Buyer beware on refurbished nuvi's

 

Buyer beware. I have always been against pre-owned/refurbished items because I didn't want to buy someone else's problems. Anyways, I bought a refurbished 2460LMT because a lot of users said "no problems"' "great deals". Well. I got stung.

After charging it, backing it up and registering on the Garmin site, I found I did not get life time maps. Garmin express and map updater didn't show any. What was odd was that My Garmin showed European maps and NA maps. The unit had NA maps but no European maps on it. An email to Garmin confirmed that the seller (Firemall LLC/ Amazon) got rid of the European maps and put NA maps on it. You can only have lifetime maps for what the unit initially came with.

I sent the unit back.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

did you

also report the seller to Amazon for selling fraudulent devices?

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Just make sure the refurb is from Garmin or an approved reseller

I have had no problem with my refurb 3790LMT that I bought from Wal-Mart nearly 3 years ago.

I had no problem registering it or getting the lifetime map updates and it appeared as new as any new Garmin I ever bought including all brand new sealed extras.

--
Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

Refurb OK for me too.

I've had a 2460LMT for a couple of years with no problem, bought from Walmart. Of course there can be a bad one occasionally but can also be returned.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT

never on a rechargable device

I've bought some refurb devices, but not a GPS. Would be very leery of buying a device with a touch screen or a rechargeable battery. I doubt very much that the batteries are ever replaced when a device is refurbished. Even if the device is returnable, it is not worth risking a weak battery to me if I have to pay return shipping to return it.

They always say good as

They always say good as factory new...but I am leery as well.

No Problem Here

I've purchased over a dozen different Garmin refurbs over the last few years and have never had a problem. All were registered with Garmin and there were no issues with lifetime map updates.

My advice is to buy refurbished units only from a reputable, authorized Garmin re-seller to avoid any warranty issues.

Bad Seller

bdhsfz6 wrote:

I've purchased over a dozen different Garmin refurbs over the last few years and have never had a problem. All were registered with Garmin and there were no issues with lifetime map updates.

My advice is to buy refurbished units only from a reputable, authorized Garmin re-seller to avoid any warranty issues.

As long as you buy one that indicates full 1 year Garmin Warranty and "manufacturer Refurbished" , you should receive a unit identical to a new one in both appearence and funtionality. Stay away from Ebay refurbished unless it's an authorized Garmin seller or you may be in for a surprise. If in doubt call Garmin.

pwohlrab wrote:

The unit had NA maps but no European maps on it. An email to Garmin confirmed that the seller (Firemall LLC/ Amazon) got rid of the European maps and put NA maps on it. You can only have lifetime maps for what the unit initially came with.
I sent the unit back.

I would also contact Amazon and let them know what this seller did. I always feel more secure when I purchase direct from Amazon rather than one of their market place sellers.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units

AFAIK

muell9k wrote:

I would also contact Amazon and let them know what this seller did. I always feel more secure when I purchase direct from Amazon rather than one of their market place sellers.

AFAIK they always stand behind their market place sellers so it should be just like buying from Amazon.

The situation here, as I understand it, is that the OP purchased a 2460 that came with different maps than the ones that were orginally installed on it which voided the Lifetime Maps update agreement. Those maps would have been installed on the device as part of the refurb of the 2460. If that's the case, may I suggest, that this has nothing to do with Amazon or it's MarketPlace seller as they don't do the refurb, it's done by Garmin (or a Garmin contractor) which then sells the refurb unit to Amazon or one of it's partners.

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

Refurbished...

Refurbished anything is like someones ex-girlfriend or ex-wife. sad

There's always a fresh newer model available that hasn't been used and worn out so much. wink

Nuvi1300WTGPS

--
I'm not really lost.... just temporarily misplaced!

same here, sort of

bdhsfz6 wrote:

I've purchased over a dozen different Garmin refurbs over the last few years and have never had a problem. All were registered with Garmin and there were no issues with lifetime map updates.

