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2.3 100 Reviews

Garmin Complaints Summary

31 Resolved
66 Unresolved
Our verdict: Engaging with Garmin, which has a below-average resolution rate, demands caution. Thoroughly assess their service reviews and explore how they handle unresolved complaints. If you encounter issues, document your experiences meticulously and be persistent in seeking resolutions.
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Garmin reviews & complaints 100

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5:59 pm EDT

Garmin poor customer service

I have a 1490T GPS and subscribed to Garmin's quartely map update sevice. When I went to update the maps I started receiving an error message that the unit could not unlock the maps. I called Grmin customer service and in the process of correcting the problem the unit completely locke up. I was told to send the unit in and turn artound time would be 2 to 3 weeks. After 4 weeks I emailed customer service and received a message apologizing for the delay in returning the unit and it would be shipped out in a couple of days. Ten days later I called regarding the status and was again told that the unit had not been shipped and due to the inconvenience it would be sent out express and I should have it in 2 business days. I am not holding my breath yet. Poor example of American business practice.

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Laurinda Behrens
, US
Mar 17, 2016 8:44 pm EDT

I sent back my VIVOSMART box and all, because after four months of sporadic use, the digits disappeared on the band. It took 2 months for the answer from their website customer support. Then I was told to send it back forcacreplacement. I did. Two days later they sent an email informing me I needed to just send the band back because the box nor any other parts would be sent back to me. Also, they did not have any in my color so unwound get a berry colored one.
I thought the customer who has a defective item was the one who had some control. Apparently not. I received the berry band, no box or charger. Now I have a useless band. Again.
Customer service answer?
Sorry we didn't send you the instructions in a timely manner so you wouldn't have sent the box and charger cord.
REALLY?
Well I have over 1, 000 runners in the area who won't be purchasing Garmins anymore.
Good job Garmin!

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Niel
, US
Dec 15, 2009 1:54 pm EST

After just a coupler months my Garmin failed to produce a sound. I was told to return it for a replacement. I was lead to believe that I would get a new device, but the replacement was a "Newly Overhauled" device; someone else's previous problem was not exactly what I had expected..

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6:05 pm EDT
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Garmin Garmin 60cs

I contacted Garmin about a year ago about my 60 cs powering up for only about a minute. They had an outside agency contact me after I tried twice. The outside agency didn't respond to my emails. I took the unit apart myself recently and the internal battery came loose of the circuit board. Taking some of the board with it. I tried solder it back but their wasn't anything for it connect to, so I epoxy it. It would last for about ten minutes after that. The unit is out a warranty so I didn't have anything to lose. I a senior SAR person and I've heard of this happening to others and Garmin fixing them if still in warranty. I'd advise anyone not to by any 60 cs out of warranty or at all if you plan on using it out in the wilderness.

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1:04 am EDT
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Garmin lied about extra charges taxes, duties

I purchased a Garmin 300c fishfinder from this Chinese on-line site. All sounded good I paid $156CDN for a new Garmin 300c fishfinder including shipping and insurance. I thought all was good until shortly after I sent the wire transfer and acknowledged they received my funds and were processing my order, I received an email saying the US customs had flagged the package and that I had to pay an extra $105USD to receive the package. I was specific with the Chinese company and asked if there were going to be any extra duties or taxes added. The person told me they would declare the item as a' gift' and that I wouldn't be charged anything extra. Sure enough two days after I send a money transfer in an email I'm informed that I owe customs 35 usd.+ additional tax is 37 usd.the VAT is 33usd.the total is 105 usd .
If you're in Canada or the US stay away from this company- they are intentionally misleading people-on their website there is an feedback section where people submit questions on-line-many questions are similar to mine-how much will shipping and insurance be? etc. and they are intentionally not telling potential customers the truth about all the taxes they will have to pay.
Do not order anything from this company

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Update by gtrchris
Jun 11, 2011 2:13 am EDT

Just to update this complaint, the Chinese company is telling me I owe US Customs $105 but they are not telling WHO I need to contact. They are not giving me any information about the package- like a tracking number, or other info, I need to find out where the heck it is!. I paid for insurance as well but nobody has given me anything to trace or identify my package. These people are a bunch a scammers..don't go anywhere near this company.

