twodoebs

I know twodoebs readers LOVE nothing more than reading my compliments and complaints about consumer products. I, therefore, republish a post from GPSReview.net chronicalling Garmin's response to my BRAND new $600 c550 GPS unit crapping out yesterday:

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Well, I have SOME answers. The results, unfortunately, do not bode well for Garmin in my mind and would make it very difficult to recommend a Garmin product, notwithstanding what I know is a very good reputation.

I spoke with their product support team this afternoon. After being on hold for about 25 minutes, I spoke with Joey Wodarz. Joey knew of my problem right away because it's apparently a know bug. Joey told me that about ten percent (10%) of the units sold were effected by this bug.

He sent me an e-mail with the following instructions:

I apologize for the inconvenience. After further research with our engineers, a problem has been discovered on your C550. A file has been created to stop the unit from turning off and locking up. Please download the new file from your computer to the unit. The file is attached to this email along with instructions on how to get the file into the unit.

The following procedure will update the software in your C550 series and correct the power issue you are experiencing with your Garmin C550 series

1.) Let the Garmin sit without power for at least 24-48 hours.

2.) Plug the C5xx series into the your computer (using a USB port in the back of the computer) with the cable provided with the unit.

3.) After removing the faceplate on the front of the Garmin press and release the reset button. At this time the C550 series will reset and power on.

4.) Save the attached file included in e-mail from Garmin Product support. Save this file to the desk top on your computer. Note: This will make it easy to find.

5.) Open the My Computer window (by accessing the start menu on the bottom left of your computer screen).

6.) Locate and open the Garmin Mass Storage device.

7.) Locate the Garmin folder and open.

8.) Open the remoteSW folder.

9.) Copy the file that you have saved to the desktop and paste it into the remoteSW folder you have just opened. Make sure that none of the files contained within the remoteSW folder is highlighted, or you will not be able to save the new file.

10.) A message window will pop up asking you to confirm that you want to replace the file; Select Yes.

11.) Disconnect the C550 series from the USB cable and let the unit restart. A message will appear on the screen stating "Updating PLD Software".

Note: the screen will fade out and go blank during this process. Do not be alarmed, this is part of the update procedure, and the screen will return to normal within seconds.

Now . . . what I can't understand is why there is NO mention of this bug on the Garmin website. I ALSO can't understand why Garmin is still shipping units that have this bug given that consumers have a one-in-ten chance of getting burnt (well, yeah, I guess I CAN understand why Garmin's still shipping these units--it would be too expensive to pull them off the shelf just so that they can be sure their products are working properly).

Garmin's warranty--like EVERY other electronics manufacturer--relieves them of consequential damages arising out of failures of their products to operate properly. What this means is that Garmin is not legally liable for the fact that their product navigated me hours away from my house then plunked out without any way to get home. And while I understand that Garmin could NEVER assume liability for these kind of indirect losses, its socially irresponsible of them to KNOW that their products are defective and not take remedial measures designed to avoid situations like this.

I tried to ask Joey how long Garmin had known about this problem. He didn't
want to answer--either 'cause he didn't know or didn't want to admit that he did--trying to focus, instead, on the fact that he had just gone way out of his way to send me the file that would fix the problem (honestly, he seemed as if he was trying to try as hard as he could to give me the impression that he was doing ME a favor!).

When I told Joey that I was trying to nail down answers so I could chronicle the issue and its resolution on this blog . . . boy!--did he ever get defensive. Defensive and mad. (And I'm quotin'!) "If that's what this is all about--so you can write something on some blog--then I've said all I have to say."

I asked to speak to a supervisor. Joey transferred me to somebody's voice-mail. That didn't make me happy. So I called back. I waited another twenty
minutes. The next representative that I spoke with told me that the only automotive supervisor on call was in training and, therefore, not available. Now it's just me, but a supervisor that's in training and, therefore, not available is not so much "on call" in my book. I left a message for a fellow by the name of Ben Johnson but--no surprise--he hasn't gotten back to me yet.

The kicker of it all, of course, is that the restorative and super-secret bug fix STILL didn't get my c550 working again. To be fair, Joey DID tell me that the unit might have to sit without power for 24-48 hours and mine's only been without power for 31
hours. And Joey DID set me up with an RMA number so that I could send the unit back to Garmin to be repaired. But going the RMA route requires that *I* pay to ship the unit back to Garmin. And that means that I'll be without a GPS for "10-14 working days" (which, of course translates into up to three WEEKS worth of real, live calendar days).

And that's not good customer service. That doesn't get somebody who's an early adopter of consumer electronic products to say that Garmin's a great brand. That
doesn't get a motivated consumer who likes his opinion to be heard (which I'm sure anybody who's still reading this posting will agree with) to be saying the right things about a company who's still very much in need of customer loyalty to win market share.

Good customer service would be overnighting a new unit to me along with return labels to send the defective one back at their cost. ESPECIALLY when the problem absolutely, 100% NOT something that I did with the unit or some freak electronically short-out, but--instead--all their fault. And while it's hard to imagine customer service that's this good, that's exactly what IBM did a coupla years ago when I had a problem with one of their laptops--a replacement was at my door the next day and all I had to do was drop the problem unit in the mail. Besides, if the problem is as simple as a quick software update, I'm SURE their technicians'll be able to get the unit tip-top in no time and they'll recouped PLENTY of the cost of the
replacement unit by selling MY unit as factory refurbished.

GREAT customer service would be to offer to send me a c580 in exchange for my
defective unit. Unlikely?--yes . . . but we can all DREAM of a world where corporations take customer satisfaction seriously.

Everybody's "Favorites" menue has some hidden gems. Here's a list of some I know are worth sharring:

- The PhoneSpell® Search Engine-->it's VERY addictive to type in phone numbers
and see if they spell anything interesting!