Garmin

wetterthebetter · 10 October 2003, 21:47

Just a note to say how pleased I have been with the customer service at Garmin. Over the past few months, they’ve replaced my faulty GPS 72 (twice), included a laptop link cable free of charge, replaced the hard canvas GPS 128 cover (again FOC) and express delivered (with the help of Pumpkin Marine) a transducer transom mount for my 100 Blue to replace the broken one in time for me to get back on the water this weekend!!! That is pretty good going. Well done Garmin. And thanks!

Biggles · 10 October 2003, 23:56

Call me Lucky Mate but I am in my third week of waiting for my Garmin 126 to be returned so it isn't all sweetness and roses mind you that is via GPS Warehouse.

So maybe there is a tale to tell.

Any way that is far to long when you can get next day delivery on most items nowadays.

wetterthebetter · 11 October 2003, 07:31

Try calling Gramin direct (01794-519944) and see if you get a better response.

Brian · 11 October 2003, 09:32

I too would praise Garmins service level.
I can't help wondering though, why there seems to be such a widespread need to call on it?
Why the problem/failure rate?

I had 5 (or was it 6?) new Garmin 235s on my last boat. They all failed within 18 months. Garmin rapidly replaced each one with a new one, but would never investigate why the units had failed. If the failure rate was that high, it would seem to be an uneconomic way to offer such a high service level.

The Jackeens · 11 October 2003, 11:09

I wouldn't call that good service - more like crap quality control and a crap product on the market !!!!

How could you have confidence in that failure rate

p

Fjordrafting · 13 October 2003, 22:00

Ok, so Garmin is crap, but good service. So where does that lead us........?
Anyone who has good experiences with other brands!
Martin

gingercoastie · 13 October 2003, 22:02

I can recomend NAVMAN gear, I have GPS and Fishfinder, they are both easy to use and seem very reliable (touch wood) so far.

Richard B · 13 October 2003, 22:11

I heard that those Navman units suffered from water ingress? Wasn't that from Tim/Gavin or Aging Youth?

Fjordrafting · 13 October 2003, 22:55

Don`t trust gingercoastie, he is a coastguard! :-)

Richard B · 13 October 2003, 22:59

He's now a worried Coastguard

Sorry!

Arek Pawelek · 14 October 2003, 14:52

I used Garmin GPS-es and all of them had been really good quality. Maybe becose I'm taking the simplest and cheapest options everytime?

Biggles · 14 October 2003, 20:07

I'm still waiting and that is over 3 weeks now. I have been promised that it will be back this week though.

As regards Quality.

Did any one see the big stack of Garmin 128s that were refurbished and offered for sale at the Southampton Boat Show ???

What does that tell you!!!!

Richard B · 14 October 2003, 21:23

I've head-butted a Garmin 126 and it survived.

Of course, the damage to me was irriversible

Biggles - are you dealing with Garmin directly or thru' the retailer?

gavin · 14 October 2003, 21:32

I have just started a thread on Navman stuff

Biggles · 15 October 2003, 19:59

I am dealing with my Retailer. Big mistake I now know but it should be the correct way to do it.

Next time I will go to Garmin.

In fact there shouldn't be a next time should there !!!

Would I be better off keeping the Garmin unit in a plastic sandwich bag. The way this saga is going it might be the best way to keep this piece of gear going.

Maybe it will be here tomorrow. Maybe.

Richard B · 15 October 2003, 20:11

Thought so. The people at Garmin are really great. Read the riot act to the retailer and ask for an immediate replacement from stock (you only have right to this if your original unit wasn't repaired). Otherwise ask for an identical loan unit. If they say thay haven't got one, ask what sort of cowboy out fit they are to not carry stock (OK - perhaps a more tactful choice of words would be appropriate) If nothing happens, get trading standards on to them. And mention that you'll name them on the internet (maybe don't exactly name this forum as John K doesn't like getting involved [v.sensible!!] in mud slinging - anyone remember Flanker's dispute with a RIB manufacturer?!?) But remember that you're the customer and that you deserve better service than you're getting 'cos you worked hard for that disposible income.

I'll get down off my soapbox now. I hate bad service - can you tell?

John Kennett · 16 October 2003, 13:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard B
(maybe don't exactly name this forum as John K doesn't like getting involved [v.sensible!!] in mud slinging - anyone remember Flanker's dispute with a RIB manufacturer?!?)

Actually, in the same way that I encourage people to tell us about good service they have received, I have no problem with the odd bit of naming and shaming on RIBnet too!

A few general points though:

1 - This should be a last resort. It's only fair to give the offending party the chance to remedy things first.

2 - Make sure that anything you post is 100% accurate and you can back it up.

3 - Personal vendettas and conspiracy theories are discouraged!

John

Bilge Rat · 16 October 2003, 15:50

Have a small vendetta with Andy R after our recent jaunt down to Swanage this year after my wife finding his ribnet burgee wedged under my cars dashboard, as she pulled it out saying "whats this then" i instantly confessed to two extra marital affairs before i realised she had said burgee and not bra !!! doh lol lol

So Andy if you want your burgee back you know where it is.

meant to say hello to Richard B and his gang as they were the only one's of you lot that stopped to say hello as you all whizzed pass me dispite us flying Andys burgee !!

Richard

Richard B · 16 October 2003, 16:09

Hiya,

We thought you were part of the cruise at first, and then I thought you were part of a dive group keeping us away from some orange markers between you and a boat further offshore!

We couldn't see the burgee until we were rafted alongside you.

It was an unexpected bonus to put some more RIBnet faces to names.

Hope you had a good weekend - let us know next time you're down this way.

Bilge Rat · 17 October 2003, 08:51

Hi Richard B

Was good to see you guys and suppose as we were travelling so slowly and we'd not joined you guys before you met us we must have looked a bit strange, that orange float is actually a 4 metre Rimini with a 30hp on the back and sad to admit it was part of our group out that day and due to this we slowed down to stay with it, in actual fact due to its lack of weight it performed quite well, sadly my boat was not there due to major mechanical problems which have still not been fixed yet, hopefully next year i'll get down that way a lot more and be able to meet up with some more of you (and try and keep up)
We ended up turning around at Lymington point and headed back into Swanage for beer and food and found our way back into Poole harbour well after dark which was great experience navigating at night and just to make it interesting the leed boat switched of their GPS :-)

Richard