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3:00 am EDT
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Garmin service scams

I had been a loyal Best Buy customer for years until recently. The reason I liked shopping there is because they have a huge selection of products, the store always seems to be clean, the sales associates are knowledgable of the products and they are also very nice. With that being said let me explain why I won't shopping there anymore. In January of this year (2011), I purchased a very nice Garmin GPS unit. The cashier offered the normal array of additional service warranties at the counter and fortunately for me I went ahead and got the one year plan. I used the the GPS unit for a week around town so that I could get a feel for it before the big trip I had planned. The Garmin GPS was working great. It was easier to use than my old one, had a bigger screen and more options. I was all set. Eight days after purchasing the GPS unit I went on a 1200 mile trip. I was 3 hours into the trip and my GPS went out on me as I was driving. I was able to stop at a Best Buy store that was nearby and exchange the unit. Sounds good so far doesn't it? Well, remember that one year service plan that I purchased for around $70? It is only good for one time if you exchange the product. The sales associate told me that 3-4 units are returned each month that just quit working on the owners. I hadn't damaged my GPS unit it was just a weak or defective unit that I was unlucky enough to have purchased. So I ended up having to by another 1 year service plan with the new unit they exchanged for me. Basically I paid an extra $70 for a defective product. Best Buy won't stand behind their product for even one week.
I also purchased a Toshiba laptop computer from Best Buy earlier this year. I am not computer savvy so I normally buy a middle of line laptop every two or three years when my old one breaks. This past week I turned my computer on to read my email and do some browsing a message pops up saying the my virus protection had expired and that I had all kinds of viruses on it. The next message popped up trying to sell me Window's Defender virus protection or something like that. My computer never gave me a warning that the virus protection was set to expire soon or that one or more viruses or worms had infected my computer. It just all hapened at once. I decided to disconnect my computer from the internet and take it to the Geek Squad the next day during lunch. I got to the store the next day with my computer in tow. I had to wait for a few minutes as one of the computer technicians finished up with another computer but it didn't take too long. I got up to the counter and a young man named Curtis helped my out. I described what happened to Curtis as he patiently listened occasionaly asking questions for clairification. It took about 15 minutes but finally Curtis had a good understanding of what was wrong with my computer and I understood what the Geek Squad could do to fix it. Curtis was able to deduce that my computer indeed had a virus and that it would cost $200 to remove it. Now that $200 is actually a service plan that allows me to bring in up to 3 different computers over the course of a year for various services. I couldn't just pay them to remove the virus. I would have just restored my computer to an earlier date and saved myself the money and 10 day wait period but i hadn't backed up my computer and I desparetly didn't want to lose the data that I had on it. I should have backed up my computer on a more regular basis to keep me from being in that situation from the start. Now I back my computer on a regular basis. So I leave Best Buy and my computer with Curtis after having paid $200 to remove a virus and thereby saving my data (Itunes movies, 2010 taxes, pictures). After a week had gone by a recieve a call from one of the Geek Squad associates saying that they need me to come to the store and sign a form stating that it is okay for them to either back up my computer or restore it to its default state. Now I had just paid $200 seven day earlier for them to remove the virus and save my data. The Geek Squad associate on the phone told me that they could not remove the virus so that they would have to restore the computer to its default setting. He went on to explain that if I wanted to save my data that they could back it up for me for around $80. He quoted me that price because I told him that I had new movies on it that I had not backed up yet. Can you imagine paying Best Buy $80 dollars to back up $30 or $40 worth of movies. I already own an external drive and I know how to back up my data. So I ask the guy about the $200 I paid to remove the virus and save my data. He is probably an honest person who was just following company policy so he didn't really have an answer for me. Curtis, the Geek Squad associate who took possession of my computer when I dropped it off, had told me that the $200 would cover the cost of removing the virus. I didn't want a service plan and I wouldn't have paid for it. Computer don't last for more than a couple of years or they become outdated so I know that it won't be more than two or three years before I get a new one anyways. $200 is about 1/4 - 1/3 of the amount I will pay for a computer in two or three years. So now I find myself in the position of having just wasted $200 and still having a virus on my computer. All they did for me was restore my computer back to its default status which I know how to do and install a better virus protection program on it for me. I got ripped. I don't think Curtis lied to me I think he just kind of assumed that the other technicians would be able to remove it or he just wanted to make a $200 sale. Either way he did a poor job. If he wasn't absolutely sure about being able to remove the virus ethically speaking he should not have pitched ther service plan. When I pick up my computer I will be speaking to the manager. He or she doesn't know it yet but they are about to have a bad day.
In summation, I hope that anyone who plans on shopping at Best Buy reads this complaint before hand so they can make a more informed choice. Yes, Best Buy has a huge selection and fairly decent prices. However, the nickel and dime you to death on service plans. They will not stand behind the products they sell if the item(s) breaks. The sales associates are very friendly and knowledgable but at the end of the day they still have to enforce the company's return policies. So even if the lovely young woman is smiling at you while she explains that your week old GPS unit or laptop computer can't be exchanged since you did not purchase the additional $80 warranty you will still be out of luck. No matter how nice they are it will not make you feel any better when you have shelled out a couple of extra hundred dollars to have your new computer fixed. By the way, I am not so well off that I had an extra $300. Believe me, the money that I used to have my computer fixed will leave me short in another area. I would really like to throw out some obvious accusations here but since I have no solid evidence I am going to bite my tongue for now and just send out a friendly warning to my fellow consumers. Good luck everyone and please pass on information like this so we can keep the big businesses honest.

