Automotive GPS Systems

5 comments

1. 

   Edith N. Hazen says:

   September 24, 2009 at 4:47 am (UTC -5)

   Fast shipping and product is what I ordered. Hope it gets us where we want to go
   Rating: 3 / 5

2. 

   Emily F. Banks says:

   September 24, 2009 at 5:45 am (UTC -5)

   Please contact us again after the holidays. We have not used
   
   our Magellan yet, BUT WE JUST KNOW WE’RE GOING TO ENJOY IT
   
   A LOT.
   Rating: 5 / 5

3. 

   R. CAMPBELL says:

   September 24, 2009 at 8:22 am (UTC -5)

   great price,if you know the way some of the directions throw you as to route ? you think why that way?but it still gets you there
   Rating: 5 / 5

4. 

   Jesse J. Washington says:

   September 24, 2009 at 8:34 am (UTC -5)

   Short and Sweet, Simply put, the Maestro Magellan stinks for three major reasons, I’ll include in this review.

   (1) You cannot depend on it’s accuracy. If it tells you your destination is on the left side of the street it may very well be on the right, a block or two down.

   (2)It does not distinguish between valid and invalid addresses. For example, say you make a slight slip and enter 112 Columbus Way, instead of 211 Columbus Way. Magellan will take you to 112 even if it doesn’t exist.

   (3) The Fastest Time feature is not reliable. Magellan Maestro might as well not even have it. What’s the point if the equation doesn’t factor traffic flow or lights, and stop signs. If it actually / technically does, I’m sorry but the equation still doesn’t work. I deliver around town, Glendale, Denver CO, and it seems quite conclusive that the only things Magellan factors into its equation is distance and speed limit, which is totally bogus.

   Basically, if you’re looking for a little toy to sit on your dashboard and act as a sort of automatic map, Magellan Maestro’s the one–and comes at a real bargain. But, if you’re looking for something more than a map, something useful / something reliable, you best look somewhere else.
   
   Rating: 1 / 5

5. 

   T. M. Engel says:

   September 24, 2009 at 9:09 am (UTC -5)

   About one year ago, I purchased a Magellan Explorist 400. This was a good unit that I used a lot. After about eight months the unit quit working. I called Magellan Support and told them the problem. They were good about everything and ended up telling me to send the unit in for warranty repair. It was to be returned after four weeks.
   
   Six weeks later I called Support and told them the situation. They asked for my work repair number, which I gave them. After being on hold for twenty minutes, I was told that my Explorist could not be repaired and wasn’t made anymore so it would be replaced with a Triton 400. After I received this unit, I took a couple of weeks to read about it and familiarize myself with it. At that point, I realized that it would not read coordinates correctly. The coordinates of my house, my geocache and several geocaches that I previously had found were all different than what my Explorist read and different that what GEOCACHE.COM had on their web site.
   
   I called Support again and was given instructions as to fixing this. It didn’t work. I emailed and received other instructions – didn’t work. I called support again and received other suggestions – didn’t work. I called again and was given other instructions. This finally improved the accuracy but it is still incorrect.
   
   Examples: my home coordinates are, 40 40.566N and 95 51.606W. This can be verified easily and I have done this with two other GPS units. At first the unit read coordinates that were 26 miles SE of my house. Now the Triton reads 40 40.38N and 95 51.49N. About 200 feet away from my house.
   
   A geocache near my house is listed on geocache.com as 40 40.776N and 95 51.761W. Originally my Triton 400 read 40 67.960N and 95 86.275W. Now it reads 40 40.37N and 95 5156 W. This is much closer but impossible to find a geocache that is still 200 feet away.
   
   After making the last adjustments that improved the readings, I now find it won’t accept coordinates that I attempt to enter. I tried to enter 40 40.776N, the GPS would only let me enter digits as far as 40 40.77, the curser simply would not move to another digit, and when I added the N and pushed enter it just said INVALID COORDINATES, TRY AGAIN.
   
   I have been frustrated by this unit from day 1. It still doesn’t read accurately, I can’t enter coordinates and have spent hours working on it and HOURS on hold with tech support, and I no longer want this unit. I demand a refund of either the price of a Triton 400 or the price of the Explorist 400 that I purchased one year ago.
   
   No, I have no receipts because when my Explorist wasn’t repaired, I threw the receipt away. When I got a factory replacement Triton, I got no receipt. Please respond soon as I’ve been without a GPS for five months and need to get this resolved.
   
   As I said, I no longer want this unit or a replacement. I expect your confirmation of my refund.
   
   TWO WEEKS LATER – Let me add this after trying to contact your offices in California. As there is NO WAY to access a human being at the phone number 909/394/5000, I see that you have joined the ranks of dispicable, disgusting, cowardly and corrupt organizations called “corporations”. Let me reinforce my previous statements. I DON”T WANT THIS UNIT FIXED AND RETURNED. I DEMAND A REFUND OF THE COST OF EITHER THE EXPLORIST 400 OR TRITON 400 AT WHICH TIME I WILL NEVER AGAIN DEAL WITH YOUR “CORPORATION”. ALSO, IF THE BUSINESS OF YOUR CUSTOMER CARE FAX LINE IS TO IGNORE ALL FAXES, THEY ARE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB. Have you ever heard the saying ” a happy customer will tell five people, an unhappy customer will tell fifty people”. BELIEVE IT!

   ANOTHER TWO WEEKS LATER – I have now been waiting two weeks for a return for repair mailer which has not yet arrived. I have been without a GPS unit for five months because of your incompetance and disregard for your customers and have now purchased a new Garmin unit. If I don’t get a refund of the cost for a Magellan Explorist 400, I will proceed to write my personal evaluations and comment and post them on Amazon and (m)any other on line seller that allows personal evaluations. This letter will be included.
   Rating: 1 / 5