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danham
USA
7339 Posts |
 Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 14:33:37
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With the discussion here about eBay and other non-authorized vendors of Garmin GPS units, I decided to ask Garmin directly.
Here is my question:
I am a moderator in the nuvi forum at gpspassion.com and there has been
discussion lately about warranty for items purchased on eBay.
I though it might be easier for you to answer the question once in our forum
than many times via email or phone.
What is Garmin's policy? If I buy a brand new, factory-sealed nuvi from an
eBay store and get a proper receipt (as opposed to the bid confirmation), is
it covered under warranty? If not, why not?
Many thanks,
-Dan H
Here is their response:
Thank you for contacting Garmin Product Support. I will be glad to help with
this. If you purchase a unit from a non authorized Garmin dealer you take
the chance of not only buying a used unit but possibly stolen. If the unit
doesn't fall under these categories then the warranty will be honored with
the proper documents. (proof of purchase, yellow title paper with
registration/unlock codes)
If you need further assistance please contact us or reply to this e-mail.
Best Regards,
Chuck D.
Product Support Specialist
Garmin International
1200 E.151st Street
Olathe, KS 66062
(800) 800-1020
fax# 913-440-5488
www.garmin.com
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- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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ludlum
Ireland
164 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 15:04:01
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Thanks Dan.
That seems pretty emphatic and straight to the point. They do however point out that there is an element of risk involved with buying from an on-line auction - buyer beware, etc. But if all the other criteria is met, proper receipts, etc, then they would honour the warranty. |
Patrick
________________________
Nuvi 660, V9.
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akahan
USA
380 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 16:05:14
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WHAT?? You need the yellow paper to make a warranty claim? The first thing I did when I got my Nuvi was copy the codes from the yellow paper into an electronic file where I keep lists of activation codes for all my software (and yes, I DO back that file up regularly  )...and then threw out the yellow paper itself. I don't remember the yellow paper saying that it constituted the "title" for my Nuvi, or that it would be necessary for warranty claims. Does yours? Does any documentation that comes with the Nuvi say "You'll need the yellow paper in order to make a warranty claim."?
Or do you think the Nuvi support guy was speaking imprecisely, and really meant, "You'll need the code from your yellow paper"?
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danham
USA
7339 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 16:40:09
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Bear in mind that my own experience with filing a warranty claim involved NO need to document anything beyond my name and address, the unit serial number, the code on the yellow slip, and the reason for the return (directory corruption -- this was before we figured out how to fix that ourselves).
I do not possess any info beyond what is in the Garmin rep's e-mail, but my =guess= about what it means is that if the serial number triggers any suspicions at their end, they reserve the right to ask you to document that the nuvi belongs to you and was legitimately purchased. That could include a proper receipt and/or the yellow slip or perhaps just the info from the yellow slip.
But all along I have been interpreting their policy a bit more "benignly" than some others.
-dan |
- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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Edited by - danham on 26 sept. 2006 16:40:54 |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 16:41:05
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Thanks Danham. Since this thread deals specifically with the issue of Garmin warranties, I will repost the official response that we received from Garmin too. Hopefully it will clarify this matter further. Garmin has a web page that deals with warranties. It would be nice to see them talk more about this issue there.
quote:
Thank you for contacting Garmin. I will be happy to help you out with this.
If you purchase a product from an online auction, then Garmin will not warranty the product.
If the product is bought online (but not through an auction) then your warranty will still be covered. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact our product support team at the phone numbers listed below or reply to this email.
Best Regards;
Rick B.
Product Support Specialist
Garmin International
1200 E. 151st Street
Olathe, KS 66062
1-800-800-1020
www.garmin.com
- E-bay = online auction.
- Online auction = NO warranty.
If anyone has any additional questions regarding this, we suggest that they contact Garmin directly by calling 1-800-800-1020. Never throw any documents received with your Garmin away, as you quite possibly might need them at a later date. We also keep the original box that the unit came in and use it for shipping purposes. Anyone who has ever had to send a hard drive in for warranty repair, knows why this is important. Hopefully no one will ever need to use the Garmin warranty, but if you do, these guidelines should be able to help you
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danham
USA
7339 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 16:58:42
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Thanks for bringing that over -- I shoulda done that.
But once again I have to disagree with your math [grin]:
"E-bay = online auction.
Online auction = NO warranty."
With proper documentation for a unit that is not stolen or used, my rep's message says you are covered.
And again i want to stress that I agree with you that an eBay purchase does run a high risk of having no warranty, not because it's an auction, but because it is more likely to feature merch that is stolen or used.
-dan
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- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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Georgia in MS
USA
36 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 17:19:44
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So .... I guess the moral of the story is don't buy items with warranties from sellers on eBay.
I bought a Nuvi 350 for $500 on eBay for my son. He's not had any problems with it. He does not have the magic yellow piece of paper. So, he will not have a warranty. If the unit malfunctions, rather than throwing that $500 toy in the trash, it CAN be sent to Garmin for a complete factory overhaul for $225. Ouch.... but, still, it can be "fixed."
Obviously, it is better to buy from an authorized Garmin dealer. The cost of no warranty or the aggravation of trying to get Garmin to warranty it is not worth ANY savings whatsoever....
Unless.......... these are quality units that are designed NOT to malfunction. That might be an interesting thread....... how many people have had Nuvi's and not have a single problem with them? Keeping in mind that "satisfied customers tell three people... dissatisfied customers tell ten people".
~Georgia~ |
~Georgia~
Nuvi 660 in a Honda Ridgeline |
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gpshighlander
49 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 20:40:03
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| Also one needs bear in mind, buying something from ebay is likely indirectly funding theft. |
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danham
USA
7339 Posts |
Posted - 26 sept. 2006 : 20:52:24
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I feel funny in the role of "defender of eBay," because I use it very infrequently and am very cautious about it, BUT . . .
It's just not fair to the many legit sellers there to say that buying anything on eBay equates with supporting thieves.
Our newspaper did a story on how local police detectives use eBay to track stolen goods, which goes to show you that while there certainly are thieves there, it can also be a useful law enforcement tool.
-dan |
- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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duperdd
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 02 oct. 2006 : 14:42:57
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| I bought mine at costco online, received my box, and of course no yellow coupon in the box, since then, im having problems registering the unit or getting services or updates. |
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danham
USA
7339 Posts |
Posted - 02 oct. 2006 : 14:49:36
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Garmin support should be able to fix that for you when you call them, explain, and supply your serial number.
-dan |
- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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admin_0
1 Posts |
Posted - 02 oct. 2006 : 15:40:21
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| Actually, with Costco's excellent returns policy, I'd explain to them that the title document was missing and just get a new one - start your warranty period all over again... |
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Bob72
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 02 oct. 2006 : 17:11:48
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| Some store's re-shrink wrap returned items. Maybe yours was returned without the yellow slip. Not saying Costco does that, just some stores. |
Nuvi 660 (Ustahave 350) |
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Rellik
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - 18 janv. 2007 : 05:14:47
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quote:
Originally posted by gpshighlander
Also one needs bear in mind, buying something from ebay is likely indirectly funding theft.
I hate to be off topic, but this isn't always the case. For many ebay could be a way to keep feeding a bad technology habit. For example, there could be a lot of "need to have the latest and greatest" gadget people who will put their (almost brand new) 360/660 units up for sale so they can get the newest 680. Why not try to recoup a few hundred dollars on an item that may have gotten light use. And someone who might not have purchased a Nuvi will get to enjoy their "new" toy.
Now of course I wouldn't expect Garmin to provide warranty service to me if I bought a used item off of e-bay, or in a private transaction. That is part of why the cost is reduced. However, if I wanted a warranty I would have bought a new item from a authorized reseller (which I did). |
The road to innovation isn't paved at all. |
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Garmin warranty policy