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Update by Jim1972
May 25, 2011 1:17 am EDT

This is Jim1972 with a correction. Best Buy emailed me back about this situation. They pointed out that the GPS that I had to exchange while on vacation was an even trade. That means that I did not have to pay for another warranty. I checked my transaction history on both of my credit cards and located my receipt from the store. Indeed, the receipt shows that it was an even trade and I cannot find a Best Buy transaction on either of my cards that match up with the time line. I can't imagine that i did not pay for an additional warranty because it seems like i remember doing exactly that and being very angry about it. But in all fairness to Best Buy I can't prove it and so I owe them an apology on that account. As soon as I figure out how to edit the complaint so that nobody reads about me paying for an additional warranty anymore I will do so.

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5:37 am EST
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Garmin nuvi recall

I have a Nuvi 200W which is being recalled. After one month of exchanging emails with Garmin customer service, I can conclude that nothing works. The quotes below are extracted from Garmin emails.

1. Quote "Your confirmation number is [protected]. Garmin will replace your battery free of charge. Someone within Garmin will contact you within 1-2 business days." Unquote.

No one has contacted me, I had to contact Garmin instead.

2. Quote "You should have been emailed a shipping label, for you to contact UPS on [protected] and arrange a collection. please make sure your shipping label is attached to your packaged device." Unquote.

No shipping label ever sent.

3. Quote "This shipping label can take 48hours to arrive. This should now be with you." Unquote.

No shipping label arrive even after 480 hours.

4. Quote "Please can you contact your local Garmin dealer in order to have the unit exchanged." Unquote.

Local Garmin dealer refuse to exchange the unit due to unavailability.

5. Quote "We are unable to collect units from Qatar we can carry out the recall for you however you need to be responsible for the inbound postage however, this unit for health and safety reasons cannot be shipped via air freight.

If you would like to return this to Garmin please return the unit to:" Unquote

What a statement! Do you know if their is any postal service that can send the unit by land or sea? If Garmin can not ship the unit via air freight, and I do like to return the unit to Garmin, do Garmin expect me to drive or board an ocean going vessel to get to the UK for returning their faulty product?

In conclusion, what a great product and service.

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3:26 pm EST
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Garmin mexico maps are &worthless&

Purchased/downloaded for $49.95 the GPS maps for Mexico. Spent a week driving in the state of Oaxaca -- the GPS directions were close (but not entirely) useless. Do not waste your money. In fact, on the way to the airport the directions were taking us to some place 20 miles from the actual airport. When we were close enough to see the places it kept insisting that we were 20 miles from the airport and we should "make a U-turn). I called Garmin but they had absolutely NO INTEREST in listening or refunding my money

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8:09 pm EST
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Garmin charged and have not reeived item

I was on Wavee Auction for the first time and won a Garmin GPS. I paid the start up amount as well as the amount I had to pay for the item that I auctioned for and have still to receive it or the courtesy of a reply email.

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11:59 pm EST
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Garmin no return allowed

We bought a card at Best buy Laval Quebec Canada.
We did not scratch the Garmin CODE in the back of the card. So we returned it in it's original state.
Within the 30 days return max date, we took the card back as it wasn't required any longer.
But the store refuse to take it back mentioning that they had registered the card...
Even Bestbuy Canada said that it is let at the store discretion to accept it or not...
Bestbuy Canada said that they have no reasons to not take it back...
But the store refused anyways...

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9:50 pm EST
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Garmin no delivery/no recourse/no money

On Aug 26 2010 I ordered a garmin GPS from the Richmond Hill Sorce Store. They said it would be in a week to 10 days from now and I had it delivered to the Aurora store at 14800 Yonge St because it was closer to my home. There was no mention the item was back ordered and there was no mention the item was electronically ordered. If I look at my bill I see now it was an online order but I could have done that myself and I went to the store because when I went to the Garmin site myself it said it was backordered but I was looking for someone who had it in stock. My trip was coming up so I went to the Aurora store and asked if they had it, they said no but also said it was an e-order and there wasn't much they could or would do. The manager promised to look into it and I heard nothing back. The point is why take my money if they knew they could not deliver and why wash their hands when it all of a sudden fell into the online trading which I can do myself and have done so many times before. I was misled. I went to them assuming they had an inventory in their stores somewhere and were drawing on that. I was not told they were simply making a transaction I could have done myself. I can only assume they were looking for the trade, comission or whatever they get and did not give a ([protected]@#$) about the customer, otherwise-tell me its back ordered and I would have taken my 600.00 elsewhere. Now the Aurora store tells me I can't get my money back until the item comes in and I can exchange it. That's bad business and considering they have gone bankrupt before I would suggest they are lining the public up for more and I don't want to lose my money!

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Update by J. Charles Keslick
Mar 02, 2011 8:05 pm EST

For the record; I did receive an appology from the source over my complaint and in fact as it turns out they did not bill me for the item, which I did not know at the time but neither did they. They had cancelled the order for wharever reason which was not explained but I did re-order the Garmin through a sales manager in Barrie (who made the appology)and did receive the product and am happy with the Garmin delivered. Thank you to the Complaints Board and Thank you to The Scource for taking note and dealing with it.

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7:08 pm EST
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Garmin nuvi 670 touchscreen failure

Tried getting my Nuvi 670 repaired by garmin only to find they no longer offer service my model of GPS. Found a place called SHARCNET-USA who was very helpful and they repaired my unit and had it back to me in less than a week. They emailed me when they received my GPS and when it was about to ship back. They provided me with a full repair report along shipping tracking information. I was very pleased with their service.

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1:37 pm EST

Garmin useless

I had a new lobster boat built and took delivery of the vessel in December 2009. The Garmin system has not functioned correctly since day one. The boat builder and Garmin have been to my boat on several occasions but have failed to fix the problems. They have now fitted a larger autopilot pump but have connected it to the original hydraulic pipes. These have a working pressure of 625 psi and the new pump has a working pressure of 900 psi. Yes your thoughts are correct it blew the pipe out of the pump while I was at sea. You can view the problems on youtube by searching for cheetah catamaran. Or you can use the link below. I strongly advise everyone not to buy the Garmin Marine Autopilot.

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5:20 pm EST
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Garmin not fit for purpose

I had a new lobster boat built and took delivery of the vessel in December 2009. The Garmin system has not functioned correctly since day one. The boat builder and Garmin have been to my boat on several occasions but have failed to fix the problems. They have now fitted a larger autopilot pump but have connected it to the original hydraulic pipes. These have a working pressure of 625 psi and the new pump has a working pressure of 900 psi. Yes your thoughts are correct it blew the pipe out of the pump while I was at sea. You can view the problems on youtube by searching for cheetah catamaran. Or you can use the link below. I strongly advise everyone not to buy the Garmin Marine Autopilot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJgf2wkE9s

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2:08 am EDT
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Garmin map updates

Purchased 2 new Garmin GPS units, and when I went to get the one time map updates I was told it would cost almost as much as I paid for the GPS to get updated maps.

I had previously owned another Garmin and I had 1 year for the free upgrade.

Now Garmin says you have to get the free update within the first 60 days of purchase or it will cost you almost as much as GPS cost.

NO WHERE on the Garmin Box or in the included paper work do they tell you to get your free upgrade within 60 days of purchase. You find that out ONLY when you go to download free update.

I submitted complaint to Garmin and I basically got a smart [censored] answer from some rude idiot. After complaining to second person he asked me to fax in receipt (which I did) and he NEVER Responded, so I resent note asking why no reposnse - 4 days later I got short curt answer saying it was my responsibility to get free upgrade in 60 days and there were no options open - other than BUY UPDATE!

I have always recommended Garmin but trust me when I say this NEVER AGAIN!

Tom Tom has cheaper prices with exact capabilities and FREE LIFE TIME MAP UPGRADES. Our daughter bought Tom Tom and she loves it and in fact YES they do have FREE LIFE TIME Upgrades!

GOOD BYE GARMIN - HELLO TOM TOM... I PLAN ON SPREADING THE WORD EVERY WHERE POSSIBLE TO NEVER BUY A GARMIN, HELP PASS THE WORD AROUND!

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Limo man
, US
Apr 29, 2017 1:26 pm EDT
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Bought a new 51lmt yesterday. Used it today first trip it wanted me to "leave roadway" on a highway and drive through woods. Returned it today, Garmin is a complete waste of money and will never ever get another penny from me or anyone else that I speak with about purchasing a GPS. Live traffic needs an app on your smartphone and completely locks your data usage. Uses data off your cell plan. Garmin is a joke and I hope they lose billions of dollars!

