Garmin repair/customer service

March 28, 2007

Hello

A couple of weeks ago while out caching my GPSr broke. :lostsignal: That was very upsetting not only because it halted what was to be a lovely day out caching in a nice park, but my unit is fairly new (5-6 months old). So I'm not too happy that it broke in the first place. Considering its price, I would have hoped something so carefully used would have lasted a couple of years before having problems. I sent an email to Garmin and it was ignored in spite of assurances of a reply in 7-10 days.

I have sent it back for repair but my questions are... does anyone here have experience with Garmin's customer service? Have you had problems with Garmin products? I treated my GPSr very gently and it makes me wonder what I can expect down the road. Once the warranty is off, if it continues to break, I won't be able to afford to fix it or get a new one.

Any opinions on Garmin's service reputation would be appreciated.

Thanks.

3.3k · March 28, 2007

Garmin's customer service is top notch! Many here have reported having their units repaired by Garmin despite being out of warranty. Try calling them at 1-800-800-1020. You may have to wait a while to talk to someone, but once you get someone, I'm sure things will go smoothly.

What exactly is the problem with the unit? We may have discussed it here in the past and may be able to offer a solution without you having to send it back...

Edited March 28, 2007 by Neo_Geo

11.3k · March 28, 2007

I second that. Garmin's service is fantastic. I sent my Garmin Vista C in because the rubber was coming loose. This was the same GPSr that had survived a more-than-100-foot fall off a cliff. Garmin sent me a new GPS unit. :lostsignal:

A friend has a GPSMap 60CS that had been used and abused and showed the marks of having been treated less-than-respectfully. When the GPSr was sent in because the letters were coming off some of the buttons, a new, unscratched unit was sent back in return.

Garmin also gave me a free Upgrade to City Navigator 8 from my City Select maps. I am a very happy Garmin customer.

March 28, 2007

I also have had great luck with garmin..... If I call. When I have emailed them in the past its less than 1/2 the time they even respond, and when they do they tell you to call.

3.2k · March 28, 2007

I've found Garmin repair and customer service to be the BEST I've ever encountered anywhere. I had the end come off of an external antenna in the socket of a GPSMAP 76CS and then managed to totally ruin the socket trying to get the thing out. I called Garmin and explained what I had done. I said right up front that I realized it was my fault and I didn't expect a warranty repair but asked if they could repair the unit and charge me. They replaced it for free with a new unit. Later I broke a pin off of the external power socket and also managed to smash the unit against sharp rocks which put a small hole in the case. Again, Garmin replaced it for free. They were fast and pleasant each time.

This is one of the biggest reasons to purchase a Garmin unit over a Magellan. Magellan makes good units but I've always heard their support and service were not very good at all. Garmin support and service simply can't be beat.

Edited to add that I agree you should CALL Garmin. Don't rely on email. Give them a call and talk with a real person. I think you will be very glad that you did.

Edited March 28, 2007 by Thrak

March 28, 2007

I had a problem with my Legend just prior to Christmas and thought that emailing Garmin would be the most expeditious way to go since most businesses are so busy this time of year. Garmin warned me that it could take up to a week for a reply. After waiting for what turned out to be no reply I called them. After two menu choices, to my surprise, a real person answered immediately. I explained my problem and they transferred me to another department. Again to my surprise they answered immediately. Although it was under warranty, I had no proof of purchase. They repaired it under warranty anyway.

Moral of the story: Garmin is fantastic! Just don’t bother emailing. Go straight to the telephone.

March 28, 2007

Just got my 60CX the last week and while changing out the batteries I broke the D-ring off the battery door. (ape fingers)

I called and inquired how to get another 1 and he took my name & address and said it's on its way before I could even offer him a date of purchase.

So far I rank them top notch.

However I did my deal over the phone, not eMail.

March 29, 2007

I agree that the Garmin Tech Support is EXCELLENT!. My 18 month old 60CS USB connector had worked loose. I did all of this via email. They repaired mine for $80 by supplying a brand new unit in one week. It came with a new Unlock Code for my City Navigator.

March 29, 2007

I'm not going to eat up a page by quoteing all the earlier posts, I'll just throw in my support for Garmin and thier customer support.

I always call, and they'll stay on the phone with me until the problem is resloved. Even if it means having to visit for a minute or two while a program or update downloads.

I once called another (M) company, and all they could do was tell me to "look at the website FAQ's", they had NO customer support at all.

Scooter

March 29, 2007

I fried my 60Cx when I attempted to upgrade to firmware version 3.20 from version 3.10. Ok, I attempted to do the upgrade using a MacBook running Windows XP under Parallels. After the "upgrade" the 60Cx would not stay on.

I called Garmin, told them about the problem, I received some suggestions to fix the device; none worked. I then received an RMA from the Garmin tech, and I sent the 60Cx back to Garmin. A little over a week later I received a replacement unit, and there was no charge for the repair.

