Escort Radar - Escort 9500 - Escort 9500ix Radar Detector A Big Ripoff! West Chester Ohio

I ordered the Escort 9500ix from Escort itself. Apparently, if you order from someone else, Escort will try to void the warranty. Not sure why they would sell through other retailer and have the customer pay the ultimate price of having a voided warranty.

Nonetheless, I figured the 9500ix seemed like a good ideal. It picks up all the bands plus has the added feature of being able to update new traffic radar, red light cameras, etc.

Unfortunately, it does not work as well as Escort says. In fact, Escort only gives three months of free updates. After that one has to purchase a download pass from Escort to get future updates. This is unlike my GPS which gives free updates. I suppose Escort figured it was a great way to get added revenue from customers that have already spent $500 on a radar detector.

I decided to get my limited, three months worth of updates. However, in order to take advantage of the updates, one has to purchase a special USB cord, which of course Escort sells. In addition, one can not use a simple AC adaptor to plug the radar detector into while one downloads the updates off a computer. One must purchase a special DC to AC adaptor to do this. In all, this will set one back about $50 between items they have to purchase from Escort and the shipping and handling.

The company could have had the foresight to make this process a lot easier. They could have made it where one could simply download the update on a USB stick which could be inserted and read by the detector. Instead, there is this ridiculously, over-complicated and extremely expensive method to download there updates. Furthermore, Escort puts the download file in another location aside from the Escort program. As a result, if one cannot find the file and download it they are locked out and have to call Escort to reset the logon. This is after a 24-hour wait.

To make a long story short, this is the most ridiculously designed product I have ever purchased. Leave it to Escort to take a great ideal and to destroy it. After spending nearly $500 to buy, arguably the most expensive radar on the market, one must buy nearly $50 worth of equipment and spend money to download future updates! I suppose Escort did all this to create a future revenue stream from clients who have already paid a fortune for a radar detector.

These downloads could have been made quick and painless via USB Memory Stick updates. Instead, one has to be almost a computer technician to perform them. Furthermore, I have not found the "Auto-Learn" feature of the radar to work as it keeps on making noise everytime I go by a supermarket. If one wants to buy a high-end radar, they have little choice other than Valentine, since Escort owns Bel as well. I would pass on this radar!

Tj
coral springs, Florida
U.S.A.