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pikeah
Hartsdale, US
Jan 15, 2012 12:36 pm EST

Shed wrong lacation of car information in NYC. Also wrong street numbers in Queens, ny

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jacquimarty
Richland, US
Mar 08, 2013 1:24 pm EST

Garmin is terrible. I bought 2 different garmin devices. The first one I dropped and broke after owning it a couple of months. It was totally my own fault and I replaced it with another Garmin which started acting up at about the 9 months mark. I can't tell you how many hours my husband invested in repairing that thing. Each time it worked a short duration and then burned out again. Customer service was just the worst. Online help was little to no help and phone customer service kept us waiting on a long queue twice. Both times my husband had to hang up before they answered because it caused him to be late for work. After wasting outragious amounts of time, we gave up for a long time and then contacted them once more. But it was too late and their recompense was miniscule. I feel badly because I loved my Garmin when it worked, but I won't ever buy another. When it comes to Garmin, I advise "Buyer beware."

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Christopher Lee
Conway, US
Jun 04, 2012 6:09 am EDT

DO NOT BUY GARMIN PRODUCTS PLEASES.
I'd purchased a Garmin at COSTCO with free map update option.
It worked fine when I test it on same day I bought it and I did not use it for about 4 months.
When I tried to update the Garmin GPS, I can not because 90 days passed already.
I called to customer service, and I complained because I have free update option. They said, that I can not update after 90 days.
Garmin does not have customer service but they have a rip-off service.
I wish that no one buys any Garmin products,
Christopher Lee
Conway, SC

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dadcarter
El Paso, US
Aug 20, 2011 2:48 pm EDT

DO NOT BUY GARMIN! Their after purchase support is totally abysmal. DO NOT buy a map upgrade. It will not work and they will want you to change security settings that are harmful to your computer. Anjd they will still not work. If you have a job, forget support. They are aonly available for yuou to sit on the phone with them for hours during your work hours. Snce they don't provide customer support when people can ask for customer support, they don't plan on giving any.

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stoptheentitlementepidemic
Monmouth Junction, US
Jul 27, 2011 3:10 am EDT

love your thoughts on buying tom tom! I will too. Garmin is terrible.

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8:21 am EDT
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Garmin product support

I purchased a Garmin Zumo 550 in May 2007. I only use it for a month each summer for motorcycle touring. This means I have used it for months. On my last trip one rubber soft touch control button fell off. Without it the unit cant be used. The button is a 10 cent item. Garmins only repair option is a $180.00 exchange unit. No parts are available, and they wont simply replace the button. I spent $850.00 on this unit, and treat it very well, its in mint condition. I feel strongly that I should not incurr this type of expense on a unit which has very little use. I have asked garmin to reconsider there policy but they wont budge. I do not recommend Garmin products soley due to there limited repair policy

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Garmin dissatisfied with response

I bought a Garmin global positioning system (GPS) that didn't work properly. I was referred to a web site that supposedly had a team of experts available to help in such cases. The deal was that I would describe the problem and the level that I was willing to pay when and if the problem was solved to my satisfaction. The levels were $18 and two more, something like $28 and $38. I indicated the $18 level and gave my charge card number. I was calling Friday, July 2, 2010. In short, the problem was NOT solved and the answers given were not even close. It so happened that my 30 year-old grandson was visiting and fixed the GPS. I find that my charge card has been charged $18 and I want a refund.

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noouuu
thorneside, AU
Dec 02, 2011 7:21 am EST
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It was Garmin Australia N.S.W. branch response ! and that is the affiliation RIGHT... Garmin is Garmin in what ever country they set-up shop. there customer support team and attitudes are null and void like there products are to me, those people represents the name and so there policies there no disguising that and that's is that !

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Anon1123
, US
Dec 01, 2011 10:36 pm EST

This does not sound like a problem with Garmin but with your ability to properly find the necessary outlets for support. You were charged $18 for support from a company that probably has no affiliation with Garmin.

Garmin does not charge thier customers for support and have a toll free support line [protected] that can be called during the week days. Additionally, you can go to www.garmin.com and select a Contact Support option which will allow you to e-mail them.

Again, both options are free.

