More 'Latest Map Guarantee' woes

[mikedean2]

To: The Link Customer Services

Dear Customer Services
Please refer back to previous communications file in regard to this issue prior to reading below. The communications up to this point are: an original email query from myself via the 'Help' form on your website, a telephone conversation from customer services to myself yesterday morning to check details of the problem, and a further telephone call from customer services to myself yesterday afternoon to discuss resolution.

The issue surrounds my purchase of a TomTom 920T personal navigation device that I bought online from your store last Friday, which arrived early Saturday morning. TomTom point of sale literature and their website makes an offer, called Latest Map Guarantee (LMG), which ensure customers purchasing units are able to get the most recent map available irrespective of when the unit was built, i.e. it makes an allowance for the likelihood that a unit built in, say, January 08 will be 'out of date' by the time a customer buys it, because the maps will have been superceded. My purchase from you was made on that precept.

However, there has been a level of difficulty in persuading TomTom to honour that obligation, and unfortunately we now seem to be at stalemate. The standard procedure for TomTom to honour their obligation is served via software, where the customer installs a program on their home computer and then plugs in their personal navigation device, to allow it to communicate directly with TomTom and download the latest map. Unfortunately TomTom's server is currently not functioning correctly and does not allow my device to collect the new map. When connected, my device (which contains Map version 710. release) states that I already have the most current map, when in fact the latest map is of a 720. release. For completeness of information, please note that 710, release maps were replaced by 715. release versions, which have in turn been replaced with 720. release versions.

My own research online has shown that this problem has existed for some time, at least several weeks, and in the conversation I had with your customer services representative yesterday he agreed that he too had found reference to this issue going back some time. After contacting TomTom by phone at my own expense, I was told a procedure they have put in place to answer this problem, which includes sending photographs of my device at several stages of operation, to demonstrate that my map is not current and that the device does report that it has the latest map. They also require photographs of the actual LMG card showing the code number, the serial number for the device, and the receipt. I consider this to be unreasonable, since the only thing that is needed is the serial number of the device, which allows TomTom to know what maps were installed on it at point of manufacture, which then lets them know that it isn't current. However, in the interests of expediency, I took the photographs they required and returned them by email within ten minutes of the email from TomTom requesting them.

Yesterday, over two days after my email to them, I received a reply from TomTom saying that the photo I sent them of my receipt was not of sufficient quality, and that I would need to submit a further, clearer, photograph before they would continue their process of giving me access to my entitlement. It also suggested that I use a scanner instead, but I do not have one. Given that it had taken more than 48 hours to receive a reply to an email, I decided to contact them by phone, and again at my own expense, called them. I explained that I only had access to a very poor resolution phone camera - since my own digital camera is away for repair - and that the photograph taken was perfectly legible to me. I also explained that I was unhappy that TomTom were making demands on me to correct a problem that belonged to them, i.e. if they fixed their broken server, I would get my entitlement without recourse to sending photographs. In light of the problem being theirs rather than mine, that the photograph seemed to be of suitable quality to me, and that I did not have access to a device to take a better picture, I found their request for a second picture to be unreasonable. The representative agreed that he could make out sufficient detail on the photo to get the information he required, and that the problem was entirely theirs. He said that he would 'speed up' the process and that I would have my map available for download by the end of that day, i.e. yesterday.

Having not had the email with the link for download, I phoned TomTom again this morning, and spoke to a different person. This person started by saying that the previous chap should not have given me a guaranteed time, and that while I would get the upgrade he had no idea of when. I told him that I needed to return the unit to yourselves within the next couple of days to make use of the DSR, and that I wasn't willing to let that time expire if I hadn't got the latest map. The representative then looked at the photo I had sent, and decided to override the decision made yesterday and demand a new picture.

