Do NOT Buy TomTom Navigator GPS

schneid · #1 (**permalink**) 13-10-2004, 01:22 PM

Do not buy TomTom Navigator. Product activation is a nighmare, it is buggy, destructive, and has no user friendly customer support. I have two copies, the original, and a replacement from my retailer. Neither will activate. When installing TomTom it asks if you want to go online and activate. Clicking Yes returns the same message over and over. Clicking No allows the installation to continue. When you first run the product it says it must be activated at www.ttcode.com. Upon going there it asks you enter your product code from a sticker with the CDs. It then asks you to enter a device code displayed on you PDA. After doing this it generates an activation code that must entered into your PDA. I have done this for both copies. Despite having different product codes, ttcode generated the same action code for both copies. Having entered it over and over it always comes back as an invalid activation code.

This shouldn’t be a big deal but with TomTom it is. They are on another continent. When you are getting up they are going to bed. They have no phone number or any other form of real time support. If you have a problem you can either write them a note at www.tomtom.com or fax them. I have done both several times. They don’t bother to read the notes entered on the web as they keep asking for the same information. I don’t know what they do with the faxes as they have never responded to any of them.

The TomTom installation procedure has locked up my PDA so tight I have had to do two hard resets losing everything. Fortunately I have a good backup program so this was only an annoyance not a disaster. The actual GPS reception utility is a separate application that will work without Navigator. Unfortunately, once I connect it with my Bluetooth GPS receiver it won’t give it back. After much head scratching I discovered I had to do a hard reset on the GPS by removing the battery to get it out of TomTom’s grasp.

My retailer is nice and will take both copies of TomTom back. I have to pay the shipping so I’m out that, plus the cost of three international faxes, and several hours of frustration.

Do not buy TomTom Navigator.

**Charlie** · #2 (**permalink**) 14-10-2004, 09:35 AM

Welcome to our forums.
First of all I think it's a bit harsh to condemn the software over an activation issue. We here at www.totalpda.co.uk setup TomTom for a lot of our customers and besides their site being down for a few hours about 2 weeks ago we have never experienced any issues when activating a customers copy.
When you are performing the install and it asks you to go online to register this feature relies upon you have a active internet connection (either broadband or dialup) and will prompt you again if it can't access the web. What you can do is leave the code section blank and continue with the installation. You can then log onto www.ttcode.com after installation and complete your activation.
TomTom do not go to bed when we get up, they are 1 hour ahead of us as they are based in Europe and also they do have a support number which is 0845 161 0009.
It's good that you retailer is willing to take the software back from you and maybe you'll find some success with another navigation product.

Guppy · #3 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 07:54 PM

Tom Tom 3 is a great bit of kit, and I managed to activate mine first time, without any hassle.

Gaz

**Charlie** · #4 (**permalink**) 09-11-2004, 09:55 AM

Thanks for your thoughts Guppy. Glad you like it

iPaqmaniac · #5 (**permalink**) 26-11-2004, 09:16 PM

Same here. I had a problem with bluetooth hang but Steve Gourlay helped me fix it. I recently had my 2210 stolen and I got a new one today. The Tom Tom bluetooth receiver is the same one (it wasn't nicked) and I have the same bluetooth hang problem. So the problem is not likely to be with the Tom Tom - it's the iPAQ. I'll fix it the same way hopefully. I've yet to see a much better Sat Nav than the Tom Tom. And no I don't work for them or sell them.

**Charlie** · #6 (**permalink**) 29-11-2004, 11:08 AM

Thanks for your comments as well iPaqmaniac, I still love mine as well BTW

Sloss · #7 (**permalink**) 01-12-2004, 12:30 PM

TTN works fine on my Toshiba E740. Loaded straight in. Occasionally hangs with the GPS but a reset or just pull the plug out the ciggy lighter and back in kick starts it again.
I use CheckPOInt for Speed Cameras and the Digitool Post Code finder no problems either so the original Poster's problem is his kit or himself! LOL

enderh · #8 (**permalink**) 18-12-2004, 05:59 AM

Their activation web site has been down. I can't get there so I cannot use my product. It is useless. They have no support number I can reach. It was expensive and uselss. The phone number someone provided below did not work either, of course. I feel like I was cheated. BAD mistake to buy this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by schneid

Do not buy TomTom Navigator. Product activation is a nighmare, it is buggy, destructive, and has no user friendly customer support. I have two copies, the original, and a replacement from my retailer. Neither will activate. When installing TomTom it asks if you want to go online and activate. Clicking Yes returns the same message over and over. Clicking No allows the installation to continue. When you first run the product it says it must be activated at www.ttcode.com. Upon going there it asks you enter your product code from a sticker with the CDs. It then asks you to enter a device code displayed on you PDA. After doing this it generates an activation code that must entered into your PDA. I have done this for both copies. Despite having different product codes, ttcode generated the same action code for both copies. Having entered it over and over it always comes back as an invalid activation code.

This shouldn’t be a big deal but with TomTom it is. They are on another continent. When you are getting up they are going to bed. They have no phone number or any other form of real time support. If you have a problem you can either write them a note at www.tomtom.com or fax them. I have done both several times. They don’t bother to read the notes entered on the web as they keep asking for the same information. I don’t know what they do with the faxes as they have never responded to any of them.

The TomTom installation procedure has locked up my PDA so tight I have had to do two hard resets losing everything. Fortunately I have a good backup program so this was only an annoyance not a disaster. The actual GPS reception utility is a separate application that will work without Navigator. Unfortunately, once I connect it with my Bluetooth GPS receiver it won’t give it back. After much head scratching I discovered I had to do a hard reset on the GPS by removing the battery to get it out of TomTom’s grasp.

My retailer is nice and will take both copies of TomTom back. I have to pay the shipping so I’m out that, plus the cost of three international faxes, and several hours of frustration.

Do not buy TomTom Navigator.

tedkay · #9 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005, 11:19 AM

Hi

It's a shame that TomTom have made such a big deal over their activation, because the product itself is far and away the best of the bunch.

Whilst I don't blame them for trying to make sure that only properly purchased copies are usable I think they have gone much too far in that direction and made it a complete nightmare for genuine customers who for one reason or another have had to reinstall the software. This is usually due to having to reset the PDA after a repair or an upgrade, or replacing the PDA with another model. The online activation won't work then, and you are forced to try and phone them. The last time I tried it took me a full 3 days to get the damn activation sorted out -and then then they treat you as if they are bending the rules and doing you a big favour.

I have found that they never bother to reply to emails or faxes, having sent them a plethora of both since I first bought their product.

I would be interested to know whether their forcing you to go through all this or ditch the software is in any case legal - you have purchased the software and can they legally deny you the use of it?
Ted

**Charlie** · #10 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005, 01:05 PM

I don't understand why you guys are having such problems with activation.
I'd suggest that you take note of the activation codes when you do activate your copy because then all you need to do is refer to your notes to get the codes again when needed. You don't have to go through the site again, as long as you PDA is the same model then you code will not change.