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noouuu
thorneside, AU
Feb 03, 2011 2:02 am EST
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SAVE YOUR MONEY DON"T GO THEIR
i bought a garmin car navigator, after a year it stated playing up and started displaying to get updated map, s then the voice command stopped working and then it started taking me all over the place. it was getting me lost or us i should say ? how frustrating you can imaging one day i was ruuning on empty went to points of interst for fuel it took me to a roundabout WHERES THIS SERVICE STaTION? tried again same thing i stopped and asked someone where the service station was, ... he said it was in the opposite direction up the road from the roundabout... i asked has there ever been a BP here, noway he said its always been up there... WEll we want talk about embarressement !...anyway i asked the service station attended the quiry he just shook his head.moving along prior to this episode i rang up Garmin in NSW spoke to customer service they reset the device over the phone, great voice command is back all looking good then after a few more episodes as just mentioned .I decided to phone the garmin customer care.. i told them the problems it was having and asked for the head of the department to speak too, THIS WAS ATTEMPTED AFTER ALL MY INFORMATION AND DETAILS HAD BEEN COLLECTED well the person i was talking to said he was at breakfast and i have left your details with him and he said that he will call you later. THREE WORKING DAYS LATER NOTHING ...SO I CALLED GARMIN AGAIN!, THEY KNEW NOTHING about me or the case so i ask this person to put me through to this so called head of department person... WELL you would want to know the manner theis person displayed...ALL HE WAS INTERESTED in was about what he had to say talking over the top me at every opportunity kept asking me for the same information and question that he already had asked me ...When i was given the opportunity to speak HE"S PLOT WAS TO BE EVASIVE TO THE ISSUSES he methodically avoided the whole issue he wouldn't let me speak freely denied me to speak to someone else... iT WAS AN EXPENSIVE UNIT>> THANKS FOR NOTHING GARMIN!

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Garmin cityxplorer scam

Garmin CityXplorer maps for Europe are horribly inaccurate when they work at all, and Garmin does not stand behind them at all. This is a SCAM! I bought maps for five cities (total $60) for my 3-week trip in June-July 2010. Started in Brussels, which I know well (I lived there for 14 years); I thought this would be a good chance to learn the CityXplorer "pedestrian mode" system and check out the accuracy. The Brussels directions were a complete joke--for example, telling me to walk 5+ miles to catch a bus when I was less than 300 yards from a stop for the same bus that I rode 3 times a week for years. Worse than useless! Next I tried Luxembourg; the CityXplorer map does not work in pedestrian mode at all, it is just a copy of the street driving map (useless, but at least it didn't pretend to give directions). Next Paris--AWFUL, INACCURATE walking and Public Transport directions for part of day1, getting us totally lost, compounded by a battery life of less than 1 hour despite a full charge (Nuvi 1370). Day 2 in Paris: twenty minutes in, I enjoyed a freeze-up and complete failure of the Nuvi 1370 unit (which, when I returned from the trip, I discovered was happening for the majority of units). So, I never had the chance to test Madrid and London; I can only suspect that they are as completely useless as the maps for Brussels, Luxembourg, and Paris. Finally, after I returned from the trip I immediately contacted customer service and explained the various problems with the maps and the Nuvi (still within 30 days of purchase). They told me that they would not issue a refund. SAVE YOUR MONEY--buy paper maps, try dead reckoning, or flip a coin at every intersection--anything but Garmin.

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Garmin acquiring satellite

Bought a Garmin Nuvi 765T in Feb 2010 Its June 2010, and unit will not acquire satellite. Emailed Garmin as they recommended (for faster service) - been a week no response. I am on hold now 34 minutes & counting. I would not recommend a Garmin product to anybody.

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Garmin bad service

My gps kept having 'pop-up messages' telling me that my maps were outdated and that I should go online and update them in my StreetPilot c330. I finally gave in and purchased the upgrade for the newer maps. But, when I did, it erased all of the canals in my city. I live in Cape Coral Florida, and this city happens to be the city with the most canals/waterways in the world! There are over 400 miles of canals here and you have to see them to know where you are in the city.

After complaining and several correspondences to the company, they reluctantly refunded the $119.00 to my credit card, but refused to do anything about my ruined gps unit. They said the roads are on there and some of the older units like mine won't show the water overlays with the upgraded maps.

I told them I wanted the old map back and they said they didn't have that software any longer and wouldn't do anything about it. When I kept insisting that you need to see where the waterways are in this city and that even the Caloosahatchee River, which is over a mile wide, is missing from the maps, they said it was just too bad.

Bottom line is that when I upgraded, because they have a pop-up program that brow beats you to upgrade, and it rendered my unit unusable for this area. They screwed me and won't do anything to make it right.

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arthur fitzsimmons
Meaford, CA
Sep 30, 2010 9:23 am EDT
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they think there untouchable, and don't need to help there
customers.

