Garmin GPS sold with Life Time Maps

There would be no reason to care except if trying to scam the system, get a free update for the new GPS and use the card on a different GPS. You're just seeing Garmin's way to deal with people trying to abuse the system, although I don't know why they don't just lock the card to the device before they send the two out.

by your post frovinglsosh. why do you feel that people are trying to scam the system? The lifetime map card is simply an addition to the package you are buying. It is not tied to any particular GPS until it is registered and used. You are not able to get anything more or less by using your card on whatever GPS you want.

This is exactly what I did. I purchased a new 1490 with lifetime maps, got a free map update for it (which is simply what Garmin offers), then used the lifetime map card on my 760.

The bottom line is that the card can be used on exactly one GPS. This is why Garmin, or from whomever you purchase your GPS, doesn't lock the card to that particular device. Why would they care on what device you use it? I certainly don't see that as an abuse, especially since I paid extra for the map card and abusing Garmin's map update process seems to be virtually impossible.

I bought a NUVI 1450T with lifetime map card. After I registered it, I was offer a free map update to NT2011.20. The lifetime map update card is still in the sealed pouch.

I've bought 5 1390LMT GPS's and 2 1450T's with lifetime updates.

There IS a difference. The LMT models are the SAME as the T, but there is NO lifetime card. Only a card that says to register the unit and receive the lifetime updates. Nothing else required, although it is confusing. It actually shows they "expire" in one year and the little button to activate our card is still there. Garmin says the one year "expiration" is on the maps. not the card. It is supposed to renew itself with each map download. Under my maps, it indicates lifetime.

The 1450T I bought from a different vendor came with lifetime map updates in the form of a gift card. (As indicated in the listing). These required that I scratch off the product key and register them. Again, confusing, but I understand the reason they do it.I suppose I could have applied them to any GPS I wanted to, but I'm not criminally minded, so I tend to do it the right way first and think later that I "could" have scammed them. The LMT's are a better deal retail. I got my 1390's at Crutchfield with lifetime updates for $229. The 1450 LMT's were not such a good deal, so I opted to get the T models with the lifetime gift cards for about $50 less then the LMT and $70 less then then T and buying the lifetime updates.

I recommend the LMT models if you can get them cheaper, they are cleaner to register, but check prices both ways.

I know there's a time frame on the one free update from Garmin. I'n NOT sure if there's one on the gift card. One would think not. But why hold onto it? Why not just register it and be done with it? I suppose there's the risk of theft of the device, but it is really that bad out there that we plan on these things?