Category: Automattic

After getting my new TomTom device last year, I ended up starting a post about the shoddy TomTom support. For whatever reason (it was a LONG post) I never published it.

The jist of it was that I had various problems due to having another device previously, and TomTom Home seemed to take exception to this. In the end, however, it was resolved, but I was left more than unimpressed with the quality of support offered by TomTom.

However, recent events have meant that I now wish to revisit this concern.

I pay for their Live subscription service which means, amongst other things, that I get live traffic updates. I don’t use the TomTom much, but when I do I find it re-assuring to know it will try and steer me around hold-ups or, at the very least, tell me that any hold-ups are still the best route to go.

Unfortunately, every time I’ve gone anywhere recently where I’ve used it, I’ve found the Live services not responding – often now working until a good proportion into my journey.

Around the 20th July a new version of the TomTom application (the one that runs on the SatNav itself) was released. The night before leaving for holiday (on the 29th) I did a full update of my TomTom via the TomTom Home PC software – this includes updating the application. All was fine – indeed the new version looked really good and I was looking forward to trying it out during the coming week. Well, that was until I tried to access the Live services. I started getting an error code 1008, and it stated that there was something wrong with the (non-accessible) SIM card.

I did a Google search and found that others were experiencing the same issue. Eventually, I found one forum providing a link to a FAQ on the TomTom site. And there it was – admitting that their new application broke the live services. The resolution – delete the software and let Home re-install the old one (for some reason it installs the older version first and then tried to put the new version on top – they advise you to not allow that second update!).

Just 4 problems here…

1. What the hell is this doing on an obscure page of the TomTom site? On the main support page there is a box-out on the right pointing to it, but TomTom send me enough mails trying to sell me stuff – why haven’t they emailed me to warn me about this?
2. The application is still available to download. Why?
3. The FAQ page in question – get this – is wrong! It explains how to back out the software but it refers to buttons incorrectly and is generally badly explained.
4. It’s now over 20 days since the application was released and there’s been no update.

On what planet do you have to be to think that this is acceptable? Push out a software update that breaks a subscription service – don’t tell anyone, just put a badly written page on your list of FAQs – and leave it for more to download.

Un-bloody-believable.

Anyway, after much gnashing of teeth, and working late before a long drive I got my TomTom working again. Sadly, the server problem reared its head the next day. As did a new problem during the rest of the week – a regular hanging and self-rebooting.

And, in case you didn’t think it could get any worse, I found that the amazing “HD Traffic” service was not informing me of genuine hold-ups but did regularly tell me about some that didn’t exist.

If I hadn’t invested so much in the device and a years up-front subscription, my TomTom would be heading towards the bin. Considering the looming competition from phones with cheap, or even free, SatNav built in you’d think that TomTom would be trying a lot, lot harder to ensure that have some kind of USP. Sadly, they’re not.

Update

Just a few short hours after publishing the above, I started up my TomTom as I’m going out tonight and needed to find directions. I attempted to use the Google search facility but was met with a screen attempting to get me to buy more subscription to the live service. There were two options – “Yes”, which obviously I wouldn’t have pressed and “No”. Sadly, “No” sent you back to the map without performing the search that I originally requested. Indeed, looking up the weather or any other Live service, caused exactly the same to occur. Basically, they were now screwing up my Live subscription access so that they could shove an advert down my throat.

Eventually, that went. Unfortunately, any attempt to do a search now is met with the error screen…

Something went wrong. If this keeps on hanging, please check with TomTom HOME is there is a newer application version available.

Of course, a new application is available, but I’m certainly not planning to install it. So now, the search feature appears broken. I’ll give it a few days and try again…

Let’s set the scene – my mum is in her 60’s, retired and, due to health reasons, often has to use a walking stick or mobility scooter.

She orders a bed from Dreams. Not any old bed, but a top of the range, £2000 adjustable bed. Bearing in mind most people probably spend a couple of hundred, you’d think they’d be tripping over themselves to look after her.

Sadly not.

She visited her local store and placed the order. The bed, in due course, turned up. Unfortunately, due to a narrow hallway it wouldn’t fit¹, no matter what the delivery people tried (including the window). It was only at this point she found out about a 20% charge for returning it (it hadn’t been mentioned to her before and she only found it printed on the back of the receipt) – which they say is because “it’s no longer new”. It’s still in its plastic and hasn’t been used but, for whatever, reason they say they can’t see it as new anymore.

