Garmin ripoff

GARMIN RIPOFF

Garmin Lifetime updates more specifically.

I have a Zumo 660 and I get the Nag screen on a regular basis telling me to update my city maps.

Now, on the Garmin site the update is $159.00US
A soon as I enter my local it recalculates it to $189.00AUD

This is a download off the US servers.

I rang Garmin support Australia, I spoke to a Lass and was told it is not linked to the exchange rate.

I asked why? Answer: because that's the way it is.

So I'm paying for the priveledge of being Australian? Answer: Yes.

Is there anyone I can speak to about this? A: No.

So I pay extra or don't update. A: Correct.

Now I want the update but I'm a stubborn Prick and I won't pay for that.

I have a mate who has purchased a new 660 and he got lifetime updates included.

I am going to pirate his maps before I'll pay a priveledge fee.

When it comes to the price of their maps, Garmin are absolute thieves.

These twats want $189 for a mere update? You can buy the actual GPS (hardware) with City Nav (the software) already loaded for less than $130 for the low-end Nuvi's.

I'm with you bro. Fuck 'em, if they want to steal from us then I'm happy for them to suffer too, it goes both ways eh.

I believe the $189 is for lifetime updates.

Note that Sensis charge Garmin for every update, even if Garmin do not charge you.

Garmin changed to a new locking scheme in early 2010. I do not believe it has been broken yet
.

I can understand why Garmin would want a fixed price, they can't change the price every day. Especially if those things are being sold in retail stores.

Last time I checked, Garmin doesn't make maps. Who knows how much of that $189 is going to Garmin? Maybe they only get five bucks out of it. Maybe they don't get anything at all.

The mapping companies are gonna drive themselves out of the business, if they keep charging so much. openstreetmap.org is already pretty good in most of the world, better than anyone else in some countries I'm told (especially in the third world, where there's no business model for commercial mapping).

There's nothing, at all, stopping Garmin from switching to OSM map data - they could drop their prices to almost nothing (maybe $10 per year), and allow you to download the latest map every single day if that's what floats your boat (openstreetmap.org publishes changes to the map every 15 minutes).

Right now, in Australia, the OSM data isn't quite as good. But the more people who use it the better it gets. I've added virtually every road/fire trail I've ever ridden down.

Check out http://www.openstreetmap.org.au/ for the australian version of OSM.

Hey Burnie I purchased the Lifetime update which is supposedly compatable with the Colorado 300, but every time I try to connect it comes up something like Gamin servers experiencing difficulties, please try later. I've been trying for 10 days. sent message to Garmin but they have not answered. Do you know if there are issues?


Update: Followed the other load process, manually updated, worked fine. It auto downloaded Basecamp as well, played with it last night seems if anything a bit better than Mapsource. Hard to believe that they don't have drag and drop like eveything else these days.

Hey PBee Where did your mate buy the zumo 660 with lifetime maps included?... im thinking of buying one.

Hi Guys, Totally new here so go easy on me with this one.
Ive just got a GPS unit (Garmin GPSmap 60CSx) which is my first other than a TomTom in the car, and im finding out theyre not so easy. Its assumed you have a base knowledge of how it all works i think.
Is it possible to download OMS maps to my GPS and use them as street maps as opposed to buying the garmin streetmaps?

Cheers,
DS

Yes, it's possible. But I don't have a Garmin and don't know how it's done. Having never seen the Garmin street maps, I also don't know how the quality compares.

The official source for OSM map data doesn't release it in a format that can be understood by your Garmin. You need to find someone who has converted it into the right format for you.

These guys look like they've done good job, and seem to have good instructions how to get it all working: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

We've used this site to download routable maps for Australia onto a Garmin Rino. Have to be a bit patient - it took a few goes to be able to select the relevant tiles on the site and download.

Thanks Guys,
I'll check it out and have a play. see what i can do. otherwise it might be easier to buy what i need to make it simpler to achieve what i want until i know what im doing. :huh

I've got a Garmin and it only cost me $49 to do map updates, how are you guys being charged $160 or more??? It was just a U.S. update though, maybe that's cheaper? I didn't really pay a whole lot of attention to it when I did it.

I pruned some off topic posts to HE that were treading a little too close to copyright infringement line.

Please read the site rules and follow them. ADV supports copyrights. So if you want to talk about Open Source Maps, that is just fine.

If you want to bitch about the cost of map data, have at it. It's been done before.

If you want to talk about how to obtain copyrighted materials via bit torrents, usenets, etc - this is not the place to do that.

Thanks,

Dave
ADV Mod

Thanks, appreciate it.

The biggest problem with copyright infringement is plain lack of education I think.

Hi Dave,

I don't condone stealing Garmins maps.
I am still running the original '10 update, My comment was just confirming the fact that unlocked copies are out there .

Garmin will not get my money until they sort out their pricing policy.

If I put a US address in the online checkout I can get it for $159 US$ =$148AUD
As soon as I indicate I'm in Australia they want $189AUD, that's currently $202USD.

I rest my case.

Pete.

ya reckon! No offence but I think most folk know they're knocking shit off.



PS, who'd a thought something from the Nerds would end up in head explody

Wow, my lifetime updates only cost me $89.00

Just got the North American lifetime updates through Amazon for 64 and some change. Called Garmin and asked them about the savings prior to ordering, as I did not want to be involved in anything not above board. The rep said to look for the new ones(which I knew) but also only order from companies that say fulfillment by Amazon. Now if it was not obvious make sure they are an authorized Garmin dealer, which it will also say on the site. I didn't save a bunch but 25-30 bucks is something. I do not know if they have any deals on the AU updates but it can't hurt to look. I have a Road Tech 660 and Harley started giving away free lifetime updates and least here locally about a month after I bought mine:huh

As a simple note, updating annually is a flat waste of money. The updates are AT LEAST 2 to 3 years behind anyway. There is a newer highway where I live that didn't get on the map the entire 6 years I owned my first Garmin. I'm on my second Garmin now with lifetime updates and I haven't checked if its there now, but I'm not holding my breath. You only get 2 annual updates max anyway no matter how many updates they publish. Its not a good update system at all and the very reason I go to the cheap NUVI models and not the super expensive moto oriented versions.

Updating once every 3 or 4 years is sufficient although for trails, I honestly can't say if that still holds true or not. Highway wise however, I'd replace it before I'd pay to update it even for the $500 models.

That said, I am a Garmin fan and find they tend to be as accurate as one could expect. Not perfect, but not bad either,...even a couple years out of date.

Doesn't seem like good marketing but you wern't clear. Was it for same product just different "shipping" address? Are there possibly some trade agreements or Ausie terrifs?

I got put on Plavix which was $200/mo in US but something like $50 in Canada! Not a product you can boycott.

+1

The only people who really need updates are in construction and looking for address in new subdivision however with the housing crash, there are no new subdivisions and most contractors already had their trucks repoed.

Did you go on to the Garmin Report Map Error site and upload a track of that road to let them know that Road is there now? I used that site to let Navteq and Garmin know that there is a new road near me (the Private entry road to housing development). It was in two updates later. I also make note of incorrect POI's (usually in the wrong place) and just upload the GPX file with the correct waypoints in them.

Cheers,