Unfortunately this is the point where I lost patience. TomTom's literature does not state that I wll need access to a camera and a scanner in order to gain my entitlement to the latest map. The T&C within the box do not state that I will need to expend my own resources of time and phone cost in order to gain my entitlement. All I SHOULD have to do is plug it in. Having proved my entitlement to TomTom in the form of the serial number of the device, any further assistance I provide is at my own goodwill, rather than a specific stated condition necessary to update it. While I am willing to give that, it is only in response to a sympathetic and apologetic manner, not a demand that, to quote, "you MUST do x" (my emphasis) and "we also require that you...". TomTom are failing to meet their obligation and they have no express right to make further demands of me to help them fulfill it.

TomTom feel, via their representative, that they are quite within their rights to make these and additional demands upon me to get the update, and their representative was quite willing to admit that even if they got the photo they are demanding, there may well be further hoops to jump through and/or delay in the map being provided - in fact he wasn't willing to say that I would get the map definitely within the next month. TomTom are wrong, and they have no right to make those additional demands. When I incur costs in getting what I'm told in the literature I should have, I am entitled to reimbursement of those costs. If that were not the case, I could be asked to go to Norway to collect my maps, and I would have no recourse. The only question in that is a degree of reasonableness, and I feel I have already been more than reasonable by sending pictures of my device in various states of operation, and proving to them that I'm not the fraudster that their process seems to assume I am until I can prove otherwise. I've further been reasonable in expending my own time to call them on several occasions to attempt resolution, notwithstanding the cost of those calls. I no longer feel willing to cooperate with TomTom when they make demands of me, and am therefore writing to you. On principle, and to prove to TomTom that they are incorrectly interpreting their position of strength, I would happily issue a small claims court summons, but unfortunately I didn't buy my device from them; I bought it from you.

I'm therefore placing the ball back in your court, and requesting that you ensure I have what I'm entitled to have. If you would like to intervene on my behalf, and send whatever info to TomTom they want before they'll give me what I want, then my reference number with TomTom is xxxxxx-xxxxxxx and their phone number is 08451610009. However, I've had enough of begging them to give me what I should have had already. I just want what I should have, and I dont think thats unreasonable.
As previously stated, my phone number is xxxxxx and my mobile is xxxx.

[shadamehr]

Well worded and reasonable letter.

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck.

[Andy_P]

I was half way through and I have to admit I was thinking "we've got another shadamehr....."

Made me spill my coffee when I saw you'd replied!

Mike, I know just how infuriating TomTom "customer services" are, but I don't think The Link are going to be able to do anything on your behalf (nor could they be expected to). All they will end up doing I suspect is giving you your money back. If that's what you want, that's fine of course.

[DennisN]

It took me three weeks and two days to get my map update from TomTom - I started on 6th May and got the email telling me they had conceded on 29th May. GRRR
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[mikedean2]

[mikedean2]

To update on this, I had a phone call yesterday from The Link customer services. The person I spoke to sounded very knowledgeable on the issue and it was obvious he had spent some time researching it online before calling. He'd also been in phone contact with TomTom support at least once.

Apparently he'd been told by TomTom that the failure to automatically update maps using LMG affected 'random' units across the range, and the issue is no more prevalent on one model than another. I had complete faith that he believed that, having had that told to him by TomTom, although I'll admit I'm not quite so convinced! The solution offered was to send a brand new 920T to me by courier on Monday, to exchange for my current one, in the hope that the replacement will update automatically (presuming the server is up, of course...) and wont require the rigmarole the first one did. He also said that if there WAS a problem updating it, they would accept it back either in exchange for a PND from another manufacturer, or for a complete refund, at my choice. Considering The Link are pretty much at TomTom's mercy on this and are unhappily having to deal with a problem that they didn't cause, I think this is an exemplary level of service (especially considering they are owned by a group that doesn't have the best reputation for customer service!), and I have no problems in recommending them to everyone here. Pity, I cant offer the same recommendation for TomTom themselves...

[peasemore]

TT have office in London so you could always perhaps pursue via small claims court, as TT are making the LMG offer/contract direct to the purchaser
_________________
Gel
Lifetime Member Thames Valley, Berkshire, UK
Mazda CX-5 built in SatNav- not sure if TT or not. Garmin NUVI in reserve.

