my experience with rand mcnally tnd700

i agree with those who use all navigation assists, gps, google maps/earth, Atlas/road&local, phone call to shipper/reciever. However, none are always 100% due to road repairs, modifications, etc.
any one of the tools we use, that complicates navigation due to errors/inacurracies/limitations, sometimes becomes useless.
i have a tnd 700, i bought it from rm website refurbished. i bought refurb cuz gps units are over priced, and i didnt expect perfection just functionality.
the unit functions, the problem was they sent unit without complimentary up dates, or ability to download up date. so i used unit with outdated maps until i found time to address issue with cust serv. i was referred to store, no answers. i kept using unit cautiously with additional tools (Maps, calls, etc.,even phone gps ). after a while i used "tell rand" prompt in dock app....no response. called cust support again, quite a few months passed, i was referred back to store, and told to fax copy of receipt to store, explain problem.
by this time im discouraged, warranty long expired, i never tried to get "complimentary map update", figure they're gonna deny update since it appears time justified....."ya lag ya loose"
i'd buy up date, old maps, data, etc create problems, but i had too many problems trying to just get comp data/maps. it appeared i was being encouraged to buy update before my unit was truly "refurbished" as advertised at purchase.
so i just use unit for milage counting, warningS (speed, etc). one thing i noticed about navigation(this unit), it will always route through dot scales, even if u re-route (which is severely limited)
its an ok unit, overpriced for its abilities, customer service. i"ve actually had phone nav more useful, i still use it but i dont depend or rely on it.
currently im looking at alk co pilot live, it allows customizing & saving routes. this seems very useful for saving short cuts and re routing since our roads do change for various reasons.
nothings for sure but change, so i wont rely , solely, on one navigation assistant.... "be safe out there"

 

itz been a while since I've visited, I always like to check in, between jobs and kinda get a feel for the industry climate....I solved my gps gripe by buying a garmin dezl, using my truck stop points and some cash. I simply am not interested in products that I need to pay or jump through hoops for it to just approach efficiency. I actually liked the tnd 700, and I suspect most of us grew up with rand McNally, a familiar and trusted name. I understand the marketing tactic of charging for map up grade, as a consumer I have no tolerance for this marketing tactic. simply because of what happened with my experience, my intergrity, intelligence, etc being questioned, after I've purchased defective, incomplete product.
offense to the rm supporter, I did what I needed to do, bought a product minus the marketing tactic, shared my experience. albeit, my experience could've been better, rand mc nally apparently didn't have that kind of support nor customer service
roflol, I basically bought faulty product, no customer support, and arguments, etc.....lol, not interested.
I think we can all agree, that none of us look for products that we need to debate with producer about quality, etc...as a driver, i'm actually not interested in manufacturing reason for something I should've received as a customer, as a driver i'm interested in miles, safety, efficiency, etc....not debating, jumping through hoops, etc about what should've been "fair trade". as a matter of fact I resent having to return products that are advertised as "effective"
Bottom line, my experience with rand mc nally, was reason to try another product...
I agree with previous poster, who had streets and trips, cuz when my rand couldn't find a location, etc, i'd call my co worker who had "streets and trips" and he'd always "save the day"...
ummmm, so if I buy a product that's being out performed by cell phones, software, etc....I think rand be better served "steppin' their game up"....than playing the marketing acrobatics game....this goes for all products...
nevertheless, I think all drivers, as usual, will agree, since no one product is perfect, we do wanna get the best we can get out of the combinations of products that we do use for navigation, etc