Magellan Customer Service ....THE WORST!

[+bbyers]

I was a Magellan fan and loved my Explorist 400.....keyword here is 'was'. A little over five months ago the basemap disappeared from my 400. I called tech support and they advised I would need to return the unit and pay a $50 fee for them to load the basemap back on.

 

I thought the $50 was outrageous but went ahead and gave them my card number and shipped the unit. I was told to call in a few days to check the status. Here's what happened next when I called back to check the status of the repair...

 

First call:

I was told the unit had been repaired and I should expect it within a few days. After a week of waiting it still had not showed up.

 

Second call:

Was told they had never received the unit. I had to go get the UPS tracking number and the name of the person at the repair facility that signed for the unit.

 

Third call:

Called back with the tracking number and then was told they found it and would get the repair done that day and ship it the next day. After a week it still had not arrived.

 

Fourth call:

Was told they never received the unit..back to this again arrrggg. I spoke with a supervisor and was told he would check into it and call me back the next day.

 

Fifth call:

Supervisor called me back the next day. I was told that their repair department had been having some computer system problems and they were getting their system upgraded and would get my unit repaired and shipped. After still not receiving the unit I just gave up. I t really wasn't worth what it was doing to my blood pressure.

 

Now five months later, still GPS-less, I get a voice mail from Magellan tech support asking me to call them back about this RA#. So I called back and explained what all had gone on and that I still had not received anything. The customer service rep put me on hold for awhile and came back to tell me that since I had so much trouble and it had been so long that they were just going to send me a replacement unit. Now we're getting somewhere I thought.

 

So she put me on hold again to get everything set up. She came back online and asked when I had originally purchased the unit. Then she dropped the final customer service crap bomb in my lap.....she asked for my credit card number so they could charge me for the repair on the unit they lost and lied to me so many times about. I told them that I absolutely would not pay again for something they didn't do in the first place and told them I was heading out to buy a Garmin.

 

So......anybody got any advice on how Garmin's customer service is? I don't want to get into the same situation. I just know I will never buy another Magellan product and will never advise anyone to buy a Magellan product.

[+geognerd]

I was a Magellan fan and loved my Explorist 400.....keyword here is 'was'. A little over five months ago the basemap disappeared from my 400. I called tech support and they advised I would need to return the unit and pay a $50 fee for them to load the basemap back on.

Ouch. I hate to say it, but any Magellan owner's first stop should be here or the Yahoo eXplorist and Meridian groups if they have a non-physical problem with the unit. The user community has had to step up since Magellan's support is flaky. There are some very knowledgeable folks here who can get you up and running within 24 hours, and it doesn't cost $50. The missing basemap problem has been addressed many times in this forum. The fix is also at GPSFAQs, though it looks like that Russian site doesn't have the eXplorist basemaps anymore.

Edited December 11, 2007 by geognerd

[+Miragee]

Garmin's Customer Service is the BEST!!! They replaced my Vista C when the rubber band around it started coming loose. I had the new one back within a week of sending in my GPSr and they even transfered the waypoints from my unit (I had saved those on my computer before sending it in, just in case).

 

I'm sure other people will tell you about their excellent experiences with Garmin.

[+bbyers]

I was a Magellan fan and loved my Explorist 400.....keyword here is 'was'. A little over five months ago the basemap disappeared from my 400. I called tech support and they advised I would need to return the unit and pay a $50 fee for them to load the basemap back on.

Ouch. I hate to say it, but any Magellan owner's first stop should be here or the Yahoo eXplorist and Meridian groups if they have a non-physical problem with the unit. The user community has had to step up since Magellan's support is flaky. There are some very knowledgeable folks here who can get you up and running within 24 hours, and it doesn't cost $50. The missing basemap problem has been addressed many times in this forum. The fix is also at GPSFAQs, though it looks like that Russian site doesn't have the eXplorist basemaps anymore.

 

Actually I did come here first and tried to get it working with the info I found and was unable to make it happen. Where I went really wrong was not asking here for help after I couldn't get the basemap back on. I have always had great luck with getting fast accurate advice here on the forums for other things. I sure learned a tough lesson by not asking for more help.

