Magellan Support

[+bishoptakesqueen]

I sent my Magellan Explorist for software repair about one month ago. After 3 phone calls, they admitted they had lost it and said they would replace with a Triton 400. Now, a week and a half later it is "back ordered". Wonder if I will ever get it replaced. When you get support it is extremely hard to understand them and then in is very hard to get any support. Good thing I also have a Garmin or my "hobby" would be on hold.

[+Marky]

I sent my Magellan Explorist for software repair about one month ago. After 3 phone calls, they admitted they had lost it and said they would replace with a Triton 400. Now, a week and a half later it is "back ordered". Wonder if I will ever get it replaced. When you get support it is extremely hard to understand them and then in is very hard to get any support. Good thing I also have a Garmin or my "hobby" would be on hold.

 

Wow, sorry to hear that you aren't getting an eXplorist. It might be a good idea to go to your nearest Wal-Mart to see if you can get one of the closeout eXplorist 500s for $74. I'm not at all impressed with the Triton line so far, but maybe eventually it will be usable for geocaching. It does display the cache description and hint (not logs) though, which is one nice feature added to the Triton units. The other is NG Topo map compatibility. So, if you already have NG Topo, you'll be able to make your own custom topo maps and put them on the Triton.

 

--Marky

[+WhatTrail?]

[Marky,

 

My Explorist 210 just died and given that I already have MapSend and liked the logical layout of the Magellan as compared to my friend's Garmin, want to stick with Magellan. I just called my Walmart and they don't have the 500 closeout--in fact no Magellans at the moment. I see that Tiger has the 500 for $139--not $74, but not too bad.

 

Where are you located?

 

Judi

[+MartianRabbit]

Ebay is your friend! Just do a search for Magellan Explorist, and gobs of stuff will pop out. The prices look pretty darn good too! I have bought my last three explorists this way, and have not had any problems with any of them, as I just wear them out. MR

[+Marky]

Where are you located?

I'm in California.

 

--Marky

[+Duck-n-Deedy]

I recently purchased a Triton 400 for geocaching. I also returned it two days later because of the problems. I know most of the problem was with the Vista operating system I am forced to use but I found several problems with the Triton. The buttons were very small and hard to use. You can only set a waypoint from the map screen. I couldnt get Vista to recognize the unit. When I called and sent emails they would only say you will have to wait for the firmware upgrade to come out. As a geocaching unit I did not find it very user friendly. I returned it and purchased an Explorist which is much more familiar. Good luck with the Triton. It will be interesting to see if other cachers find the model useful. Looked good in the ads but not so fun in the hand

[+gelfling6]

 

Wow, sorry to hear that you aren't getting an eXplorist. It might be a good idea to go to your nearest Wal-Mart to see if you can get one of the closeout eXplorist 500s for $74. I'm not at all impressed with the Triton line so far, but maybe eventually it will be usable for geocaching. It does display the cache description and hint (not logs) though, which is one nice feature added to the Triton units. The other is NG Topo map compatibility. So, if you already have NG Topo, you'll be able to make your own custom topo maps and put them on the Triton.

 

--Marky

 

I just picked-up the last remaining 500LE at the local Wallyworld, and a nice 2GB SanDisk SD card at the local Staples for another $21.00 (19.98+Tax), and when I went to register the device, Magellan's website refused to accept the serial number (did not match a known pattern.) So, I added the 0 to the beginning, and the 1 to the end, so the number matched the tags inside, and on the box. Again, refused. So, if I want to open the Mapsend software, or update the firmware, I'm sunk until Magellan accepts the number.

 

(awaiting any reply, as it just got sent, with BOTH serial #'s in contact w/registering.)

 

for now, let's see.. running off the AAA-Pack Unable to get anywhere trying to find out what the Lith-Ion pack looks like (though, it looks like a Cell Phone pack, just can't place which brand.)

 

This would be a fairly good GPSr for geocaching, Especially with the ability to dump >>ALL<< caches into the 2GB SD card.

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

[+jwheels1]

So, I added the 0 to the beginning, and the 1 to the end, so the number matched the tags inside, and on the box.