I'm not sure if the replacement 60Cx is a new or a refurbished unit, but it looks like it is brand new. Oh yes, the replacement 60Cx came with software version 3.10. I upgraded the software using a real PC running Windows XP!

22k · March 29, 2007

Don't email, call. Even if you have to sit.

March 29, 2007

Don't worry...I did call. I just emailed first, then I called. I still haven't had a reply to my email sooo...I can't say I'm too happy with that. The service guy I spoke to was ok...he didn't bowl me over with friendly helpfulness but I got the info I needed to ship it back to them.

BUT...I'm very glad to hear such raves on the service. I guess my concern in a situation like this is...the unit has failed once and after only a few months of light use. Once I get it back, if it fails again and is out of warranty, I'm screwed. Its not good when something new breaks. Its a different matter after you've had something that has served you well for a couple of years.

What exactly is the problem with the unit? We may have discussed it here in the past and may be able to offer a solution without you having to send it back...

I was out caching and I looked down at the screen to select the next cache and the screen looked smeared or skewed. So I cut it off and then powered it back up. The screen remained blank and it started emitting a high pitched whine. WHICH WOULD NOT STOP. It was terrible! I tried everything to get it to stop. Nothing worked. It was probably killing my poor dog's ears. So I had to head back home. I tried covering it up with a jacket to dull the sound. It whined the rest of the day and night. Finally the next morning the noise had stopped. It would power on but then cut off after a few seconds. BTW, it was fully charged and its a Garmin Quest.

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate it. I really miss having it. This will be my third cache-less weekend coming up.

Edited March 29, 2007 by PlantAKiss

3.3k · March 29, 2007

What exactly is the problem with the unit? We may have discussed it here in the past and may be able to offer a solution without you having to send it back...

I was out caching and I looked down at the screen to select the next cache and the screen looked smeared or skewed. So I cut it off and then powered it back up. The screen remained blank and it started emitting a high pitched whine. WHICH WOULD NOT STOP. It was terrible! I tried everything to get it to stop. Nothing worked. It was probably killing my poor dog's ears. So I had to head back home. I tried covering it up with a jacket to dull the sound. It whined the rest of the day and night. Finally the next morning the noise had stopped. It would power on but then cut off after a few seconds. BTW, it was fully charged and its a Garmin Quest.

Yeah... uh... never heard of THAT happening. Wow! That'd definitely be something Garmin would have to fix. They'll most likely send you another unit, so the chances of that happeing again would be extremely remote!

March 29, 2007

lol Yeah...not your typical problem I guess. But...you see, I'm cursed with bad luck like that. Even my coworkers have finally come around to admit I have about the worst luck of anyone they know. I scraped and saved to get a new Nikon camera and that too broke after only 2 months. And, because these things are so expensive for me, I take good care of them. No dropping, no moisture, no abuse. Still, they break. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. lol

I would love it if Garmin gave me a new one. It cost me $11 to ship it. A techie guy I know said the noise sounded like a fried board to him. But he doesn't really know GPSrs.

I am HOPING its back next week. Let's hope my little black cloud didn't follow the unit all the way to Garmin's service dept.

March 30, 2007

I had OK service from Garmin. I sent a RINO 110 in . It was glitchy and would freeze up etc. They took forever to get my gps back to me. So i got fed up and raised hell. Well. They sent me a brand new gps WITH a 12volt car adapter cable. And not only that. A few weeks later they sent my repaired GPS back to me so i had 2 rino 110s.

So i dunno. Is that ok service or GREAT service?

March 30, 2007

I was out caching and I looked down at the screen to select the next cache and the screen looked smeared or skewed. So I cut it off and then powered it back up. The screen remained blank and it started emitting a high pitched whine. WHICH WOULD NOT STOP. It was terrible! I tried everything to get it to stop. Nothing worked.

That's why we carry a hardcopy map and a compass as well as a GPS when we go trekking...

I had the same email problem with Garmin support (no response). They eventually sent me a new (refurbished?) 60cx which has been great. I only had two weeks left on my warranty so the breakdown was well timed. No complaints about the service once contact was made.

March 30, 2007

Don't worry...I did call. I just emailed first, then I called. I still haven't had a reply to my email sooo...I can't say I'm too happy with that. The service guy I spoke to was ok...he didn't bowl me over with friendly helpfulness but I got the info I needed to ship it back to them.

BUT...I'm very glad to hear such raves on the service. I guess my concern in a situation like this is...the unit has failed once and after only a few months of light use. Once I get it back, if it fails again and is out of warranty, I'm screwed. Its not good when something new breaks. Its a different matter after you've had something that has served you well for a couple of years.

What exactly is the problem with the unit? We may have discussed it here in the past and may be able to offer a solution without you having to send it back...

I was out caching and I looked down at the screen to select the next cache and the screen looked smeared or skewed. So I cut it off and then powered it back up. The screen remained blank and it started emitting a high pitched whine. WHICH WOULD NOT STOP. It was terrible! I tried everything to get it to stop. Nothing worked. It was probably killing my poor dog's ears. So I had to head back home. I tried covering it up with a jacket to dull the sound. It whined the rest of the day and night. Finally the next morning the noise had stopped. It would power on but then cut off after a few seconds. BTW, it was fully charged and its a Garmin Quest.