Only after agreeing to buy an alternative bed with a slimmer base did they knock this charge down to 10% (although they say they’ll have to charge 20% if they don’t order a replacement). So how can she make sure that this one will fit? Well, she can’t. She rang Dreams and said it wasn’t up to them.

So, she’s stuck. Pay 20% and go elsewhere or pay 10% and stick with Dreams, in the hope that the next bed will fit.

I checked the website and found that this 20% is now shown in their Terms & Conditions, so I rang them. It appears that this is because, due to the Distance Selling Regulations, if you order online or via the phone they can’t charge to refund the item – hence its now shown on their website (so beware of checking website for T&Cs before ordering from a store – they may not match!). Which is interesting. My mum is going to look into this further but it’s likely if she orders online, the store will charge her first refund at 20%.

During all of this, my mum has been met with disdain and generally poor attitudes from Dreams.

Sadly, she’s not the only one with problems. And there’s more.

1. she wasn’t expecting this as the bed was smaller than the hallway – the issue was angling it through the door ↩︎

Last Christmas I bought my eldest daughter a Samsung Tocco Lite mobile phone. I bought it from Phones4U, as they were also providing a free Samsung 8GB Micro SD card.

4 months of use later and the card has failed. And I don’t mean the data has gone – it appears the controller has stopped working and, hence, the card is totally inaccessible. Unfortunately, my daughter didn’t backup her myriad of photos, videos and music.

But… seriously? 4 months?

I’ve contacted Phones4u and, with no quibble, said they’d send out a replacement card.

I thought I’d also contact Samsung to see if there’s anything they can do about recovering the data. Or at least query why their card lasted so little amount of time. Unfortunately, Samsung UK only offer support via phone or post – no twitter or email support. I tried the phone option but it appears to be an Indian-based Helpdesk and I gave up.

I’ll try sending a letter and see how that goes – Phones4u haven’t asked for the faulty card back so I can hold onto that in case Samsung are able to do anything about the contents.

There are companies that will remove the memory chip and recover the contents, but it’s an expensive process.

So, top marks to Phones4u and a wooden spoon to Samsung. So far. Can they redeem themselves?

Since getting my HTC Hero (sorry, T-Mobile G2 Touch), I’ve been plagued with poor reception problems at home. T-Mobiles map shows a very good signal strength for my area, but I’m often without ANY reception when indoors (and it’s a 70’s build semi, not a Victorian terrace with thick walls).

It was never bad enough an issue (I don’t get many calls at home!) that it was worth returning the phone, but I contacted T-Mobile.

First of all, there was their description of what the signal map meant…

it looks like the coverage is ‘good’ the description of ‘good’ explains outdoor only guaranteed.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but not being able to get a signal when inside your house does not indicate “good” to me. That’s poor.I’m not talking about the 3G signal either – there isn’t one. This is the basic 2G/able to make a phone call signal.

When pushed a little further, their response was…

ahh, sadly there’s nothing we can do re the network. another phone may have better radio reception, failing that we have to accept it 🙂

Nice.

Maybe the merger of T-Mobile and Orange will mean that they’ll start sharing transmitters – my wife is on Orange and has no such signal problems. Indeed, I never had problems with my previous phone, which was on O2 and my SatNav, which uses Vodafone, is fine. My Three broadband dongle has no signal though, so they’re also best avoided by me.

I love my Hero, but there are lots of good looking Android phones appearing on the market at the moment. Come my contract renewal in 15 months time, I’ll be seriously looking elsewhere.

Signal strength is a big issue when buying mobile phones, as few networks will do anything if you get home with your shiny new phone and find you have no signal.

I was therefore quite intrigued to hear of Vodafone’s solution to this – their Mobile Phone Signal Booster. This connects to your home broadband and provides a Vodafone 3G network in your home.

Their network maps show me as having an excellent 2G signal (so I can at least receive phone calls when at home) and a reasonable 3G signal, possibly only working outside. So a single payment of £50 will get me their Signal Booster, ensuring I get a strong 3G signal, even at home. If they have the phone I’m after next year, it may be a winner for me!