 

You might try registering without the 1 and 0.

I've found that dropping the first and last # seems to help but....

[+EScout]

gelfling6:

What price did you you pay for the 500LE?

 

Regarding the LI-ion pack:

You can get the use the Motorola's: eXplorist FAQ

 

You will want to get the craddle (swivel Mount) so that you do not have to screw the cable into the back of the unit, just drop it into the craddle.

[+KJcachers]

I just bought a 210 back in October and the joystick won't go left any more. I have read that this seems to be a common eXplorist issue but I am afraid to send it back to Magellan for repair/replacement. Anybody know if there is a fix I can do myself?

[+supermanbaja]

I sent my Magellan Explorist for software repair about one month ago. After 3 phone calls, they admitted they had lost it and said they would replace with a Triton 400. Now, a week and a half later it is "back ordered". Wonder if I will ever get it replaced. When you get support it is extremely hard to understand them and then in is very hard to get any support. Good thing I also have a Garmin or my "hobby" would be on hold.

 

I had the same problem but Magellan sent me a new explorist 500le witch was fine. But 2 months later I got my original explorist 500le back and it was refurbished. WOO HOO!! I like dumb people

[jonik8667]

Oh my! I just bought a Trition 400- and after a week of trying to get it to work, I gave up and sent it back for a refund. It sure wasn't worth the $193 plus shipping that I paid for it. After days of research I THOUGHT I had picked a good GPS for a beginner. Its back to the drawing board for me to try and figure out what kind to get for a beginner. Thank goodness there is a foot of snow on the ground and not the best conditions to go out and explore. Good Luck- I hope it works for you!

[jonik8667]

I recently purchased a Triton 400 for geocaching. I also returned it two days later because of the problems. I know most of the problem was with the Vista operating system I am forced to use but I found several problems with the Triton. The buttons were very small and hard to use. You can only set a waypoint from the map screen. I couldnt get Vista to recognize the unit. When I called and sent emails they would only say you will have to wait for the firmware upgrade to come out. As a geocaching unit I did not find it very user friendly. I returned it and purchased an Explorist which is much more familiar. Good luck with the Triton. It will be interesting to see if other cachers find the model useful. Looked good in the ads but not so fun in the hand

 

I TOTALY agree-- (seepost #12 ) this looked great when I researched it, but it wasn't worth the cost of batteries. What a disapointment!

Edited February 7, 2008 by jonik8667

[+Duck-n-Deedy]

After getting my Explorist and setting it up I incountered a problem downloading geocaches to it. Once again Windows Vista seems to be the problem. I updated the recomended drivers from Magellan and still no luck. Once again I call the support line. After doing several things they recommended it was still unable to download. A call back got an interesting comment. I was told that none of the Magellans would work with Windows Vista and they did not plan on doing anything to make it happen. Once again great support from Magellan. Wonder how Garmin support is

[+briansnat]

After getting my Explorist and setting it up I incountered a problem downloading geocaches to it. Once again Windows Vista seems to be the problem. I updated the recomended drivers from Magellan and still no luck. Once again I call the support line. After doing several things they recommended it was still unable to download. A call back got an interesting comment. I was told that none of the Magellans would work with Windows Vista and they did not plan on doing anything to make it happen. Once again great support from Magellan. Wonder how Garmin support is

 

Garmin Support

 

Great Garmin Service

 

Garmin Customer Support

 

Praise for Garmin Support

 

Outstanging Garmin Support

 

Great Garmin Customer Service

 

Garmin Support A+

 

Sure you can find some complaints about Garmin support, but you have to look hard. Sure you can find praise for Magellan support, but you have to look harder.

[+Walt Jabsco]

After getting my Explorist and setting it up I incountered a problem downloading geocaches to it. Once again Windows Vista seems to be the problem. I updated the recomended drivers from Magellan and still no luck. Once again I call the support line. After doing several things they recommended it was still unable to download. A call back got an interesting comment. I was told that none of the Magellans would work with Windows Vista and they did not plan on doing anything to make it happen. Once again great support from Magellan. Wonder how Garmin support is

To get the Triton 400 to work with Vista:

After installing VantagePoint from the website, search your computer and replace the MUD.sys file on your computer with the one on the CD that comes with the Triton 400.

