Garmin rant

Ok, im officially ticked off at Garmin at their monopoly and dealer network.
In the old days(5 years ago) you could buy one online and save a few bucks. These things are totally disposable as Garmin controls their parts and won't sell them separately. My Map 60c had issues out of warranty. My Zumo 550 needs a new base contact plate. They want me to send it in and pay $250 to get a refurbished unit for a $5 part.
Ok so screw it, this summer I bought a new Map 62 with all the gizmos and bought extra maps. The new base camp software isn't as good as the old Mapsource. I don't want no Birds eye crap.The Map62 is very stupidly laid out in comparison to my map60.

Now I want a new Zumo 660. Garmin has managed to control its market and its $649 everywhere or higher everywhere in the universe. Thats their MSRP.
So I go to Radio worlds online "SALE" flyer and they are $650. Thats not on sale. Please someone correct me if im wrong but in the old days in Canadian consumer law, " a sale would be a discount of 7% or greater."
They advertise on the Toronto Scooter forum, "see our about sections for specials"
It doesn't exist. I emailed them and they say its 5% off but show your member card. What member card?




Thanks everyone.
I feel better know as thats off my chest.

Kind of a weak rant. Posted in the wrong forum. And you are pissed at some "Radio worlds" site because they are screwing up some discount.

Moved to LDt from the North Tracks subforum.

I apologize for the weakness of my Rant.

Ok let me reiterate and put it in point forum.

1: im pissed at Garmin for selling $900 GPS and not selling parts.
2: im piseed that Garmin has created a monopoly on their retail price.
3: Im pissed at Radioworld for advertising a sale and its not on sale.

Is that better?

Cheers

Look at some of the android options that are out. You could be a bunch of tablets and use them only as a GPS and still save money.

You should be buying a Montana anyway. Get with the program.

Thanks for the plug Mike.

Im old school, sort of. I use my map62 for mappin and off road shananagins.
But i want Tunes.
Zumo 665 with sat radio!!

check this deal out.

http://www.thesource.ca/estore/prod...log=Online&category=gps-units&product=7203005

Cheers

This rant was very disappointing. I may start a rant thread about how weak it was.

That is an awesome price but I prefer to run tunes through my phone into a Scala G4 headset. The Montana does everything the Zumo does except the XM, Bluetooth and media player. But the Montana does a lot more.

But I guess it's a matter of priorities....

LOL. your number two after the moderator.

Cheers

Thanks for advice. my ears are totally shot and I need noise cancelling ear plugs, so i jack straight in to the unit.
I like having ten GPS on my dash anyway. :)

Chers

A quality rant has lots of swear words strung together in interesting ways. And it involves suggestions of actions by the rantee that are physically impossible, or nearly so. It can involve farm animals, or domestic ones for that matter, but that is not a requirement. And a really good one will likely get booted from LDT

But on a serious note - one trend we've seen over the years is that especially outside the U.S. borders, Garmin units are more expensive, and the distribution organization is a lot smaller, resulting in higher prices, and fewer discounts.

And while the auto units, like the Nuvi's, are produced in great quantities, the moto units are not, which further limits finding discounts.

As for buying a Montana, not something I would recommend. But then again, I am a Luddite. And they will remove my 60csx and 376c from their respective mounts when they no longer function, or I'm no longer riding.

And you want to talk expensive? The 376c was well over $1,000 by the time I added map data, and that was 2006!

Im like you. I liked my old stuff. They were excellent when they worked. I paid $900 for Zumo 550 and really only used it 3 years. My dilemma is that I need to replace the stuff. The Map62 is neat but its not as user friendly. My map 60c was a great little unit.
I bought the Zumo 665. Satellite radio has been out for over a decade, I guess I will give it a whirl.

Cheers

Go to the Garmin site and run update for 665.
If that doesn't work call Garmin repair and very humbly tell your problem, get the person involved in your problem. They have the authority to do all kinds of things.
They have sent me a new street pilot III to replace a ten year old unit and recently sent me a radio/antenna for my 665 that is out of warranty for free. Garmin does have
a huge mark-up on their products, but I have gotten great service.

Needs to be a sticky so noobys will know the proper process.

Heck, I've got at least a few mild rants in the floptana thread (that unit was a big waste of money!) that outgun this one!!

One metric is how many pages of people chastising your rant you get I suppose...