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noouuu
thorneside, AU
Feb 03, 2011 2:50 am EST
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TYPICAL OF THE PRODUCT AND ITS ADVOCATES

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Garmin map update

I purchased a download to update my Garmin Street Pilot on Thursday evening for a trip to Nashville early Friday morning. I was up most of the night trying to get it to work. In not only failed, it fried my Street Pilot. I arrived in Nashville without a hitch but on Saturday and Sunday, I was trapped by floodwaters with no idea on where to go. My best friend and I nearly died. I wrote and called Garmin to complain, but their customer service is non-existent. You have to wait an hour every time you call and they simply say "oh well, these things happen". They send follow up emails to see if your issue was addressed. I replied with all the details and they simply ignore your response. They only take calls during M-F 8-5 and they must have only two CSRs working at any one time. Their online support is a complete waste of time. I spent $70 and ended up losing all GPS function all together. Do not buy anything from this company. I nearly drowned as a result of my last purchase from them.

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Chef stefan
Toronto, CA
Jan 22, 2011 6:57 pm EST

I have owned several Garmin watches and Garmin navigation systems. I have promotes the 310XT watch to several friends as well. I am so disappointed in this equipment and also GArmins customer service. What a joke. How can a company sell an item worth $400.00 that doesnt work!? there are dozens of complaints on line discussing the inaccuracies of the HR monitor system...i have tried so hard to buy a new one. i dont even want a free replacement even though the thing never worked right since the first week...i cant even find a place to sell me the new chest strap and sensor. At least i have a Blog which recieves serveral thousand hits a day so i am now going to discourage as many people as possable from buying Garmin watches...seriously a crappy company as far as service goes...and BTW, if you are a co your size then get a web site that acctually recognizes canada

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AKNISH
Philadelphia, US
Aug 25, 2016 1:33 am EDT

Hi,

They should change their webiste and company to "BADCHOICEDIGITAL.COM", I have never seen such a company who are so rude and unprofessional.I purchased 2 Garmin Nuvi 250 Gps on 13th of Jan 2009 from topchoicedigital.com, Order number: T1249476. All of sudden my order was canceled just like that, So i went to their website to check the status of my order and i was completely surprised to know that my order was not available but my items were available at their website for higher prices now. I called them and was directed to several extension and was on hold for more then 45 mins. Never recommend this website to any of my friends and relatives nor my worst enemies. This people are devils and criminals and their website should be closed anyhow on anysituation.

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AZAKWA
, US
Aug 25, 2016 1:33 am EDT
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My GPS was stolen. Garmin cannot turn it off so all of our friends' and our home info is on there. I bought lifetime maps and they will not transfer them to a new device for free. You must pay 50% of the cost. I also submitted a question online and got a response with another individuals' personal information, name, address, phone number, email, serial # and username. The manager tried telling me you could get that in a phonebook and after 15 mins of arguing with me about it, he said he would "look into it". His name is Sean. We shall see. I'll never buy from them again. Did I mention it was a 55 minute conversation? 20 of which was actually on the phone with unhelpful customer service.

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iandsmith
Newcastle, AU
Aug 25, 2016 1:32 am EDT

I have a Nuvi 755T and my complaint is not so much about the unit as the mapping.
Firstly, I was on a semi major highway in Victoria and couldn't believe how far out the unit was. For several kilometres it had the road about half a kilometre away in a paddock. I know for certain that the road has been in that position for two decades.
Next I went to get European maps for an upcoming trip and found you could get them for $99...if you're based in America. In Australia, where I live, exactly the same download costs $139 and the Aussie dollar was stronger at the time of writing.
I complained and the main gist of the reply was "General business factors drive our pricing as they do for any business in Australia for example, market size, labor rates, logistics and warehousing and IT infrastructure etc. " which I found unsatisfactory for a download that probably comes from America on line anyway though I don't know that.
Cheers all

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4JT
Lenoir City, US
Aug 25, 2016 1:32 am EDT

Having owned a GPS III, a GPS 196 and GPS 296 I Purchased a Garmin Nuvi in 2009. Just got a letter recalling the unit and sent it in. After a little over week got the unit back with a sincere applology for the inconvenance-- I asked Customer service about a one time map upgrade as the new units now sell for less and come with free lifetime upgrades. I explained that I though that was fair for having to live without my garmin for a week and that the cost to them was obviously much less than the $49 or $89 (lifetime) that I was locked into. Their Attitue was "too bad" pay us the 49 or 89 and leave us alone. So it looks like this POC will be on Craig's list soon and I'll use my smart phone to take its palce for free. I promise to share my story with plenty of folks as I want them to get the full advertising value of their decision! Your milage may vary but based on thir indignat attitude I will no longer buy from Garmin.