 

Miragee, Thanks for the opinion on Garmin customer service. I guess the good thing to come from all this is that I now get to shop and research which new GPSr I want to buy

Edited December 11, 2007 by bbyers

[+DocDiTTo]

I've only needed Garmin Tech Support once, when a map update I got wouldn't install on my GPS. It took the standard couple calls to get the problem elevated through the level 1 support, but on the 3rd call I was talking to a level 3 guy who was able to make changes to the live database while on the phone with me. It took a little trying to resolve the issue because it was a brand new problem (and an update to the firmware, which took about 2 weeks) but in the end the problem was fixed and I was happy. The fact that they stuck with me through the issue and resolved it in the end left me with a very positive view of their tech support. I've heard many, many other great stories about Garmin's support as well. I think you made an excellent choice.

Edited December 11, 2007 by DocDiTTo

[+barefootguy]

Wow. I'm surprised to see your horror story with Magellan, I needed tech help once (so far) with my explorist 500 LE and they were very helpful. What happen is tht a friend of mine won the explorist in a contest and sold it to me. It was unopened when I got it. when I first turned it on, it gave me a NAND error. I called Magellan, they said that the basemap was corrupt and that I would need to send it in for a replacement. Only problem was, I did not have a reciept because I bought the unit from a friend and also their warranty is non-transferable. I explained this to them and they said that if I gave them my credit card #, they would send me a new unit and as long as I shipped the defective unit to them within a month of recieving the new one I would not be charged. They said it would take 10-15 days to get the new unit; it got here in 6 days. I sent the defective one back and have not been charged a penny. They totally didn't have to do this as it was clearly outside the terms of their warranty. I would defintely do business w/them again.

Edited December 11, 2007 by barefootguy

[+trainlove]

Too late now, but...

 

I've been a member of the yahoo users group Magellan_Meridian for a couple years now and have done some things to be prepaired for just such a disaster.

 

There is a way to download the Basemap off of your GPS. This comes in helpful in a case like yours or in the case of a firmware upload gone awry. So far I have not needed to use my stored copy, but one day I expect to upload the BlueChart marine basemap (as a basemapp not a user map) and might want to come back to my senses after using that a while.

[+geowizerd]

I have a copy of the basemap, should anyone ever need it. Also have the "worldwide basemap", not sure what that is, as I haven't fooled with it.

Edited December 12, 2007 by geowizerd

[+Evshro & son]

I love my Explorist as well, and when my 210 just quit Magellan would not help me over the phone seeing as they are being discontinued. It was the fine folks here and the russian site that got me up and running again for free. (thanks eveyone) I know my Magellan is user friendly--I JUST WISH THEY WOULD GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER. I have noticed, since I have started monitoring topics, that most need help with Garmin products. Is this because more cachers use Garmins, or are the units not as user friendly????

[+hogrod]

I have noticed, since I have started monitoring topics, that most need help with Garmin products. Is this because more cachers use Garmins, or are the units not as user friendly????

 

Since I have owned both I can say its probably just the newer garmin color handhelds can do more(more user settings), otherwise I would say they each have about the same learning curve.

 

EDIT: Just wanted to say garmins customer service(phone) is great! email not so much.... you just end up with a canned response if anything at all. Garmin replaced my legend C when the rubber band came loose, and my 60cx when I somehow managed to not have a basemap anymore. both times I had my GPS back in a less than a week, they even next day air mailed the LegendC back to me because I needed it for a trip.

Edited December 12, 2007 by hogrod

[+Miragee]

I love my Explorist as well, and when my 210 just quit Magellan would not help me over the phone seeing as they are being discontinued. It was the fine folks here and the russian site that got me up and running again for free. (thanks eveyone) I know my Magellan is user friendly--I JUST WISH THEY WOULD GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER. I have noticed, since I have started monitoring topics, that most need help with Garmin products. Is this because more cachers use Garmins, or are the units not as user friendly????

Just like any new thing, it takes a while to familiarize yourself with the interface. Personally, I think the Garmins are easy to figure out, once you understand what each button does. I like being able to load 900 caches in one quick step from GSAK to my Garmin Vista HCx.

[+briansnat]

So......anybody got any advice on how Garmin's customer service is?

 

I've had nothing but positive experience with Garmin. My first Legend's rubber gasket came loose. Sent it back and I had a new unit within 4 days.

 

It happened a second time and the unit was about 2 months out of warranty. They replaced it for free.

 

A few years later I had a similar problem with my Vista. Then my wife tripped with the unit and smashed the display. Sent it back and they replaced it for free even thought it was totally our fault.

 

I finally learned not to keep the unit in the hot car in the summer and I no longer have a problem with the

rubber gasket either.