[DennisN]

[mikedean2]

[Calomax]

I think Dennis advised that because you can only have one device registered to one address. I'm sure he'll confirm that because he's the expert with multiple devices.

What I did was to create a new email address and transfered my old device to it. Then I registered the new device to my normal email. Then, in my case when I sold the old unit, I transfered it from my temporary email address to the buyer's email with a temporary password. He then changed all the rest of the details including his password.
_________________
TT Go Essential

[DennisN]

Every TomTom device must have its own unique account identity, by means of email address. You are allowed ONE change in a short period of time, then no more for another age (I can't quote you the periods - just that in going through 7 GO720s in less than six months recently, I hit the wall!!)

In my case, I was allowed 5 email addresses by my ISP, so the main one was for my first GO (300 3 years ago, then 700 six months later), then I had to go through loads of them as I progressed owning more than one device at a time, then getting duds - it all became a very long sorry saga. I ended up having email addresses like first@ISP, second@ISP and so on, deleting redundant email addresses to give room for new ones. Keeping track was easy - I simply blue-tacked a sheet of paper on the wall behind my PC screen with the details, including passwords, written on it. It's there as I type - the wall paper is getting very fragile from all the pullings off and sticking back ons.

Suffice it to say that it IS possible to survive with just one device with just one email address. BUT if you exchange it, after the first exchange you are subject to the mercy of TomTom who consider you to be a thief, murderer and pirate, not a customer. To get the benefit of their mercy, you will have to jump through hoops, sending them scanned copies of your receipts, screen dumps of your device details, its serial number, your mother's maiden name and your next three children's dates of birth (that's in advance). Then they'll change your device registration for you - make sure it works, because if you get a dud and have to go through it all again, they'll make it difficult next time.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Andy_P]

[peasemore]

Yes I know Cust Serv is there Andy, but look at recruitment section and you'll see they have drop down of offices and London
& Edinburgh show; only London has a vacancy!
_________________
Gel
Lifetime Member Thames Valley, Berkshire, UK
Mazda CX-5 built in SatNav- not sure if TT or not. Garmin NUVI in reserve.

[Andy_P]

Cool....
I need a new job, what do you reckon?
A mole within?

[mikedean2]

Further update:
Today The Link sent the courier to swap out my 920, which I rapidly plugged in to HOME to use the LMG. First up it refused to allow me to add it to my account and demanded a new email address (as Dennis suggested it would) so I gave it an address I rarely use anymore and away we went. Alas, clicking Tools and Use Latest Map Guarantee brought the same old message I got on the previous unit - You already have the latest map. Checked just to be sure and hey presto its using 710. release maps.
Rang TomTom, again, and said I'm still not getting the LMG to work. Not a known issue, assured David on the other end. B*ll*cks, assured I, its not only known about its near flippin infamous. Well, says David, you'll need to send us the receipt for it, along with the other bits of info demanded before. You already have the receipt, says I, on my previous email address. Oh no, says David, we want the receipt for the NEW unit. I said I dont have one, it was just exchanged, and he decided that now what he wanted was a proof of exchange. Dont have that either, I said, I just rang customer services at The Link - who unlike you halfwits at least appear to take their responsibilities to the customer seriously - and they sent a courier out to swap them. Tough doodies, assured David, without this you wont get your map. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and David said, quote "No, I wont put you through. I've told you what to do, theres no need to speak to anyone else".
Okay, I've gone beyond mere frustration now. I'd be grateful if someone knowledgeable could reply with exactly what map(s) the LMG is supposed to cover (i.e. theres more than one map on the device - do they ALL get updated?) and what percentage of people using this forum have got that update honoured 'properly' (i.e. just plugging the device in and it doing it all itself), how long this problem with automatically getting it has been going on, and finally, just what the CODE is for thats printed on the back of the LMG leaflet? I ask that last one because tapping it into the webpage that HOME takes you to for "Activate My Promotion Code" says that both the codes I've had are "invalid, or expired". The other info asked for above is to help me prepare my small claims court action, once I've checked that I can list an action against a manufacturer rather than the retailer.

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