Garmin's customer service experience

Buy your own beanbags. Garmin has nothing to do with your move unfortunately, and if you can afford $3000 worth of GPS', you can afford $120 worth of dashmounts.

Sorry, but I'm not feeling your pain...

Customer service is their to help with your problems concerning the unit and what is supplied with it. It is not there to offer you "extras" because you have purchased so many.

Expecting them to provide you with beanbag mounts because you are moving to CA is a little much.

IMHO, it's absolutely, unequivocally unreasonable to expect a product manufacturer to send you an accessory for free because you are moving and your vehicles are not compatible with the accessories that they already provided when you purchased your units.

Unfortunately, I'm failing to see even a glimmer of why the company and not the user would be responsible.

To me, this is an example of good customer service because they are keeping the costs down (which would only be passed on to the customers anyway) by declining to acquiesce to the unreasonable demands/requests of certain customers.

Sorry, but I just can't see the logic in this one.

If I lived in a state that didn't require motorcycle helmets and then moved to one that did, I'm pretty sure that Honda would NOT be sending me a free helmet.

I agree with the prior posters. You are expecting Garmin to give you something for free just because you bought a couple of their units??

Let me try to put it in perspective for you. My kids like to eat at McDonalds at least once a week. (I know, not good for them, but that's another discussion!) So at the end of the year, I've probably spent at least $1,000 dollars at McDonalds. Would you expect me to walk up to the manager and demand a free meal because I've spent so much at their restaurant??

As far as Garmin's customer support, I think they have some of the best customer support I've ever seen. You even admitted it in your post, Garmin responded to your emails within 24 hours. How many companies nowadays actually respond to customer emails? And don't get me started with off-shore phone support that most companies use. When you call Garmin you get to speak with someone who actually knows what they are talking about (usually )

I can't comment on this, since it would never cross my mind to approach Garmin for an accessorial item of my choice. I purchased a vent mount for my unit on EBay, because I didn't want a GPS attached to a bean bag bouncing around the car if I had a wreck. And even if I did want a bean bag, I'd buy one myself. I affixed the adhesive disk provided to the side of the stereo console in my wife's 2003 Pontiac Montana rather than on the dash and it works great!

Just give me a Garmin with Sirius built in and I'll be first in line to buy it!

I have to agree with gpfoster. Kind of like buying a new computor then asking the mfg to upgrade the hard drive.

I would agree with all of the above comments. We got to be reasonable.

This is almost not even worth responding to...Come on what are you thinking...personally I think Garmin customer service is one of the finest I have ever dealt with. They are not there to hand out freebies but to help you with your unit and questions. I have several cross pens with blue ink but I don't think cross will send me black refills because my boss doesn't want me to use blue any longer...

Sorry MoonA you don't get any sympathy here..

When it comes to customer support you cant beat Garmin, they are more than fair, but you cant expect them to give you new mounts because your moving... no other company would do that either.
buy your mounts and be on your way.

Moon,

Someone has spoiled you. Have you successfully given other companies a shakedown for extras? You deserve only what other California residents get, regardless of your dashboard texture.

I, like you have spent a lot of money on Garmin GPS units. But I would ever expect them to supply me with accessories. I have purchased the bean mount (excellent by the way) as well as additional power cords and cradles because I needed the flexibility for usage. If you want to use a different mount, there are many good option available.

Garmin happens to be one of the best customer service departments around. You are expecting way to much from a company.

Would you expect Ford to fix your car to meet a California emissions rule because you have two of them?

I had a broken arm on my beanbag mount. I wrote Garmin a letter asking how much would it cost me to replace the item. They sent one to me for free! I never expected that and I feel they went way beyond my expectations.

Buy the mounts and be happy that you have the best GPS units on the market.

I'm sure there are lot of people that have Garmins in California. However I think it is unrealistic to get these items for no $$$$. I have a new vehicle (not in California) and did not want to attach a disk to the dash. so I went to Amazon.com and purchase my very own bean bag mount.