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Robert Cowan
,
Jul 28, 2016 4:51 am EDT

Bad, bad, bad! Don't trust or buy anything from these guys! True bait and switch operation. Told me the reason my order was so cheep is because they didn't include the things that should have come with the unit! Tried to make me pay extra for things that come standard. Then got very rude with me when I tried to cancel, then went to name calling.

Do not waste your time with this company!

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lindaw
Sarasota, US
Jul 28, 2016 4:51 am EDT

Ordered a Garmin 760 GPS for $219 and was told I needed a memory card or it wouldn't work. Asked why when in stores or checking other websites no accessories were indicated as being needed. Informed that theirs were different and wouldn't work without one. I called Garmin support & told not necessary to have card for it to work. Called to explain I wanted to return memory card same day I was waiting for UPS to deliver, and was told I had to get a RA # after I received the items. I tried placing a call Friday pm and couldn't get through to customer service. No answer Sat again. Called Sunday and was told I would have to return both card and GPS, because it was sold as a package. That is not how I ordered it, that's how they typed it up. I have placed a dispute w/ credit card for $79.99 for the memory card. They're selling the GPS too cheap to make any money, so they have to resort to fraudulent sales.

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Sinmo Lee
San Diego, US
Jul 28, 2016 4:51 am EDT

Ordered 2 Garmin Nuvi 765T GPS at $600, advertised as "In Stock" on 4/20/09.

Received e-mail confirmation stating "minimum two days" of order processing.

Received another e-mail on 4/27/09 stating merchandise are "on a 2~3 week backorder".

Haven't heard anything, so researched Closeout Genius business reputation. Discovered there were many complaints against the business, that it's "bait & switch" or "backorder scam" company, and that they keep changing business names.

Called Customer Service number on 5/5/09. Was told items are on backorder with estimated shipping date. Requested order cancellation and received cancellation e-mail.

I plan to verify with my credit card company on "no charge/reimbursement" tomorrow.

In the mean time, we are delayed with product purchase for 3 weeks needlessly, and hoping my credit card data did not fall into wrong hand. I will be communicating and monitoring purchase transactions with BOA Visa company.

I've had many on-line purchases, and never encountered issue like this. A company such as Closeout Genuis should not be allowed to conduct business, and be proscuted.

Hope this posting helps others who are thinking about on-line purchase with Closeout Genuius - "Buyer Beware"!

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stoptheentitlementepidemic
Monmouth Junction, US
Jul 28, 2016 4:51 am EDT

We purchased a Garmin Gps about 2 years ago soon after we purchased it, it took forever to show a screen and then the pop up came requesting us to download maps. So we thought that was the reason for the screen delay. We purchased the maps and it did not make a difference. Customer service was very defensive and useless they said if we had called as soon as this happend the gps would be under warranty. However, it did not matter if it was 2 days or 2 years the fact is the Gps sucks and mis leads you on thinking you need the map updated in order to get the screen to come up quicker. Bottom line do not purchase map up dates unless you really want them NOT because your gps is not working correctly. Call customer service and pick their brain first. Have caution though because the customer service rep I first spoke with said I needed a new cord, then passed me to a supervisor that said NO you do not need a new cord you have a glitch in the software?I SAY REALLY? He says yes so download for free the up to date software and I should have no problem...wrong! As of today after downloading the maps and software yesterday the gps is doing the same old crap even worse. DO NOT BUY GARMIN.

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jimmy44
Kansas City, US
Jul 28, 2016 4:51 am EDT

These guys are ###s..they never gave me any update on shipment status after I ordered..after lot of trouble..finally I got my order shipped.. only to find out that the product they shipped is a refurbed one...total rip off

DONT EVER BUY from these guys

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Garmin we are no longer using the garmin

For the second time in 5 months our Garmin nuvi 770 has blown fuses in our 1999 Toyota Camry. I have had three conversations with Garmin technical support, Garmin claims that our unit is the only one they have heard about that is doing that. At $80 a pop to replace the fuses, we are no longer using the Garmin.

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Garmin Customer Reviews Overview

Garmin Express is a software application that allows users to manage their Garmin devices from their computer. The software has received positive reviews for its ease of use and functionality. Users appreciate the ability to update their device software, download new maps, and manage their data all in one place. The software also offers helpful features such as automatic updates and the ability to sync data with other Garmin devices. Additionally, users have praised the customer support provided by Garmin, which is available 24/7 and is known for being helpful and responsive. Overall, Garmin Express is a reliable and user-friendly software that has received high marks from users.
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