To get the Explorist to work with Vista:

Geocache Manager does not work Vista. Use VantagePoint instead. VantagePoint works with the Explorist series.

 

I have both the Triton 400 and the Explorist 400 and both are working with Vista.

More details can found at www.tritonforum.com

[cowboyshootist]

SNIP

Sure you can find some complaints about Garmin support, but you have to look hard. Sure you can find praise for Magellan support, but you have to look harder.

 

In all fairness you can't always judge a book by its cover. Most GPS forum discussions are very Garmin centric and you would expect the "fan-boys" to praise their favorite team, so to speak.

 

Likewise more people that have a pleasant experience don't post while people that have bad experiences do post to vent their frustration. What we don't see here are all the positive Magellan experiences. Are they out there? That's hard to say conclusively. Clearly Magellan has stubbed its toe with respect to customer support.

 

As a side note I find it ironic how people will flame Magellan for the poor quality of the Triton while they will rationalize the poor quality of the Colorado by saying things like "Garmin will fix it..." and so on.

 

At the end of the day the only way to send a message to both of these companies is to stop buying half-baked products until they are fixed. Stick to what is known to work and I think you'll be happier in the long run.

 

Now, back to the Magellan bashing....LOL

Edited February 8, 2008 by cowboyshootist

[+cpnowak]

Boy did I ever get screwed! I'm a loyal Magellan fan (and I agree customer service is poor). I broke my Meridian Marine so I went all out and ordered the Triton 2000!! $500 later, I have a piece of junk that I can't even take geocaching. I sent my original unit back to Magellan and they sent me another unit that is exactly the same. I can't return my purchase to Amazon because it is not the unit they sold me and it has been over 30 days. I have to keep this piece of #%&% and I'm out the money. I am so disappointed!! WARNING: DO NOT BUY A TRITON GPS...THEY DON'T WORK!

 

Now I'm gonna go cry!

[+Walt Jabsco]

I find it ironic how people will flame Magellan for the poor quality of the Triton while they will rationalize the poor quality of the Colorado by saying things like "Garmin will fix it..." and so on.

 

I thought I was the only one that noticed that. I'm amazed that they think taking a brand new unit apart and having to grease parts to make them work, and put vaseline on other parts to make the unit attain the standards it's supposed to have anyway, is totally acceptable. And the bugs? Never mind those. It's okay, it's a Garmin.

 

As they bash the Triton and call it totally unusable, because they have to look at the map screen to see the nearest cache, instead of the cache page, because the NEAREST function isn't working right yet. (If you want to split hairs, when you download a pocket query, you select a starting point, and the caches are shown nearest to starting point you selected. So you can make the argument that it does show them by nearest. Nearest by the criteria you selected, not nearest by the physical location you're actually at. Granted, that's a silly argument for the real world, but technically correct).

 

If you want to bash VantagePoint because you can't get it to work, because you didn't read the minimum video requirements they list, you won't get much sympathy from me (Secret: Yes, sometimes you do have to buy a better computer than the new one you just bought, to get the latest version of any software to work)

 

I have a Triton 400, and yes, the documents that comes with it is useless for setting it up. But within a day (thanks to here and tritonforum.com), and a few doh! moments, mine is working fine. Are there things I would like better? Sure, bigger buttons and a LI-ON battery for example. But I knew about both of those before I bought the unit, so I accept it. Are there bugs? Nothing that makes it unusable, and nothing like the horror stories I've read. Nope, not one of the ominous "white screen of deaths" or other things I hear so much about.

 

And it's waterproof to IPX-7 without vaseline.

Edited February 8, 2008 by Walt Jabsco

[+cpnowak]

As they the bash the Triton and call it totally unusable, because they have to look at the map screen to see the nearest cache, instead of the cache page, because the NEAREST function isn't working right yet. (If you want to split hairs, when you download a pocket query, you select a starting point, and the caches are shown nearest to starting point you selected. So you can make the argument that it does show them by nearest. Nearest by the criteria you selected, not nearest by the physical location you're actually at. Granted, that's a silly argument for the real world, but technically correct).

