I give up!!!

See post above entitled: RM800 - Problem with Update 2 DVD-ROM".

After three "1 hour" sessions with their "off shore" support staff and a
whole lot of grief and still no result, I give up. I've had American Express
cancel the charge for the map update, and I'm preparing the documentation
in case Magellan comes after me for it.

To recap:

I purchased the Magellan RM800 Map Update Version 2.0 NA DVD-ROM (Part#
950-0003-001).
Originally, the part was shipped from Calif. and arrived in outer packaging with
a stock label
indicating the above part # and an packing slip indicating the same part number.
HOWEVER,
the DVD-Rom contained inside the packaging indicated part # 703-0046-001, albeit
it, too was
labeled "RM800 Software Upd. Version 2 - NA."

Upon inserting the DVD-ROM, it did nothing but hang in the PC (PC is running XP
Pro). It made
Windows Explorer hang as well when attempting to view the contents of the
DVD-ROM. I tried
it on several different machines, and in each case, similar results - either
hanging/freezing or
extremely sluggish behavior and "CRC Error" messages when attempting to copy
from the disc.
In no case did the "Autorun.inf" file process correctly.

My 1st call to their "support center" resulted in 1hr of poking and proding and
all kinds of
manipulation of config files (MSConfig) etc. on several different workstations,
all with the same
result. As others have stated here, they were "courteous" and "polite," but
they all acted like
"drones," and every time they transfered me to someone else, each person wanted
me to
repeat the same steps the previous person asked me to do and wanted to take the
same info.
from me. UGGGGHHH! In the end, the tech rep wanted to replace my disc and send
me
another. That made no sense to me as a 2nd disc would do the same thing
(assuming the
same part# SNAFU would happen again). I hung up and continued on my own.

By my 2nd hr long call (I had an "account" and a case # by then), I recognized
the part #
SNAFU and tried to explain this to the tech rep. He wasn't buying any of it and
attempted to
get me to repeat all the MSCOnfig steps I had tried in the 1st Call. Again, very
polite and
courteous (almost to the point of "ad nauseum.") I mean, there comes a point
when even
the cheeriest of salses reps knows that being "cheerier" in the face of an
aggrivated customer
is counterproductive! I decided to let them ship me a 2nd disc. I asked him to
verify the
part # and he told me part# 950-0003-001). I said, OK Ship it.... He said two
weeks.

Valentines Day: 02/14 - The replacement arrived 10 days later from the same
warehouse
as the 1st in the same packaging as the 1st, with the same outer stock label
(950-0003-001).
Inside, a packing slip with the same part# (950-0003-001) and the same bin/stock
location
as the previous disc. And upon opening the disc packaging.........

Part# 703-0046-001. They did it AGAIN!!! Sent me the same damned incorrect disc
which
failed the same way the 1st did!!! Just like I knew they would!!!

Now we're at FUBAR level!! I called them a 3rd time for another hour session,
and again,
they tried to make me go through all those different MSConfig steps etc. but I
refused. I
made them get me a supervisor, which itself took 20min while they "entered the
info."
After 15 minutes of explaining the part# FUBAR to this "supervisor," who again
tried to
get me in vain to be cheerful ("So what are your plans for this weekend???")


|
|
V


"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot ship you another disc as we are out of stock. I
can offer that
you send your unit to our service department and we will update it here
ourselves."


FAT F***ing CHANCE!!!

I hung up, and immediately filed a dispute with American Express. Thankfully,
the original
charge has not yet been formally invoiced.


So that's it! I'm done with Magellan. Time to move onto Garrmin or TomTom or
*anything!*
A pity, since the unit itself is pretty decent and has served me well.

What a CF!





____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold

Hey Arnold,

Ping me billSPAM27612atyahoodotcom

(remove the obvious)


--
Regards,

Greasy Rider
35-51N , 78-39W

I believe some "copy protected" software depends on physical abnormalities
in the CD surface to prevent successful copying. However, these same
anti-copy features may also inhibit some programs from running. It may be
that two copies of exactly the same copy protected CD will operate in quite
different ways. I have heard of some other software packages where a
replacement disk has worked OK. If the Map Update disk is copy protected,
this might be why Magellan is so insistant on just replacing it.

Mid you, this is not a defence of Magellan or their customer service
policies.

I recently had a similarly frustrating experince with an HP printer that
completely died after being in use 2 months. One customer service rep (an
offshore) said it was "your fault" that I couldn't use their net service
site since my system seems to have pop-up windows blocked. I said it was
"his fault" that they couldn't write decent site code that didn't employ
pop-ups. I was asked by 4 consecutive service reps (as I climbed the
corporate ladder of responsibility) to perfom the exact same tests
over-and-over. Finally when I suggested to the Ultinate Supervisor that
maybe my state's attorney general would be interested in helping me, they
decided I needed a replacement. It would have been nice to get that
response from the first rep I spoke with, but I am guessing that hardware
replacements may require that someone from level # 4 authorize the exchange,
so suffering through 3 rounds of b.s. is required to get there. Such is the
state of offshore, scripted, low cost customer service these days.

Quite possible, but I'd be curious as to why they would go to the trouble of
making the DVD-ROM "copy protected" when it also requires an "unlock" key code
which is a function of the serial number of your unit and which they send
separately.
T'would seem to be a bit of "overkill" securitywise.... I understand that these
are
Navteq maps, so they may be under the gun to keep the data protected from
someone
who might try to hack the DVD-ROM without a code.

Nonetheless, the Part# SNAFU is something I'd like resolved by the people who
actually
sent the product to me. I could accept "copy protection" a lot better if
everything had
the same part # associated with it. I'm wondering if perhaps they put a DVD-ROM
for
Mac/Linux PC's inside an envelope for Wintel PC's (and I don't have access to a
MAC or
Linux box to test that).



Understood. And *that*, of course, is the greater issue. Had I been able to
speak to
someone in the same place from where the disc was manufactured/shipped, I think
things might have gone a lot easier. Certainly a part # SNAFU might.


Yes it is.... I think I will need to follow a similar path and reach out via
the Consumer
Protection Agency.

I will keep all posted.
____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold

Update: As of today 03/18/2008, The credit card company seems to have settled
the
dispute for the charge in my favor and refunded my money. so No harm/foul there.

I did contact Magellan's public relations manager, who offered me a "swap" for a
Maestro Unit. I told him that this really wasn't necessary... that my current
unit functioned
quite well (although it could use a new battery) and since I also had invested a
lot of money
in accessories that only fit my present unit, I wanted to keep it. What I really
wanted was for
the software update to work and for their customer service to get better.

I must have scared him off. Haven't heard from him since. Oh well. I'll use
this until it wares
out, and then I'll look at Garmin or TomTom. After all, they're pretty much all
"Navteq" maps
anyway... :-)


____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold