SporTrak Pro "non-repair" service

[+user13371]

Odd thing happened with my SporTrak Pro, and how Thales thinks they've "fixed" it. They made a great impression nd then blew it.

 

Three times in two month, I turned on my GPS and get an error message that said the unit "contained no maps." The first couple of times I thought I'd done something wrong -- once after a battery change, another after uploading a detail map. But the third time I had simply turned it back on after a brief stop. So instead of just re-uploading maps, I called Thales on it last Monday.

 

Rep said no problem, gave me a Return Authorization and said they'd ship me a new unit. I thought that was pretty cool, especially I as I was a few weeks out of warranty.

 

I got the unit back today, and thought the fast turn-around was pretty cool.

 

And they put some extra goodies in the box: a windshield mount and nylon carrying case. I thought THAT was pretty cool too...

 

Then I read the service notes:

 

REPLACED OUTER HOUSING AND RELOADED SOFTWARE. ENJOY THE FREE ACCESSORIES.

 

Sure enough, I looked in the battery compartment and it's the same S/N unit I sent in. As I had what looked like an intermittent fault (not an issue with the plastic), I'm not sure what they think it will do to replace the housing!

 

Anyhow, I have 90 days warranty on this unit (admittedly more than I really had when I phoned Thales last week) so maybe I should just keep my fingers crossed.

 

What do you think?

 

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LDR.

[+Renegade Knight]

Your problem could very well have been firmware. So the upgrade might have fixed it or the glitch. One key point is that now you are on record as having gone to them for help with a specific problem. Should the problem happen again you can go to them and say "I sent it in and they fixed it but it really isn't fixed".

 

They should (but might not) trip over themselves in embarrassment and fix it. If not you are in a position to escalate the issue until it gets fixed.

 

Recently I had 'issues' with my PDA. 8 months of issues later the problem is resolved. It took the intercession of someone in these forums to get it fixed. The GPS folks strike me as a few notches up on the customer service scale compared to my PDA company. (Until the person in the forums stepped up to the plate)

 

Good luck.

[+user13371]

quote:

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Your problem could very well have been firmware.

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Sure, it COULD have been. FWIW, I already had revision 4.06 installed, and that's what it came back with.

 

But for an intermittent problem like I had, there's no good way to test that "repair." That's why I thought they'd replace the unit, as their rep said they would.

 

And replacing the housing? Why? It didn't have "case cracks" or any visible wear. Maybe they're taking preemptive action against case cracks now?

 

quote:

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... you are on record as having gone to them for help with a specific problem.

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True, and I'm comfortable with that. I'm not angry, just a bit surprised. And I agree Thales has pretty good service.

 

Really! I called with a vague complaint, a few weeks out of warranty, but they DID accommodate me. Also gave 90 day warranty for this issue and threw in about $50 retail (maybe $20 real value) worth of accessories for my trouble. Turn-around was only a week.

 

Not too shabby, I admit -- I just wish I could be more confident about the "repair."

[+user13371]

Update: I just phoned Thales support regarding this repair, and I'm somewhat more satisfied with their handling of it.

 

The rep said if the problem recurs, he'll overnight-ship a replacement unit to me. Good deal!

 

As for replacing the housing: He said they are doing this on all SporTrak models sent in for any repair "to fix some other prolems we were having."

 

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LDR.

[+2dest]

It sounds like you got their standard fix for your particular problem - and some optional goodies as well as a fix for a known problem (the case) you may not even have had. Sounds like excellent service to me. Hope it functions fine from now on.

Best Regards,