TomTom International BV - TomTom GO700 Ripoff poor customer service Concord, Massachusetts

I bought a TomTom GO700 in December 2005. At the time, it retailed for US$899 + taxes.After researching and comparing similar products from different manufacturers, I decided to buy the TomTom GO700, despite it being pricier than the competitors, mainly for the following reasons:

1. It claimed to have the most up-to-date house to house navigation maps within North America. (...I live in Canada);

2. With Bluetooth features, it would enable wireless and hands-free cellphone conversations while driving. (...I have a bluetooth capable cellphone);

3. Free 'PLUS SERVICES' for a year, which includes map updates, etc.

Days after buying the device (TomTom GO700) from a Circuit City store in Georgia, as I was driving back to Canada from vacationing in the USA, I found that the device does not have my address on its map database. Now, my house has been here for at least 4 years yet 'the most up-to-date house to house navigation maps within North America' does not have my address on it. Disappointed? Yes, but patient because if it was an oversight, then a simple call to the company would have it corrected. This is where my virtual nightmare starts which eventually lead to my resentment for having chosen the TomTom GO700 over the competitors.

Now for quick a comparison, my brother visited me back in 2003 using his Magellan GPS navigation. He showed off his new gadget to me. The maps indicated outlines where new roads are expected to be built, gave precise destination instructions like "destination on the right", and so on. Impressed? You bet I was! So in December 2005, I thought that any new maps would be better than those available back in 2003. I had no idea how wrong I was before I bought the TomTom GO700.

So in January 2006, I telephoned TomTom and got my first glimpse at their bureaucracy. An attendant would take the complaint and then pass it on to another department and hopefully you get a call-back. Point here is that you will never get your complaint address immediately. You will always have to wait for someone to call you back and if you are unable to take the call, then you've lost your chance of at least speaking to somebody else at TomTom. However, this time I was advised to go on their website, register and submit the error via a link on the website. I did so, and soon afterwards, saw a note on the website that the error has been fixed.

I again called TomTom, this time to find out how I can get the correction updated on my GO700. I was told that an update is usually issued at the end of the first quarter each year, so I should wait until the end of March, 2006 or thereabout. In April, I called TomTom to seek help on getting the update since I was unable to locate it on their website. This time I was advised that no update was issued and that the update is now due at the end of the second quarter. Once again, I patiently waited and during the last week of June, I called to enquire about the long overdue update. This time, I am told that the update will be out sometime in October and that I will have to purchase it. I explained that it is still less than a year since I bought the product, and that the map was obviously flawed at the time of purchase, so I think that a free update will be an appropriate thing to offer customers.

The TomTom representative, after consulting with his manager, told me that it is not possible for them to make that decision and that the company's policy would be for me to pay for the update when it becomes available. I also used this opportunity to point out to the representative that I have used the map in Toronto, Canada and that sometimes the driving instructions would direct me to make wrong turns into one-way streets. I stated that this is unacceptable since I have to ignore the directions dictated by the navigational aid, and if I did not, I could have gotten traffic ticket(s) or worse yet cause an accident. I also pointed out that while the audible volume of the driving instructions is clear and loud, whenever I paired my cell phone with the GO700 it is difficult to hear the conversation and that there is not volume control for cell phone conversation. The representative after checking with his manager told me that I can adjust the volume and I attempted to do it while he was still on the line. However, the instructions he gave me are the same as in the manual and this volume control on adjusts the driving instructions volume and if it did affect the cell phone conversation volume, its effect was not noticeable. I have had to resort to using a wired headphone between the GO700 and myself. This also, I found to be unacceptable since it defeated the whole purpose of wireless communication, a feature that added to the high price of the gadget in the first place. The representative made a note of my complaints and promises to have a Level 2 technician call me. Well, it has been two weeks now (July 4, 2006) and I have not received a reply from anyone at TomTom.

I am of the opinion that TomTom is well aware of the volume problem with respect to cell phone conversations and a quick check of the accessories they offer on their website includes a wire' headphone, as well as the mounting bracket for the GO700 has a port to plug in a wire headphone connection. In my view, these accessories are not provided as optional accessories but rather as necessary accessories.

So it was false marketing by TomTom to say that customers can enjoy hands-free Bluetooth phone conversations while driving'.

It was also false advertising when they say that they have the most up-to-date and current maps for North America'. How can I still trust them when they say that the new update due out in October will be accurate and current, since I was already duped by their (now misleading) advertisement into buying the GO700.

Again, it was false advertisement to say that customers can enjoy one full year of Plus Services' which includes free updates, and then have a company policy that requires all customers to pay of new updates.

I.
Bowmanville, Ontario
Canada