtom*

I have had a tomtom 1 europe for some time now and love it, It has limitations ie it will take you up some tiny roads if you let it, hence the need to always check your route via a trusty map before you set off on your journey, just jot down some waypoints (towns etc) and road numbers so you always know where you are, satnav's are a driving aid !
chris


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