My advice is to buy refurbished units only from a reputable, authorized Garmin re-seller to avoid any warranty issues.

... although I've only gotten one refurbed GPS.

I had a Zumo 550 that stopped working, I had purchased lifetime maps for it (it was before their GPS's started coming with it). I had it for a few years so it was long out of warranty. I sent it back to Garmin for them to check it out, they told me it needed to be replaced and offered a refurbed one for $100. I bought it and it still works fine plus they transferred the lifetime maps purchase to it.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

Refurbs

Picked up a refurbed 2597LMT from eBay NA maps and updates with no problems

Only buy a nuvi factory-Refurbished by garmin

Only buy a nuvi factory-refurbished by Garmin. It comes in a black and white box with the Garmin logo printed on. It is guaranteed by Garmin. If it is found not to have lifetime maps, or any other defect, Garmin will solve that problem for free. But they have the quality control to avoid any defects in the first place.

My year-old nuvi 5397LMTHD refurb, purchased at thegpsstore.com, is like-new, has a new software and map load, and performs exactly like a brand-new nuvi would. It was immediately recognized by Garmin Express for the initial update. Even the cables, traffic receiver, and mount appear to be new.

dobs108 smile

Excellent Point

t923347 wrote:

The situation here, as I understand it, is that the OP purchased a 2460 that came with different maps than the ones that were orginally installed on it which voided the Lifetime Maps update agreement. Those maps would have been installed on the device as part of the refurb of the 2460. If that's the case, may I suggest, that this has nothing to do with Amazon or it's MarketPlace seller as they don't do the refurb, it's done by Garmin (or a Garmin contractor) which then sells the refurb unit to Amazon or one of it's partners.

This was clearly a Garmin mistake since either they, or their contractors caused this issue.
By Garmin stating in it's response to pwohlrab's email that Amazon was to blame is total nonsense, Amazzon does not refurbish the units, they only sell them.

pwohlrab wrote:

An email to Garmin confirmed that the seller (Firemall LLC/ Amazon) got rid of the European maps and put NA maps on it.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units

not garmin

muell9k wrote:
t923347 wrote:

The situation here, as I understand it, is that the OP purchased a 2460 that came with different maps than the ones that were orginally installed on it which voided the Lifetime Maps update agreement. Those maps would have been installed on the device as part of the refurb of the 2460. If that's the case, may I suggest, that this has nothing to do with Amazon or it's MarketPlace seller as they don't do the refurb, it's done by Garmin (or a Garmin contractor) which then sells the refurb unit to Amazon or one of it's partners.

This was clearly a Garmin mistake since either they, or their contractors caused this issue.
By Garmin stating in it's response to pwohlrab's email that Amazon was to blame is total nonsense, Amazzon does not refurbish the units, they only sell them.

pwohlrab wrote:

An email to Garmin confirmed that the seller (Firemall LLC/ Amazon) got rid of the European maps and put NA maps on it.

As stated, it wasn't a Garmin error, the reseller modified the unit so therefore the reseller committed fraud and misrepresentation when stating the unit was eligible for NA lifetime map updates because the reseller had changed the map set. Whether the misrepresentation was due to ignorance on the reseller's part isn't the issue. They modified the unit and then advertised it as something it wasn't.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

I Disagree But Could It Be?

Box Car wrote:
muell9k wrote:
t923347 wrote:

The situation here, as I understand it, is that the OP purchased a 2460 that came with different maps than the ones that were orginally installed on it which voided the Lifetime Maps update agreement. Those maps would have been installed on the device as part of the refurb of the 2460. If that's the case, may I suggest, that this has nothing to do with Amazon or it's MarketPlace seller as they don't do the refurb, it's done by Garmin (or a Garmin contractor) which then sells the refurb unit to Amazon or one of it's partners.

This was clearly a Garmin mistake since either they, or their contractors caused this issue.
By Garmin stating in it's response to pwohlrab's email that Amazon was to blame is total nonsense, Amazzon does not refurbish the units, they only sell them.

pwohlrab wrote:

An email to Garmin confirmed that the seller (Firemall LLC/ Amazon) got rid of the European maps and put NA maps on it.

As stated, it wasn't a Garmin error, the reseller modified the unit so therefore the reseller committed fraud and misrepresentation when stating the unit was eligible for NA lifetime map updates because the reseller had changed the map set. Whether the misrepresentation was due to ignorance on the reseller's part isn't the issue. They modified the unit and then advertised it as something it wasn't.

I disgree that Amazon (reseller) changed the Map set, they sell, not refurbish.

Giving this further thought, could it be the error was in fact by Amazon but for a different reason? Perhaps the unit member pwolrab purchased was a European refurbish and should have been available for purchase in an Amazon site in Europe rather than North America. That would put the blame on Amazon since it's description was for North America maps and shipping from North America.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units

A summary

In looking at the Amazon listing by FireMall ($118 with free S&H), I see that FireMall has a 98% satisfaction rating on Amazon and that the item was a "Fulfilled by Amazon" device. The unit was returned to Amazon since it was not "LMT" with the replaced North American map.

This will result in a delay for pwohlrab to order and receive a replacement unit which is not desirable but can happen, just like a new device can be received DOA requiring a return/replacement.

Since the unit was returned and I assume successfully refunded to pwohlrab, it shows to me that Amazon and their Fulfilled by Amazon partners are both great companies who stand by the items they sell. I would not hesitate to reorder the item from a different Seller on Amazon as long as it was a Fulfilled by Amazon seller. I see one other seller offering the nuvi at the same price that FireMall did, and another offering it for $149.95 with free S&H who states that it is a Garmin Factory Refurb which may add extra safety to a buyer.

On the other hand, if I were looking to buy a 2460, I see many mostly-used devices available on ebay from high feedback sellers well under $100 shipped and I would also consider those given eBay's return policies.

All in all after reviewing the several threads here at The Factory, the Happy Refurb buyers of nuvi devices greatly outnumber the Unhappy ones and I will continue to buy factory refurbs from reputable sellers.

Scenario of events so no one is wondering.

What I ordered (at $118.00):
Garmin nuvi 2460LMT 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
by Garmin
371 customer reviews
| 21 answered questions
List Price: $299.99
Price: $229.99 & FREE Shipping
You Save: $70.00 (23%)
Only 13 left in stock.
Ships from and sold by Electromax.
Estimated Delivery Date: Feb. 20 - 25 when you choose Standard at checkout.

5.0 inch diagonal WQVGA color TFT touchscreen with white backlight
nuRoute technology includes traffic Trends and my Trends (no subscriptions required)
Preloaded with City Navigator NT North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico)
Includes free lifetime maps and traffic updates
NOTE: Charger connects to the mount
480 x 272 pixel display resolution

The email to Garmin: Subject: Refurbished 2460LMT does not show I have lifetime maps.
>> >> Message: I bought a refurbished 2460LMT from Ebay (1 year warranty) and when I go to Garmin express My garmin or My dashboard they are not showing any updated maps. I suspect it is because it is past your 2 year update policy. What can be done to resolve this so I can get an updated map? It is registered in my account. Thanks

Garmins Response: Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
I am happy to help. After reviewing your account, I see that this unit originally came with Europe mapping, however, you have North America mapping on it also. Lifetime maps will only update the mapping that was originally on the unit. Is it the North America mapping that you're trying to update? If so, to purchase lifetime maps for North America, please click on the link below:

Bottom line is that "someone" changed what was on the unit. The unit in reality was misrepresented. And I did do a comment at Amazon and Firemall LLC. And it has been returned successfully. Whether I will try another refurbished unit is yet to be determined. After all they are a good price. I don't need anything fancy, but do what a powered mount which is getting harder to find.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

I disagree

Box Car wrote:

As stated, it wasn't a Garmin error, the reseller modified the unit so therefore the reseller committed fraud and misrepresentation when stating the unit was eligible for NA lifetime map updates because the reseller had changed the map set. Whether the misrepresentation was due to ignorance on the reseller's part isn't the issue. They modified the unit and then advertised it as something it wasn't.

If the unit was purchased from Amazon or one of their Marketplace sellers then neither of these companies are in the business of updating maps on a Nuvi. All "THEY" do is sell the things!!!! IMO the maps got changed before either place received the device for resale. The last place that touched the maps and software on a Garmin refurb would have probably been Garmin.

I'm a bit confused now as it now seems like the unit was purchased from an Ebay seller. If that's the case then all bets are off as to how the wrong maps got on the device.

--
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.

Refurbished by whom?

I have done OK with buying refurbished units. What is really significant is to pay attention to WHO they say refurbished the unit. I don't think this ad specified that.

Factory Refurbished would be the safest purchase, and would come with a manufacturer's warranty. It may come with a reduced warranty. It should be specified in the terms of sale.

Dealer (seller) refurbished is another story. Whatever the dealer/seller does will not update the status of the manufacturers warranty. In that regard, a seller-refurbished item should really be considered the same as "used". It might still be a good deal, but you have to know the difference and the seller should be clear about that.

Amazon and eBay are pretty good at standing by their customers and rectifying issues. It happens once in a while, even with new stuff.

as was stated

t923347 wrote:
Box Car wrote:

As stated, it wasn't a Garmin error, the reseller modified the unit so therefore the reseller committed fraud and misrepresentation when stating the unit was eligible for NA lifetime map updates because the reseller had changed the map set. Whether the misrepresentation was due to ignorance on the reseller's part isn't the issue. They modified the unit and then advertised it as something it wasn't.

If the unit was purchased from Amazon or one of their Marketplace sellers then neither of these companies are in the business of updating maps on a Nuvi. All "THEY" do is sell the things!!!! IMO the maps got changed before either place received the device for resale. The last place that touched the maps and software on a Garmin refurb would have probably been Garmin.

I'm a bit confused now as it now seems like the unit was purchased from an Ebay seller. If that's the case then all bets are off as to how the wrong maps got on the device.

As was stated, someone changed the maps. There is no proof either way the change was or wasn't done by the seller. While Garmin has been known to load the incorrect mapset on units in the past, i.t would seem the serial number, linked to the model would have prevented the wrong mapset from being loaded at the factory. We also have to assume Customer Support made the determination the wrong mapset was loaded on the unit by "someone" because the NA set did not agree with what the serial number indicated what should have been installed.

If it was the reseller loading a different mapset, then the reseller did the deed, probably with a one-time download so the unlock codes would be correct. Of course it could also have contained a pirated map but we don't know and have no way of determining.

It would be far more likely an unscrupulous dealer/employee would change a mapset to unload stock than it would for the manufacturer to misload.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

not the fully rosy scenario

I bought four 3790 LMT refurbs within a few months period. All were official Garmin refurbs, coming in the tidy little blue and white boxes, and the merchant was Walmart.

Overall I've been pretty happy, and think I and the friend for whom I facilitated one of the purchases got a great deal.

BUT: my experience expressly contradicts the confident assertions by multiple posters above that Garmin refurbs can be reliably expected to be perfect.

Problems observed:

1. On three of the four units there were readily visible dents on the back of the case upon arrival. Not tiny either, perhaps averaging half an inch across. My guess is that something was going on which made a lot of these units, and that someone at Garmin decided this cosmetic defect was too severe to be shipped as new production, but good enough for their refurb line.

2. One unit arrived with a plainly defective mount. The speaker function in the mount did not work properly.

3. one unit arrived with a completely inoperative traffic receiver.