 

Oh how I wish you were correct. My nearest function doesn't work and it doesn't show the cache nearest the starting point I selected either. It shows me a cache that is 45 miles away as being nearest.

 

I don't get a white screen of death but I've gotten "Fatal Exception Error" many, many times. The entire unit freezes up and has to be rebooted.

 

I don't know a thing about Garmins. I do know about old Magellan's and I've never had these kinds of problems.

 

Are you able to customize you "customizable" areas of your unit? Do these areas revert back to factory settings when you scroll through the nav screens? Mine do.

 

I'm glad you are happy with your Triton, or semi happy. I am not. Basically, I have a $500 flashlight, mp3, low quality camera combo!

[+cpnowak]

Oh, forgot to mention...

Senior Public Relations Manager for Magellan

Rafael Finelli

408-250-1778

rfinelli@magellangps.com

 

Customer support gave me that number in hopes that someone from Corporate would be able to resolve my issue. I have not received a response.

[+L Frank]

I emailed Mr. Finelli a couple of months ago regarding an unrelated issue, and never received a reply either.

 

Oh, forgot to mention...

Senior Public Relations Manager for Magellan

Rafael Finelli

408-250-1778

rfinelli@magellangps.com

 

Customer support gave me that number in hopes that someone from Corporate would be able to resolve my issue. I have not received a response.

[+Marky]

WARNING: DO NOT BUY A TRITON GPS...THEY DON'T WORK!

 

Now I'm gonna go cry!

I think it will eventually work. I'm beta-testing a firmware upgrade, and have acutally been able to find caches with it. Besides it still crashing now and then, it is not so bad. Being able to read the cache description is a nice bonus.

 

--Marky

[+Walt Jabsco]

Oh how I wish you were correct. My nearest function doesn't work and it doesn't show the cache nearest the starting point I selected either. It shows me a cache that is 45 miles away as being nearest.

I'll upload more gpx files and see what I get.

I don't get a white screen of death but I've gotten "Fatal Exception Error" many, many times. The entire unit freezes up and has to be rebooted.

Mine is a 400, so maybe your additional software features has more bugs? That's just a guess.

Are you able to customize you "customizable" areas of your unit? Do these areas revert back to factory settings when you scroll through the nav screens? Mine do.

Mine keeps my customized areas. I've only adjusted a few, so I can't say if it works completely on all of the custom settings, but the ones I did change haven't changed or switched back to default. Does yours do it on all nav pages? I can try to replicate your problems if you tell me what changes you made that don't work.

I'm glad you are happy with your Triton, or semi happy. I am not. Basically, I have a $500 flashlight, mp3, low quality camera combo!

I'm happy so far with the caveat that they do fix the bugs I have seen (the clock, quicker redraw in the course mode) in the near future. Granted mine was $199, so my expectations are less by $300 worth

 

I haven't used their customer service yet. I've found posting here and the other forum gets almost immediate results from people who like helping each other out.

[+MartianRabbit]

I think it will eventually work. I'm beta-testing a firmware upgrade, and have acutally been able to find caches with it. Besides it still crashing now and then, it is not so bad. Being able to read the cache description is a nice bonus.

 

--Marky

 

Hi Marky, Glad to see someone has gotten some bata firmware to test! Is this firmware for the T2000? Does it have a version number? When did you get it? Having the description would be a new feature not in the current release of 1.1.14. This sounds like good news? How are the sorting functions worknig now? Will if list nearest in the correct order? Is the compass calibration working better? After I would calibrate my comppass on the T2000, it would soon crash OutdoorNav.exe.

 

Any fed back would be great! Thanks! MR

[+Marky]

Will if list nearest in the correct order?

Yep, this is working fine now.

Is the compass calibration working better?

It is definitely possible to successfully calibrate the compass now, and if for some reason you can't, you can cancel out of the calibration.