Thank you much guys for helping me look at this situation from a different perspective. I guess I ended up with THOSE blinders for some unknown reason - must have been Texas heat and/or the hidden concerns about the possible move. Now I do understand that I was wrong for bringing up the request for the dashmount.

Now since I am over that brain-fade, here is another question for you. Any ideas as to how would the beanbag dash mount hold up on the signature series dash covers?

http://www.caraccessories.com/signature-series-dash-covers.a...

If you feel that it would not have the best possible grip, what are my other choices? I have seen cupholder mount, which might work for two of the four vehicles, but I am not too certain about the other two.

BTW, have I said THANK YOU so far?

Moon

No worries. We all have our 'moments'!

With regard to the beanbag mount, I've used mine in my friends car and it doesn't move on his dashboard cover. And I also use it in my wife's car and her dash is super slick. I've never had the beanbag mount move on me.

I use the actual Garmin beanbag mount and not a third-party mount. I purchased mine directly from Garmin, but you can also purchase it at BestBuy. Maybe purchase it there and if it doesn't work you can return it.

For grip, if you end up with a problem, go to the RV section at Wal-Mart and get a roll of rubberized shelf liner. It is used to keep dishes and things from moving when the RV is moving. It works great. Just cut it to size and put it under the beanbag mount.

For grip I use a sticky pad that I bought at Walmart in the auto department for about $5 and it's been a great help with keeping my 2730 on the Garmin beanbag from sliding of taking a fall when making quick starts or stops.

Edit - here is the link to the one I use - http://www.handstands.com/retail/automotive-accessories/stic...

Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto

MoonA,
Glad you read all of those replies and changed your thinking pattern.

You get an "A" for effort, and I hope that the law changes so the price of alternate mounting accessories drops for the rest of us Garmin users.

Bill

Nothing is free in this world.

I live in Los Angeles, I take the bus quite regularly and watch for gps mounts while waiting. It seems that all I see are windshield mounts... I haven't heard of anyone getting a ticket for having their gps mounted with a windshield mount, even with the vehicle code you are worrying about. Which is apparently going to be changed. The police should have more important things to worry about..

I see you are in Dallas. Is there a Fry's near you? When I was visiting my kids in Austin in the Spring, Fry's had real Garmin Beanbag Mounts for about $24 in their Austin store. Almost bought a second one - got the first one on Amazon. Probably will pick up another during my Fall trip if they still have them.

I have a 660 and use the bean bag mount in my jeep with a dash cover on it in my yukon with no cover and in the motor home with no cover and never had it move from any positon I put it. My is the type you and bend to conform with the dash. even had it set on tomp of the hump on the dash of the motorhome and never moved even when I made turnd.

MoonA - I just have the standard dash, but from my experience with the friction mount, I think it would do the job on virtually any reasonably flat surface.

My purchase was made from Amazon, and the price is essentially the same today as when I bought it. See:

Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot C5XX Series GPS Navigators (C530, C550 and C580) -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LRMS66

$26.43 with free super saver shipping.

I live in CA and have used the beanbag since the law changed a year ago it works fine although it has slid off the dash a few times even when not driving crazy. I hope they do change the law soon.
Asking Garmin for these mounts b/c you moved seems a little over the top. When I did the pre-order on my 750 I found out afterwards that the box did not include a case, I called Garmin and was told that they left it out to cut costs, I pointed out to them that GPSr had become the number one item stolen from cars and that even they suggest you do not leave the unit in the car and that without a case the very delicate screen could be easily scratched or damaged, the CSR said "I see your point" and sent me a free case it arrived before my 750. Only gripe I have is they have not started including them in the box.

I hope everyone doesn't start calling Garmin and asking them for cases now. I just stick the GPS in my pants pocket. I don't see how it could get scratched in there, unless you also put your knife in there .

I use the same sticky pad with my beanbag. It works great and does not move!

I have had my bean bag for over six months and it has not budged at all when I am driving....