Garmin service in Canada

[+GreyingJay]

Hi all,

 

Without going into too much detail, I broke a button my GPSMAP 60csx. I emailed Garmin tech support who is ready to give me an RMA for warranty work. However, she also commented that Canadians can contact their third-party support company in Quebec.

 

For those of you Canadians who have had to get warranty work for your Garmin units, did you go to the place in Quebec, did you send it to Garmin in the States, ... ?

 

What's best?

[+Jayloki]

Hi all,

 

Without going into too much detail, I broke a button my GPSMAP 60csx. I emailed Garmin tech support who is ready to give me an RMA for warranty work. However, she also commented that Canadians can contact their third-party support company in Quebec.

 

For those of you Canadians who have had to get warranty work for your Garmin units, did you go to the place in Quebec, did you send it to Garmin in the States, ... ?

 

What's best?

 

When I broke the "click stick" on my old Garmin Legend a few years ago, I had to mail it to Quebec. That is the ONLY link to Garmin,in the states, for us Cannucks. It was gone about 3 weeks and they totally sent me a new Legend back! I was very amazed that they did this! I scanned and printed out the original sales reciept for warrenty purposes, mailed it off to the address given with the RMA all over it.

 

Definately pay the extra clams to send it registered. So when they get it, they must sign for it and you can track it online (even the signature!). That's peace of mind for you while you fight off the withdrawls of not being able to go out caching!

 

All said and done, very good experience with Garmin for me that will certainly fuel me in getting more of their products in the future!

[+TrimblesTrek]

For those of you Canadians who have had to get warranty work for your Garmin units, did you go to the place in Quebec, did you send it to Garmin in the States, ... ?

 

I had heard horror stories about the Quebec service...(I'm sure they'll be replayed here) so I sent my 60C direct to the states. Mine had a scratched screen, cracked case, and broken USB connection. They replaced my unit with a new one. Had it back to me within 5 days. The only problem I encountered was because I needed new unlock codes for the new unit... A couple of emails sorted this out.

 

My opinion of Garmin US service? They rock!

 

-TT-

[+Baston]

Greetings

 

When my Gpsmap 60c died, I sent it to the US. I had it back in 1 week. I have heard some horror stories about the Quebec repair depot.

 

Just my 2 cents worth

 

Baston

[danoshimano]

Here's one thread with some info, then from that one you will find a link back to another thread in post #5.

[+Landsharkz]

We sent our Garmin Legend C to Quebec for warranty work in June. We expected it to be gone for weeks as the form we printed off said to allow 3-6 weeks. 7 days after we sent it Xpresspost we had a replacement unit waiting in our mailbox! All the way from Victoria BC to Quebec and got a new unit back in 7 days!

[+Couparangus]

Its too bad manufacturers nowadays are so coy with releasing service manuals and schematic diagrams as I'd consider setting myself up for GPS repair. I guess its all to do with non-disclosure and maintaining competitve advantage. Even the FCC has been convinced not to publish schematics of type-approved equipment now. That cuts me and my subterranean laboratory out of the game. <sigh>

 

I guess the good news is that Garmin honors warranty repairs.

[+Tequila]

I was able to send my old eTrex Vista back to Garmin in the US for refurbishment. They charged $99US and basically gave me a new unit.

 

Tequila

[GreatCanadian]

I recently sent a StreetPilot to Raytech in Quebec for warranty work. I had a replacement show up at my door in 7 business days, no questions asked. I did send it ExpressPost and they returned it ExpressPost. I paid for shipping one way. I was quite satisfied to say the least.

[+GreyingJay]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. It seems like Raytech is better nowadays than they perhaps used to be, judging by trends in the linked threads.

 

I am pursuing an RMA to send directly to Garmin since they did reply to an email I sent. If they tell me I should send it to Raytech, I will, otherwise I'll send to them.

 

On the customs form, do you just fill in "item for repair"? Is there a declared value?

[+AV Dezign]

We saw Raytech get much better after all the complaining that went on in the forums (here and other places in Canada and Quebec), somebody somewhere got the word that something was not right, maybe it was Raytech bosses or Garmin themselves, who knows but things are way better now.

 

Who says it doesn't pay to complain?

[+Couparangus]

It doesn't sound like they are fixing the GPS receivers at all. Merely swapping them out.

I've had my eMap for so long we've become rather attached. I don't know that I'd want someone elses refurbished unit

Edited September 14, 2006 by Couparangus

[+GreyingJay]

Thanks all for your feedback. After one final geocaching adventure this past weekend, the 60csx was boxed up, wrapped in brown paper, and sent XpressPost to Garmin USA. Goodbye, my little friend... have a good trip...

 

We have a geocaching event here in Ottawa tentatively planned for the weekend of October 20, I hope it is back by then.

 

In the mean time, it's back to the ol' blue Legend...

[+GreyingJay]

An update: I received my replacement GPSMAP 60csx from Garmin USA. They UPS'd it back to me and I got it last week, so turnaround time was very quick. They were very gracious and in fact sent me a whole new unit (so in addition to my button being fixed, all the little scuffs and scratches on the screen are now gone too).

 

I did have to pay UPS brokerage charges of about $30, COD. That plus the $20 it cost me to send XpressPost to Kansas (including extra insurance for the value of the unit) would probably lead me to favour sending it to Quebec if I ever had to do it again.