Magellan GPS Outdated Map Scam, Rip-off & Poor Customer Service Santa Clara California

I purchased a Magellan GPS brand new at Costco only to discover the maps were not even reasonably recent. For example, a fairly major DC suburban town that has existed since 1995 is not recognized at all by the system 13 years later. Shopping plazas and roads that have been built for years are not on the system.

Since I could have no confidence using a system that is so poorly outdated in unfamiliar territory, I tried to get help from Magellan. I would have accepted a free updated map as a remedy, even though I didn't believe it was fair to have a customer have to go through updating a brand new device. My emails to Magellan were alternately ignored or answered with strange and inaccurate rewording of my problem. For example, when I explained the maps were outdated and asked how it could be remedied, one response I got said, "So, if I understand your problem, you cannot find your neighborhood on the system. Please give us your address so we can add it to the system." I had never mentioned my own neighborhood and certainly adding it to their maps wouldn't resolve my problem of outdated maps at all.

I googled "Magellan" and "outdated maps" and found many similar complaints about the maps and poor customer service. I came to believe the company must be well aware of the problem but had chosen not to handle it properly. The typical response was to offer to sell the customer more current maps. I explained that I should not have to buy updates to a device that was brand new. I accept that all maps for GPS systems may not be be up to the minute since the devices could sit on shelves for a few weeks or months, but I don't believe they should be years out of date. I believe if they are years out of date, then Magellan should provide free updates.

Magellan customer service stopped responding to my emails. I called Costco and found they had received similar complaints about Magellan devices. Costco took back my device without question and processed me a full refund. My advice: never buy a product made by Magellan. In my opinion, they are knowingly selling outdated devices, and are then knowingly deflecting the legitimate complaints rather than resolving them.

Disappointed
Washington DC, District of Columbia
U.S.A.