Watch out if you own a Tomtom powered device and want to get a second one!

Make sure you're aware of Tomtom policies before you buy...

My problem is that I own two PDA's running Tomtom, an iPAQ 6515 and an HTC
P3300. Management of these devices is done through TomtomHome a PC-based
program. It is through TomtomHome that one buys, loads, and otherwise
manipulates maps and options on one's device.

Here's the clever part as explained to me by Tomtom customer support (sic):

"After you update your account with a new Device Code, it will only be
possible to change the device code again after 6 months.

Also it is not possible to change your device code back to a previous Device
code that has already been registered on your account."

In practice, what this means is that once you register the second device,
the first device is totally limited to whatever features and maps on it
when the second device was registered.

Not knowing this, when I purchased my second device, the HTC P3300, I duly
registered it. In one stroke I made it impossible to use TomtomHome fully
with the iPAQ 6515!

In my case, Tomtom on the iPAQ 6515, for reasons unknown, ceased to be able
to see the USA map on my storage card. Though Tomtom acknowledges I did buy
the map, and would theoretically be willing to let me download it again
within the 12 months following my purchase, I can not do this because I
have changed my registered device as mentionned above.

Now you might think that when the customer is about to change the device
linked to the account, a properly written application (TomtomHome and the
Tomtom web site taken together) would flash the following warning on my
screen:

AFTER YOU UPDATE YOUR ACCOUNT WITH A NEW DEVICE CODE IT WILL ONLY BE
POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE DEVICE CODE AGAIN AFTER 6 MONTHS.

ALSO IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE YOUR DEVICE CODE BACK TO A PREVIOUS DEVICE
CODE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ALREADY BEEN REGISTERED ON YOUR ACCOUNT.

No such luck. One of the ironies of my case is that by purchasing two Tomtom
products I have gotten into trouble. Usually, themore products you buy from
a company, the better they treat you. Tomtom sees things differently.
They're so obsessed I will buy maps for one device and attempt to use the
maps on the other for free they create these restrictions which in my case
have screwed an innocent honest customer.

I have no idea if other GPS companies have similar policies.

You'd expect to be able to have multiple devices. I've not tried this,
but the web site does say "Add a device" not "Change device" so I'd hope
this can be done. Using the web site it looks like it's designed to
handle the concept of multiple devices per account.

Any chance of you creating another account? A nuisance, but they seem
lightweight enough.

- Richard

--
_/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street,
_/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ except in the Twilight Zone

wrote:


If you acquire a second additional and not replacement device do NOT
change the device code for your Home account, add a new second Home
account for the second device.

Tony

TomTom HOME copes fine with multiple devices, I have more than a dozen
managed without issue.

I suspect you have misunderstood. The reference to changing the device
code refers to re-allocating a TomTom PLUS subscription (bought for one
device) to another diffferent device.
--
Darren Griffin
PocketGPSWorld - www.PocketGPSWorld.com
The Premier GPS Resource for News, Reviews and Forums

Darren Griffin - PocketGPSWorld.Com wrote:


I may well have misunderstood, but as I have never had any TomtomPlus
subscription, that can't be the case...

Bernard Higonnet