GPS POI > GPS Forum > Navman > Navman poor customer support

flappers1 · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 15 Local POI page: 3076

Well its now been 5 weeks since returning my navman S50 to Navman Aust at Gladesville Sydney and guess what ?? still no contact from them..iI have emailed them 3 times ..rang six times ...each time taking upto 40 min to answer and have faxed them twice...POOR...they now say they never recieved it or have misplaced it...lucky for me i sent it registered post...so now its a long waiting game...

So my advice to everyone...NEVER BUY NAVMAN...they are pathetic...go with other brands.

Anyone have any ideas for me as im at a loss of what to do next

johmazz2006 · Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 2 Local POI page: 3730

SATELLITE navigation maker Navman has blamed its fear of powerful retail
giants for illegally forcing smaller retailers to sell its products at full price.

The company was this week fined $1.25 million by the Federal Court after the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took action against it for
price-fixing.

Two senior executives of the Australian subsidiary of the New Zealand
electronics company were also fined.

Navman's marine division general manager and a director of Navman Australia,
Christopher Baird, was fined $80,000. The Australasian sales manager for the
personal and car division, David King, was fined $30,000.

The fines against the company and the managers could have been substantially
higher as Justice Peter Jacobson said it was likely he would have recommended
they pay more had the ACCC asked for a heftier penalty. He said the $1.25
million was "at the very bottom of the permissable range"and King's penalty
risked "falling below" a suitable punishment.

In submissions to the court by both Navman and the ACCC, Navman said it tried
to stop small retailers from cutting prices on navigation systems in order to
"avoid complaints from some of its larger retailer [customers] about the
prices of other retailers".

Big customers included Harvey Norman, the Woolworths-owned Dick Smith
Electronics, Strathfield Car Radios and 14-store boating chain Whitworth's
Nautical World.

The 35 offences - between 2001 and 2004 - related to the bullying of retailers
which discounted satellite navigation systems.

The retailers were threatened with withdrawal of stock.

On July 6, 2004 Australasian sales manager King told a small store owner in an
email that the discounting was "damaging to Navman's relationships with other
retailers".

Three days later, a Gladesville-based regional Navman sales manager, Steve
Marriott, emailed a retailer to say "Strathfield [Car Radios] and Harvey
Norman advertise at full [recommended retail price] and Dick Smith have the
[Navman] in their current catalogue at $1988 [full price]".

Justice Jacobson said Navman's attempts to force retailers to sell only at a
price level set by the company was "a manifestation of price fixing among
retailers".

He said the attempt to force stores to keep prices high "was pursued in an
aggressive and high handed way by the company's most senior managers".

Baird was sacked while King was demoted but was still employed by a company
which bought Navman's business.

Baird told all Navman's 250 marine dealers in September 2002 that he would not
tolerate retailers who sold at a discount.

"There is only one issue that will stop Navman and that's discounting!! I will
not allow our great products to be prostituted - take the warning now!" he
wrote in an email.

A follow-up email in January 2004 said: "If you can't sell our products
without discounting, then I suggest it's time to sell any of our competitors'
products - simple as that!!" Navman Australia had a turnover of $29 million in
2004. The parent company's turnover was $NZ200 million.
Source: SMH

truline1 · Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 2 Local POI page: 3350

I have been trying to contact Navman support for several weeks and have not got to speak to anyone yet. All I do is sit on the phone for long periods of time with some fool telling me I'm important. Rolling Eyes

They don't even answer thier support emails with a reply to indicate they are looking at the problem, or evan recieved the email in the first place
Very bad behaviour and all it will do is cost sales. I would not buy another Navman product for these reasons.
I think its time this company gets its act together and employs some willing people, why would anyone buy a product with out any support at all Crying or Very sad

terencegerarddwyer · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Local POI page: 2560

Well guys, I hate to be the bearer of good news about Navman. My Pin570 developed a loose connection at the bottom, so I sent it to Navman Gladesville for repairs. Like you, I also waited 6 weeks and 4 hours on the phone. Since my product was six months out of warranty, I expected to be charged for the repairs, and I was. $90 However when it arrived back with a courier, I was amazed to open the package to find a brand new Navman, complete with all accessories inside. Also when I complained that the later maps were no longer available on their website, they sent me them free. While they do take a long time, and you may need to place a loaded rocket in their rear end, they did come through in the longrun. Very Happy

Puzzled · Guest

I wish I had read these threads before buying my S50. Bought 21/12/07
kaput 5/2/08. Still waiting for reply from Navman site since 8/02 (rec'd ID no so I know they have complaint) Returned to Harvey Norman,who refuse to cancel deal and refund.They sent to Navman who still have it. Although impossible to find contacts on site here got e-mail address from sister co the fleet section. Sent e-mail. Immediate response per phone next day (How did u get my e-mail ) This was bought to facilitate visit of Brother-in- law from ireland who will obviously arrive before my Navman does. Harvey Norman accept that they can or will take up to 5 weeks to achieve anything. Can anyone come up with a contact for me??

guest1234 · Guest

hey mate
the navman head office is in Gladesville NSW
area code is (02) 9879 9000
takes anywhere between 20-40 min for them to answer ring and select option 3 for technicians
addy is PO box 479
Gladesville
NSW 2111

guest1234 · Guest

well a big thank-you navman....after returning my navman S50 for the 2nd time..navman have replaced the unit for free no questions asked
THANK-YOU NAVMAN

Denise Howarth · Guest

Navman just do not answer their phones or e- mails, buyer beware if you have a warrenty problem just buy another brand as if you send your navman away to be repaired you may have kissed it goodbuy as there is no customer service.

zzemca · Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 9 Local POI page: IRL

Good god, I hope the clients I deal with in work through the company's helpdesk don't say the above about me. We try and have a response time of 24 hours, however with a client base of 600 that's not (that) hard.

Had a similar experience with an Ericcson phone I had and a Creative Jukebox, weeks and weeks and weeks, then they give you a new device. Kinda typical of electronics these days. Why weren't devices built to last just like the old days?

themeadows300 · Guest