After I would calibrate my comppass on the T2000, it would soon crash OutdoorNav.exe.

I haven't seen this correlation on the beta firmware.

 

As far as the other questions, yes, it is an update for the 2000. I don't have my 2000 on me, so I can't really check any of the other questions you asked.

 

--Marky

[+MartianRabbit]

Thanks Marky! Now, I just hope they enable it to do turn-by-turn routing like all their older units do. I am pretty excited! Thanks! MR

[+Marky]

Thanks Marky! Now, I just hope they enable it to do turn-by-turn routing like all their older units do. I am pretty excited! Thanks! MR

 

I assume you've checked out all the info out at tritonforums.com?

[+Dustydew]

Boy did I ever get screwed! I'm a loyal Magellan fan (and I agree customer service is poor). I broke my Meridian Marine so I went all out and ordered the Triton 2000!! $500 later, I have a piece of junk that I can't even take geocaching. I sent my original unit back to Magellan and they sent me another unit that is exactly the same. I can't return my purchase to Amazon because it is not the unit they sold me and it has been over 30 days. I have to keep this piece of #%&% and I'm out the money. I am so disappointed!! WARNING: DO NOT BUY A TRITON GPS...THEY DON'T WORK!

 

Now I'm gonna go cry!

 

I am just a newbie to GPS and geocaching, but I got a T2000 for Christmas and love it!! We have had so much fun caching when time allows (found 61 so far) and each time the GPS took us right to the spot. Last week we went to the coast and cached in the Redwoods - even found one cache that many others could not find because "the gps was all over the place or lost satellite connection". Yes, there are a couple bugs that need worked out, but I am defiitely keeping my T2000!!!

One Happy Horseback rider...

[+mjcromp]

I bought a explorist 500 about 2 months ago and my Driver cd didn't work. After 5 days of calling they finally said they would send me a cd when they get some more in. I still havn't received it. Luckily one of you fine Groundspeakers e-mailed me the file. Otherwise i'd still be hand entering my caches!!

My next gps will be a Garmin. I called them with a problem I had with a 6 year old unit and got help like it was brand new! Thanks Garmin and Magellan you need to work on some things!!!

[+MartianRabbit]

Thanks Marky! Now, I just hope they enable it to do turn-by-turn routing like all their older units do. I am pretty excited! Thanks! MR

 

I assume you've checked out all the info out at tritonforums.com?

 

I have read quite a bit but not all, and I have read some post that suggest Routing will be there, but no details on whether the V2 or V3 Mapsend Direct Route will be compatible. I have built several V2 Direct Route maps and they Authorize and install via VantagePoint just fine except the interface in the unit does not have a Street Route function just point-to-point function.

 

I also have read Mimiwhip's is consolidating issues and feature requests. So I am confident things will work out. It was good to see your response in this thread as it demostrates progress, and that is good news! I just wish there was a way I could be a beta tester. I updated my profile on Maggie's site indicating I would like to beta test new products, and maybe someday I might be included. I think I use the GPS units to their limits and would be a good candidate.

 

Again thanks, and it was good talking with you. I have not seen you since LSOH III. MR

[+Marky]

I just wish there was a way I could be a beta tester. I updated my profile on Maggie's site indicating I would like to beta test new products, and maybe someday I might be included. I think I use the GPS units to their limits and would be a good candidate.

Did you not get my PM?

[+HDAnimal]

I bought my Magellan Explorist 500 in November, when I started geocaching. Through the first 38 finds, I was in Heaven. The unit was dead-on accurate and fairly easy for a newbie like me to use. Last month, I attempted to update the firmware on the unit. After that, it just kept crashing. I called Magellan to send it in under the warranty. They kept giving me the run-around. They are only open from 7am to 5pm PST. Since I work in the field, I had to call from my cell phone. Each call lasted a minimum of a half hour. I dread getting that cell bill. Each time I called, they would give me another series of steps to do in order to try to fix the unit, then they told me if it didn't fix the problem, call back.

