Navman service

[Talbot]

I posted on here abt 4 weeks ago about the poor service I received from AW Marine when my plotter stopped working. Here is an interesting update:

Navman advised me to use http://www.marineelectronicservice.com/ via one of their accreddited agents. So I used the one in Port Solent (and have been very happy with that company) They recorded my comments and request and sent the plotter and aerial off to the service centre.

After 3 weeks they had worked out that the aerial wasnt working (F-ing geniuses - I had told them that)and said that it could not be repaired I would need to buy a new one, and by the way, there would not be any available in country until after the boat show!

The sent it all back to me with no charge which immediately rang a warning bell cause they were supposed to have replaced the internal battery as well.

Being a real skinflint, and having no other option, I poped the top off the aerial and started waving an ammeter at it aimlessly. I quickly proved what I had told them , that there was a discontinuity in the coax.

(The two jobs I had asked to be done were to replace the SMA connector and replace the internal battery)

I went down to maplins and bought a crimp SMA conector (less than £2), cut of the old connector + 2" and made the new connection, tested the continuity - perfect. tried it on the boat today - it worked perfectly, and as I had suspected, they had not replaced the internal battery.

What a total waste of time and what poor service,

I shall be writing to Navman to complain

 

[ShipsWoofy]

What you have found is the serious lack of engineers who either can or are willing to work to component level. Everyone is doing media studies or IT.

The other problem is the general public and their perceptions of how much a professional should earn. How much would you have been prepared to pay for your £350 unit to be fixed (ignoring this fault which you self proved to be a cheap repair). 1/2 2/3 3/4 of the value.

For you it was just the part, for him, if any cop, parts, labour, testing, packing. I know you know this.

I had thought about going self employed into the leisure marine business, but glad I didn't as I would be expected to charge car mechanic prices and I am worth more than that. I guess, we get what we pay for.

Just thoughts, not disagreeing with your findings. P.s. I will message you tomorrow as I have been examining your boat and have some questions. Have you chopped that wheelhouse off yet? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[woody001]

Glad i brought a tacktick windex now...!

 

[boatmike]

No surprise there then.....

 

[Talbot]

I have no objections to people doing component level replacement, or whatever form of repair they want , but they need to let people know what they do. I sent this off with two items needing to be done, and they have returned it after nearly 4 weeks with neither of them having been done - thats what peeves me.

You are just jealous that I can hide from the rain!

 

[Guest]

Re: Navman service .... c\'mon what do you expect ?

Todays society is the "Disposable Society". Your Navman is like a Video / DVD / TV player nowadays .... works for x years ... then throw it away and get a new one ... Why ? Because a lot of so-called service eng's can't be ars'd to do it ... second items are not built for component level repair anymore.

 

[oilyrag]

Let us all know if you get any response to your complaint.
I had a long running saga with a Navman plotter which suffered random fix drop-outs. Long long story but went back and forth to Plastimo Navman more times than I care to remember. Finally they sent me a service exchange unit which was fine. some weeks later, out of the blue, was informed that my unit is ready and can I send the service unit back. I politely declined to return the exchange unit until I was satisfied my own was OK. No great surprise to find that it wasn't. To be fair, at this stage (even though someting like 3 years since the problems started) they offered me a new unit. However, after years of p***sing about, spending £s on postage, installing/uninstalling it, wasting my time on long emails explaining the symptoms, re-entering my waypoints and routes every time it came back blah, blah blah, and all the time managing to remain uncharactaristically calm and cool, I finally had a major wibble and sort of told them where they could poke it - heard nothing from them since.

 

[Guest]

Re: Navman service ... slightly different but surprise service !

You say you received invite to have old one back again ...

A few years back I bought a Maxdata Notebook PC .... it had a couple of small faults during warranty period - so tookj it to Maxdata Service ctre. Nice guy took it and said that it would be a couple of hours etc. So I went off for a coffee. On returning they couldn't find anything wrong - but offered me a replacement. Which I accepted.
Later I had a message from them saying old machine was ready and I could have it back etc. I said no thanks - I was happy with the other. They said ok.
About 2 months later a box arrived at home .... the old one all packaged up as new etc. Service sheet etc. etc. and a compliments slip saying they were returning my machine in full working order.

I left the box complete with PC still in and went about biz. After a reasonable period had elapsed - I took out the Notebook and started using it .... therefore having two nice Maxdata's ....

Thank you very much Sir !