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate it. I really miss having it. This will be my third cache-less weekend coming up.

DUH!! Why didn't you just take the batteries out? No Volts no whine.

March 30, 2007

Don't worry...I did call. I just emailed first, then I called. I still haven't had a reply to my email sooo...I can't say I'm too happy with that. The service guy I spoke to was ok...he didn't bowl me over with friendly helpfulness but I got the info I needed to ship it back to them.

BUT...I'm very glad to hear such raves on the service. I guess my concern in a situation like this is...the unit has failed once and after only a few months of light use. Once I get it back, if it fails again and is out of warranty, I'm screwed. Its not good when something new breaks. Its a different matter after you've had something that has served you well for a couple of years.

What exactly is the problem with the unit? We may have discussed it here in the past and may be able to offer a solution without you having to send it back...

I was out caching and I looked down at the screen to select the next cache and the screen looked smeared or skewed. So I cut it off and then powered it back up. The screen remained blank and it started emitting a high pitched whine. WHICH WOULD NOT STOP. It was terrible! I tried everything to get it to stop. Nothing worked. It was probably killing my poor dog's ears. So I had to head back home. I tried covering it up with a jacket to dull the sound. It whined the rest of the day and night. Finally the next morning the noise had stopped. It would power on but then cut off after a few seconds. BTW, it was fully charged and its a Garmin Quest.

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate it. I really miss having it. This will be my third cache-less weekend coming up.

DUH!! Why didn't you just take the batteries out? No Volts no whine.

My first thought too .

March 30, 2007

Last Tuesday I sent my Legend Cx to Raytech (Canadian repair depot) because the rubber band was coming off. I got a new unit in the mail on Wednesday.

When I tried to download City Navigator to the new Legend, I got a message the map was locked. I emailed Garmin they said call & I could get a new unlock code. 15 minutes on the phone last night & I was fixed up.

Edited March 30, 2007 by revrnd

March 30, 2007

DUH!! Why didn't you just take the batteries out? No Volts no whine.

My first thought too

Ok folks. I may be female but I'm not THAT dumb. lol The Garmin Quest does not use regular batteries. :laughing: Its a built-in battery. And yes, I did think about opening it BUT I wasn't sure if "tampering" with the internal battery like that would have voided my warranty. With some electronic equipment "going where no man is supposed to go" voids the warranty. So to be on the safe side, I elected to leave it as it. I put it in my breakfast room and covered it up so I couldn't hear that earsplitting whine.

I think if I can find a cache, I can figure out to remove batteries IF they are removable. :laughing:

Edited March 30, 2007 by PlantAKiss

March 30, 2007

DUH!! Why didn't you just take the batteries out? No Volts no whine.

My first thought too

Ok folks. I may be female but I'm not THAT dumb. lol The Garmin Quest does not use regular batteries. Its a built-in battery. And yes, I did think about opening it BUT I wasn't sure if "tampering" with the internal battery like that would have voided my warranty. With some electronic equipment "going where no man is supposed to go" voids the warranty. So to be on the safe side, I elected to leave it as it. I put it in my breakfast room and covered it up so I couldn't hear that earsplitting whine.

I think if I can find a cache, I can figure out to remove batteries IF they are removable.

Ah, but you didn't tell us what model GPSr it was until now. And most GPSrs used for geocaching are handhelds with removable batteries and not automotive GPSrs.

March 30, 2007

Well I didn't in the initial post but I did mention it was a Quest in my second post. :laughing: And it is a handheld unit, just not what is "typical" for most geocachers. The orientation is different but otherwise it works the same.

BTW, it was fully charged and its a Garmin Quest

Edited March 30, 2007 by PlantAKiss

March 30, 2007

Garmin support is CRAPPY.

I don't know why, but after 16 months the toggle would not work in the up down motion,

Garmin said the warranty had expired after 12 months and it'd cost $99 to work on it. :laughing:

No wonder the guy who started Garmin is worth over a billion dollars. :laughing:

Edited March 30, 2007 by jimmyreno

3.3k · March 31, 2007

I don't know why, but after 16 months the toggle would not work in the up down motion

Did you, by any chance, play the built-in games on the unit a lot?

2k · March 31, 2007

I haven't had any recent cause to use Garmin's technical support, but when I bought my 60CS it had major issues with knowing which direction I was traveling. I spent considerable time on the phone with customer service trying to fix the problem. When this didn't work the gave me an RMA and I sent it in. Not only did I get a new unit, but included was a note with new unlock codes for both version 5 & 6 of City Select. I am impressed with the quality of their service.

April 1, 2007

I don't know why, but after 16 months the toggle would not work in the up down motion

Did you, by any chance, play the built-in games on the unit a lot?

There are no games on my GPS, I used it only for geocaching.

Garmin repair/customer service

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation