Garmin Nuvi 3597

 

My neighbor is looking for a good price on a brand new Garmin Nuvi 3597. Has anybody seen any good deals lately? When I Froogle it, it looks like they are about $280, brand new in the box.

3597

The availability of 3597s is much smaller than it was, say 6-12 months ago. I do see Factory refurbs from PC Nation (I have no experience with them) for about $240 and new ones from several sources at about $330. If a new 3597 is desired and can be gotten for $280, go for it...and do it NOW.

I monitor 3597s on ebay and even there, the number of offerings has dropped a lot. A complete 3597, even used, seems to go for the mid-$200s or more. For me, the only benefit to shopping ebay for a 3597 is for someone looking for an incomplete one; e.g., no cradle or no GTM 60, etc. which may be gotten for $200 or less. Even broken "as is" 3597s seem to be going for $100-150 which seems high to me.

Anyone considering a 3597 should buy very soon in my opinion.

Newegg Price

Yep, Newegg has it for $279.00 USD.

I paid $299.00 in Jan 2014 and that was a good price then.

--
Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA

I Agree!

CraigW wrote:

The availability of 3597s is much smaller than it was, say 6-12 months ago. I do see Factory refurbs from PC Nation (I have no experience with them) for about $240 and new ones from several sources at about $330. If a new 3597 is desired and can be gotten for $280, go for it...and do it NOW.
Anyone considering a 3597 should buy very soon in my opinion.

$280 is an excellent price for a new 3597. IMO, it isn't worth buying a refurb at $240 when you can get a new unit for just $40 more.

Thanks for the tip! My brother is looking for a second 3597 for a spare.

Is it new or memorix

bdhsfz6 wrote:

$280 is an excellent price for a new 3597. IMO, it isn't worth buying a refurb at $240 when you can get a new unit for just $40 more.

I used to consider a refurbished device as a used device and somehow inferior to a new device. Experience has since changed my mind. A refurbished device from the manufacturer carrys the same warranty as a new one, has the same accesssories and looks just like a new device. I ask you...what is the draw-back to buying one when you can get it a lot cheaper?

Buy a refurb, its eco-friendly

jackj180 wrote:
bdhsfz6 wrote:

I used to consider a refurbished device as a used device and somehow inferior to a new device. Experience has since changed my mind. A refurbished device from the manufacturer carrys the same warranty as a new one, has the same accesssories and looks just like a new device. I ask you...what is the draw-back to buying one when you can get it a lot cheaper?

I agree entirely. I recently bought a refurbished 3597 from PCNation and it looks brand new, works perfectly, has a factory warranty and has the advantage of being fully tested by the manufacturer for any defects. It is a great GPS.

Refurb Drawback?

jackj180 wrote:

I used to consider a refurbished device as a used device and somehow inferior to a new device. Experience has since changed my mind. A refurbished device from the manufacturer carrys the same warranty as a new one, has the same accesssories and looks just like a new device. I ask you...what is the draw-back to buying one when you can get it a lot cheaper?

The only drawback I can think of is that the battery in a refurb might not be quite as fresh as a new device. For my money I would probably save the $40 and go with the refurb.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Good Point Alan

alandb wrote:
jackj180 wrote:

I used to consider a refurbished device as a used device and somehow inferior to a new device. Experience has since changed my mind. A refurbished device from the manufacturer carrys the same warranty as a new one, has the same accesssories and looks just like a new device. I ask you...what is the draw-back to buying one when you can get it a lot cheaper?

The only drawback I can think of is that the battery in a refurb might not be quite as fresh as a new device. For my money I would probably save the $40 and go with the refurb.

True, the battery may be older on a refurb unit, however, even a new one might have been sitting on a shelf somewhere in a distributors warehouse. Another factor to consider is the newer units battery power is so much less then much earlier models and most people seldom use battery power. Batteries are also much easier to replace on newer Nuvi's then older models if the battery needs replacement.

When I decide to buy a newer unit it will surely be a refurbished one for the cost savings. It must be a Factory Refurbished unit with the full one year warranty.

--
Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units

.

The battery being older might not be an issue if the user is going to always use the device in a vehicle while connected to the vehicle's power.

But it's certainly good to consider all aspects.

New Vs Refurb

Both of my 3597’s were purchased as refurbs last year as were most of the GPSr’s I’ve acquired over the last few years. I paid $199 for the first 3597 and $212 for the second. At the time, new units were going for $320 - $340. To save $100+, I’ll go with a refurb every time. To save $40, I might not. this has a lot to do with personal preference and affordability.

While I generally agree that refurbs are for the most part as good as new, there are considerations. The battery is one as Alan pointed out. The LCD, digitizer screen overlay and other hour / wear sensitive components are also things to think about. These parts are not always replaced with new during the refurb process. Will a refurb have the same useable lifespan as a new unit?

It is buyer beware with refurbs. There are vendors. Including some on eBay, that sell refurbished units which are not Garmin factory authorized and do not have the 1 year Garmin warranty. Make sure the unit is made for the country where it is to be used and carries the proper suffix such as “LMT”.

For someone who plans to keep the unit for an extended period, I realize this isn’t a factor but whenever I buy a GPSr, I consider its resale value. I buy and sell quite a few of these units on eBay and original factory packaging increases resale value. Garmin refurbs are shipped in plain white and blue or white and black boxes that are clearly marked “Refurbished”. New units have illustrated packaging. Savvy buyers will notice this in the ad and bid accordingly.

@bdhsfz6

Very helpful post.

I don't think there is a drawback

I don't think there is a drawback to buying a factory refurb unit from most manufacturers.

Most have a high standard and take care that the standards are met.

The only recent exception I found is a Sharp over the range microwave. I would not buy Sharp refurbs anymore. It was a big mess, indicating a lack of ordinary care to maintain standards.

But GPS units, I have bought refurbs and they seem about the same to me.

PCNation is Good

I picked up a 3597 from PCNation a couple of months ago. They shipped the same day and had overnight shipping for $10.

The device did come in a white refurb box but it was a Garmin refurb box. I'm not sure how much usage time the device has, but the battery seems fine as it gets what the specs suggest it should. Serial numbers on the device did match the back of the unit, so there was no issues with registration or getting the lifetime maps.

--
-Mark Nuvi 3597, Nuvi 755T, GPSMAP 60CSx, Street Pilot C580

Watch Amazon and ebay

I almost bought on ebay but ended up finding a 3597 on Amazon for about $145 just a month ago. Keep looking, one will show up.

What is Garmins plan for a 3597 replacement? Anyone hear anything?

Wow.

I'd say you got a real bargain Forane!

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Excellent Price

A Garmin 3597 for $145 is a great price.

Good luck with refurbs

I've bought a number of Garmin refurbs without problem, including my 3597. One unit did have a short battery life but it wasn't an issue because I use my phone gps when walking. The only time I rely on the battery is to turn it on when it's not on car power to enter a destination.

It's worth noting that if a unit is replaced under warranty the replacement is a refurb.

If the extra cost of buying new can be recovered eventually when selling, that's another matter.

I bought a referbished unit

I bought a factory refurbished unit from GPS Nation. It has a 1yr manufacturers warranty, and it has an additional year warranty from GPA Nation as well. I'm pleased with it thus far.

Try eBay.

Try eBay.

--
Garmin DriveLuxe 51 LTM-S

3597

FORANE wrote:

I almost bought on ebay but ended up finding a 3597 on Amazon for about $145 just a month ago. Keep looking, one will show up.

What is Garmins plan for a 3597 replacement? Anyone hear anything?

WOW... I have never seen one for that price... especially on Amazon.

I love the voice command feature on the 3597, its quite accurate

pratzert wrote:
FORANE wrote:

I almost bought on ebay but ended up finding a 3597 on Amazon for about $145 just a month ago. Keep looking, one will show up.

What is Garmins plan for a 3597 replacement? Anyone hear anything?

WOW... I have never seen one for that price... especially on Amazon.

Yup, it was one of the used ones sold on Amazon by one of the sellers. At the time I bought mine which was in perfect shape with retail box and all accessories, there was another seller offering one at a similar price which had a battery that would not hold a charge. I researched it and learned that the battery for a 3597 may be purchased on ebay for around $12 or $15 if I recall.