 

After about 5 days of this, they finally gave me a return authorization number and address. Two weeks later, I called them to check the status (this time the phone call was 45 minutes). They said the unit was repaired and shipped back to me. They gave me the UPS tracking number. I checked the UPS website for a delivery date and waited the additional week to get the unit.

 

On the date of the scheduled delivery, I checked the website to make sure the package was "Out For Delivery" that day. I was getting anxious, to say the least. I was already Jonesing to find a cache. I came home at lunch to check for a package, nothing. I checked before going back into the office at 4, nothing. Stopped by the house between work and school, nothing. When I got home from school at 9:30pm, still no package. I checked the website again and it stated that the package was destoyed in transit and that the receiver refused the package.

 

Called Magellan the next day. They said they didn't have access to the UPS website and that I would have to fax the info to them and call back the next day. I had to wait until I got home that night to fax info. Called the next morning to see what they were going to do about the situation. The rep told me they would need the fax number I had sent it from because they "get 70 or 80 faxes a day and we don't want to have to go through every single fax". We have a separate fax line dedicated for my wife's business, so I have never memorized the number. I had to get the number that night and call them the next morning.

 

The next morning, I called yet again and the rep told me they received it and they are prepared to send me a replacement. He stated that they do not replace units with the exact same model. He offered me a Triton 400 as the replacement. I was not in a position to research the unit to see if it was comparable to the unit I had sent in, so I told him to go ahead and send it. I asked him how long it would take to send out the new unit, he said they send them out immediately. I asked him to give me a UPS tracking number and he refused. He said to call the next day and they would provide it. (I'm starting to think these guys get paid on a per-call basis).

 

Called backed the next day and was told (quite rudely) that it would take two to three weeks to process the order and to call back then for a tracking number.

 

I've dealt with many customer service departments in my lifetime, but this was by far the worst experience ever. Magellan's Customer DisService Department is outsourced to what I can only guess is India, Afghanistan or Pakistan. The reps are given ridiculous-sounding English names. The broken-English they possess leaves you asking them to repeat themselves many times. They come across as being cold and stiff. They can only tell you what is on their script. If it were just one rep, I could forgive it, but it is a problem that has run rampant.

 

I have never been so soured by an experience as I have been with this one. I would NEVER buy another Magellan product for fear of having to go through this process again. If this Triton proves to be troublesome, it will become the world's most expensive doorstop. Garmin, here I come.

[+Walt Jabsco]

They gave me the UPS tracking number. I checked the UPS website for a delivery date and waited the additional week to get the unit.

 

On the date of the scheduled delivery, I checked the website to make sure the package was "Out For Delivery" that day. When I got home from school at 9:30pm, still no package. I checked the website again and it stated that the package was destoyed in transit and that the receiver refused the package.

 

 

Huh? The receiver refused the package? That means if the package was delivered to the right address, that would have been your house (or wherever you were getting it sent to), and the person who was going to sign for it refused it. If a package was destroyed in transit, instead of refusing it, file a claim against UPS, the shipping company, not the vendor is responsible for damaged shipments.

[+RRLover]

On the date of the scheduled delivery, I checked the website to make sure the package was "Out For Delivery" that day. I checked the website again and it stated that the package was destoyed in transit and that the receiver refused the package.

 

That would mean that some-BODY refused delivery, and that individual should

be identifiable. If your wife (or?) didn't refuse delivery, something's fishy!

What was the URL for the UPS delivery status, real, or bogus?

 

Is it :

 

http://www.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_US

 

?

 

Norm

Edited February 14, 2008 by RRLover

[+geodarts]

I must have good luck with Magellan. Support has been fine, with quick turn arounds when I have sent something in under warranty.

[+HDAnimal]

That's just it, nobody was home all day. When I called UPS that night, they said the drivers will put that in so that they can return the damaged item. As a receiver, I have no right to question UPS on anything except for status of the package. They said the shipper is the one who will have to file a claim with UPS.

 

In the meantime, I have managed to grab a couple of caches "commando-style". But I sure am jonesing for a working GPSr. I'm contemplating going out and buying a cheap Garmin as a backup. Any suggestions?