4. one unit arrived equipped with a North America map, but upon connection for map updates showed up on the web site as eligible for BOTH the European and the North American updates. I speculate that this was originally configured for the European market, but during refurb was re-designated for North America, but some database referenced by the map update process was not fully informed.

5. one unit on arrival was so non-responsive to touch input that I had grave difficulty just getting through the initial setup steps in which you express a few preferences and promise not to sue them if something goes wrong.

To be fair, both Walmart and Garmin were promptly and properly responsive to the problems I brought to their attention. The most severe problems above combined on one unit and I just took that one back to the nearest Walmart store for a prompt refund. Garmin sent me a replacement traffic cord, and offered a replacement speaker mount, on no more evidence than my careful description of the problems, without requiring me to first provide the defective unit.

So my view is not at either of the poles of the discussion.

--
personal GPS user since 1992

Refurbished Nuvi's

My experience was that I bought a new one years ago and I had a problem within the warranty period and they said send it back, and they sent me a "new" one. But I know that it was just a refurbished one. Because they didn't want the whole box, just the unit. Sorta like the iPhone warranty. I never had a problem with the refurbished one for 7 years. So I really don' have an issue with refurbished, because Garmin will always try to make it right

--
Michael J

Not Garmin factory refurbs?

archae86 wrote:

...I bought four 3790 LMT refurbs within a few months period. All were official Garmin refurbs, coming in the tidy little blue and white boxes, and the merchant was Walmart...

On Walmart's site today, there is no claim anywhere that they offer Garmin Factory Refurbished units. Here is a link for the 3790LMT -

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Garmin-Nuvi-3790LMT-4.3-Slim-Porta...

The 3790LMT at thegpsstore.com -

"Factory Authorized Refurbished Special!
Each one of these units has been refurbished to factory specs and tested by Garmin. They are covered by a ONE YEAR manufacturers warranty, are in Like New condition and come in a plain white box."

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Garmin-Nuvi-3597LMTHD-Refurbished...

My refurb from gpsstore.com came in a white box with black top with the Garmin logo printed on the box. Since archae86 units were in blue and white boxes, they may not have been refurbed by Garmin. Did these blue and white boxes have the Garmin logo printed on the box?

dobs108 smile

How to Get a refurb that was stolen

This is from a thread on another GPS website. It is so convoluted I will not post the link:

The poster who lives in Michigan bought a refurb in a blue and white box from a large retailer who he will not name. He registers and updates it. Several days later the police arrive to confiscate the GPS which was stolen in California. He is now without the nuvi.

He was able to find out that the former owner of the nuvi who reported it stolen had bought and returned the same model nuvi from a retailer several times.

Here is what I learned from this:

We all know that the GPS is one of the most stolen items. If you steal a GPS or if you buy a stolen GPS and register it for updates, you will be found by the police if the original owner has reported the theft to the police.

The way around this problem, which all thieves are already aware of, is that after you steal a GPS, you must buy the same model from a retailer, make the switch, and return the stolen unit to the retailer. That is how stolen units enter the refurb stream.

This makes it very important to deal with a refurbisher responsible enough to check to see whether the unit was once stolen! Who does this? I don't know...

dobs108 rolleyes

To set the record straight!!!

"I'm a bit confused now as it now seems like the unit was purchased from an Ebay seller. If that's the case then all bets are off as to how the wrong maps got on the device."

My initial email to Garmin did state "ebay". I corrected that in a followup email to them. In reality, it doesn't matter as long as the initial seller is reputable.

The 2460LMT did come from Firemall LLC which is a licensed Amazon reseller. Sorry, I mix them up sometimes. But everything was taken care of to my satisfaction.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

My experience

I have never had an issue purchasing an item that has been refurbished by the manufacturer...

Misleading Wording

To be honest, I've never purchased a new GPS, always "Factory Refurbs".
Last week I got a 2598LMTHD to replace my Nuvi50LM just to see how the Bluetooth and voice commands work.

As I read "Newly Overhauled" I didn't think a thing of it.
It came with a couple of scratches on the screen. The seller shipped me a replacement, so no harm.

I came to poifactory to see what other users might have posted.
Now it occurs to me, "Newly Overhauled" doesn't necessarily mean "Factory Refurbished".

Well I'll see how it goes.

--
Nuvi 2598LMTHD

Bought my...

765T refurb in 2008, still has original battery and works great. It didn't come with lifetime maps, but, I knew that before I bought it.
My next unit will probably be another refurb also, but, I haven't seen a newer model that will give me all the comforts of my 765.

--
Garmin Nuvi 765T, Garmin Drive 60LM

who do you suppose refurbed them?

dobs108 wrote:

Since archae86 units were in blue and white boxes, they may not have been refurbed by Garmin. Did these blue and white boxes have the Garmin logo printed on the box?

As it happens I have one of the boxes still in my study. The dominant color is white, with blue stripes at the top of three of the four sides, and a solid blue top. Each of the blue sections has the Garmin logo printed in white (absence of blue, really).

The label reads "Nuvi 3790LMT, GPS, NA w/Free Traffic, Reburb" 010-N0858-21, product bar code is 7-53759-97651-4.

That part number is currently on offer as a refurb from NewEgg.

The box contained a piece of paper titled "Newly overhauled 1-year limited warranty certificate". All references in that document are to Garmin itself.

My impression at the time of purchase was that these units were stated to have been refurbed by Garmin, but I cannot document that belief. I think there may no longer be a stream of newly refurbished 3790LMT product available from Garmin, as the unit has been out of new production for quite a while now.

I do question how a third-part refurbisher would have gotten one of my four units onto BOTH the European and North American lifetime maps lists by serial number at a cost to them low enough to make the offering price profitable to them.

--
personal GPS user since 1992

UL?

dobs108 wrote:

How to Get a refurb that was stolen

This is from a thread on another GPS website. It is so convoluted I will not post the link:

The poster who lives in Michigan bought a refurb in a blue and white box from a large retailer who he will not name. He registers and updates it. Several days later the police arrive to confiscate the GPS which was stolen in California. He is now without the nuvi.

He was able to find out that the former owner of the nuvi who reported it stolen had bought and returned the same model nuvi from a retailer several times.

Here is what I learned from this:

We all know that the GPS is one of the most stolen items. If you steal a GPS or if you buy a stolen GPS and register it for updates, you will be found by the police if the original owner has reported the theft to the police.

It certainly may be possible. But what you describe sounds to me to be a lot like an urban legend and I wouldn't consider it true without further research. Just sayin'. neutral Does anyone have a personal experience with having police come by after registering a used nuvi? Isn't it more likely that Garmin may just refuse map updates for a previously registered device that's been reported as stolen?

I do also question the "GPS is one of the most stolen items" thought. That may have been true a decade or more ago when a device was several hundred dollars but now that a nuvi with lifetime maps can be had for under $100, are thieves still stealing them? Granted, I won't test the theory by leaving a nuvi visible from outside the vehicle, but I will confess I no longer hide the cable, cradle or friction mount most of the time. I will hide it all if at a long term airport parking lot, but not for a grocery shopping trip, etc.

One last thought/question: if a stolen device was purchased by someone from sources like ebay or an Amazon seller, then the buyer finds it impossible to register or update or has law enforcement come and take it away, doesn't the buyer have recourse to receive a refund from the seller, and if a problem arises with the seller, then get a refund from ebay/Amazon?

Welcome to the high-Crime world

Those of you who live far away from big cities - crime marches on. The most recent development in the New York City area is the theft of batteries costing typically $3,000- from hybrid cars. Other cities are not immune.

In urban and suburban neighborhoods it is a fact of life that a GPS or associated cables left visible means a broken window found the next morning. Even your loose change left on the console will be gone.

There is a ready supply of stolen GPS units to end up being refurbed.

dobs108 smile

not me

i only buy new

--
nuvi 2757LM-65LM-65LM

overhauled does not mean refurbished

archae86 wrote:
dobs108 wrote:

Since archae86 units were in blue and white boxes, they may not have been refurbed by Garmin. Did these blue and white boxes have the Garmin logo printed on the box?

As it happens I have one of the boxes still in my study. The dominant color is white, with blue stripes at the top of three of the four sides, and a solid blue top. Each of the blue sections has the Garmin logo printed in white (absence of blue, really).

The label reads "Nuvi 3790LMT, GPS, NA w/Free Traffic, Reburb" 010-N0858-21, product bar code is 7-53759-97651-4.

That part number is currently on offer as a refurb from NewEgg.

The box contained a piece of paper titled "Newly overhauled 1-year limited warranty certificate". All references in that document are to Garmin itself.

My impression at the time of purchase was that these units were stated to have been refurbed by Garmin, but I cannot document that belief. I think there may no longer be a stream of newly refurbished 3790LMT product available from Garmin, as the unit has been out of new production for quite a while now.

I do question how a third-part refurbisher would have gotten one of my four units onto BOTH the European and North American lifetime maps lists by serial number at a cost to them low enough to make the offering price profitable to them.

To me, overhauled means the unit was cleaned up and possibly updated. It does not mean refurbished which entails running the unit through the final assembly process after repairing/replacing any failed or damaged parts. If the unit we are discussing was overhauled, then it wasn't refurbed and the overhaul included swapping the maps.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Refurbished by garmin

archae86 wrote:

The box contained a piece of paper titled "Newly overhauled 1-year limited warranty certificate". All references in that document are to Garmin itself.

This is the same certificate that came with the 3597 factory refurbished by Garmin and sold on thegpsstore.com

Although it says "overhauled" it is certainly refurbished by Garmin. There is no difference between the blue and white boxes and the black and white boxes except perhaps they were available at different times.

dobs108 smile

Urban Legend? Smells like BS.

CraigW wrote:

It certainly may be possible. But what you describe sounds to me to be a lot like an urban legend and I wouldn't consider it true without further research.

Cell phone carriers don't send the police after every stolen phone. They simply block the IMEI/ESN so the phone cannot be activated. Garmin works the same way. They block the serial number to prevent updates.

If confiscating the product because of it being stolen goods were to happen it would have to be as part of a major investigation where the item was needed as evidence. The chances of that happening are low.

--
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

my daughter has a refurb

she got her Garmin about 3 years ago, and it's fine, I guess it depends on where you get it from

eBay - keep your eyes open

I've been following nuvi 3597 prices on eBay (new, refurb, used) for quite a while and see that final sales prices mostly are falling into the $200-300 range now. I did buy a used 3597LMTHD at the low end of the range recently and it works perfectly.

One thing I've noticed which is occurring more often than in the past is that the US eBay site shows folks selling nuvi 3597s with European or Australian maps where the continent included is not clearly identified. If bidding on a 3597 on eBay, be sure to confirm from the listing and included photos what map is present, and if not clear, ask the Seller before bidding. Also check the photos for included items since one nuvi 3597 is listed as a 3597LM and a check of the cigarette lighter cord confirms that you will not be getting lifetime traffic.

Once you've received your eBay nuvi, be sure to check and update the map if needed. You don't want your eBay item to lose the ability to receive map updates due to it having no update for 24+ months.

Agreed!

CraigW wrote:

Once you've received your eBay nuvi, be sure to check and update the map if needed. You don't want your eBay item to lose the ability to receive map updates due to it having no update for 24+ months.

Also check the eBay sellers return policy before buying. If it isn't what you want, send it back. If the seller won't refund your money, eBay will.

http://pages.ebay.com/ebay-money-back-guarantee/

no way

i dont trust anything like that used