Quick summary: any time my Live services subscription has lapsed, they do not work upon renewal. This has happened to me multiple times since April 2010, and TomTom's solution is always to update, update, update, then replace the device with either another non-functioning device or a brand new one that works for the first 3 months during the Live services free trial. Typically the error messages have been non-descriptive "Device unable to connect to Live server". After the most recent software update, the device now says "There is a problem with the SIM card, contact TomTom support." I have inquired about the SIM card in the past, but technicians either don't know what I'm talking about or tell me they don't have the authority to check its status. I have spoken to one manager who has been no more knowledgeable and has only served to reassure me the problem will be resolved. 4 months later, it remains. I don't know what to do anymore. I know I need to move up the chain of command, but I don't want to be told again to just send int he device and wait for a replacement, since after having the same issue with 4 devices, it is very unlikely a problem with the device. Who should I ask to speak with, and how do I get this problem resolved once and for all?
Full History: Bought my original XL 340S Live December 2009, wanting a device with traffic monitoring capability. Everything worked wonderfully until my 3 month subscription to Live services expired. I did not immediately reactivate the service until my next road trip, sometime around April 2010. I paid for a new monthly subscription and logged my device into the new account I created. Things looked fine until we hit the road, when we found we were simply getting server errors along the lines of "Live services are unavailable" or "Device unable to connect to TomTom server". This is when I first contacted TomTom support.
First I wanted a refund for the subscription I paid for, which they said they could not do...only grant me 1 month free for future use. I felt this was adequate. After spending time updating my devices software, maps, and doing soft and hard resets (at the request of TomTom support) I was sent a refurbished device. This new device gave me the same connectivity errors. Again, updated software, maps, and rebooted. Again, I was sent another refurbished device.
At this point I was frustrated and researched the issue myself online. I found some suggestions that said sometimes SIM cards are deactivated, and many technicians don't know how to check this or reactivate them, so otherwise working devices are replace ad nauseum even though they just need their SIM cards reactivated.
The next time I contacted customer support, I brought up the SIM card issue. The tech told me he would look into it, then later got back to me and said it was something he was unauthorized to deal with. At this point I requested to speak to a manager, which I had to set an appointment to do. The manager reassured me it was not an issue with the SIM card. I was assured my issue would get resolved, but their policy was to send one more used device before sending a brand new one. I must have sounded agitated enoough, as they sent me a brand new device. And guess what, with the 3 month free trial of Live services, the device was working fine. I decided to call the original 1 month I paid for a wash since I was getting 3 months free. This was early June 2010, 2 months after my initial issue.
My plan was this time to not wait until the free subscription expired to sign up and pay for Live services...but unfortunately, when time came, it slipped my mind. That bring me to this month. Early this month, with my device software seemingly up to date, I bought 1 month of Live services through TomTom Home. I was notified this would be valid for the device currently connected. I paid and went to try it out, and once again, Live services weren't working. I got the same old error messages as before, "Unable to connect to Live services." Once again I contacted customer support, and spend the better part of 2 hours with them. First we completely deleted the current software version on the device and updated. Tried the reboots. Come to find out, the services I paid for were for the last device I owned, since the current one was never synched to my account. I would have to create a new account and pay for service again and request a refund for the first payment I made.
So I went through the pain of creating a brand new account and paying for Live services again. Once again, they weren't working. I once again asked about the SIM card, and the tech said he was not sure what I was talking about, but would look into it. Of course he never got back to me.
Since I was about to make a big trip, I made one last attempt to update my device, and after this update, I got a brand new error message when attempting to connect to Live services. It reads, "There is a problem with the SIM card. Contact TomTom support." Apparently it forgot to add that TomTom support has no idea what the SIM card is nor do they have authorization to perform any action related to it.
I'm fed up and at my wits end at this point. I've wasted hours on the phone with tech support or give me the same crap about updating the device and doing a hard reboot. I've talked to a manager who promised the issue would be resolved yet here I am dealing with it again.
I know I need to go up the chain of command again, but it only got me so far last time. Who do I need to speak to? How do I respond if they want to keep replacing my faulty devices? There is no way, at this point, the problem is with the devices. If it is, I must have the worst luck on the planet as I've gone through 4 devices all with the same problem. I refuse to send this back unless they know with confidence it truely is the device and not the SIM card or other issue. Please, someone advise me on where to go next. I'm tired of wasting my time with TomTom's problem.
Full History: Bought my original XL 340S Live December 2009, wanting a device with traffic monitoring capability. Everything worked wonderfully until my 3 month subscription to Live services expired. I did not immediately reactivate the service until my next road trip, sometime around April 2010. I paid for a new monthly subscription and logged my device into the new account I created. Things looked fine until we hit the road, when we found we were simply getting server errors along the lines of "Live services are unavailable" or "Device unable to connect to TomTom server". This is when I first contacted TomTom support.
First I wanted a refund for the subscription I paid for, which they said they could not do...only grant me 1 month free for future use. I felt this was adequate. After spending time updating my devices software, maps, and doing soft and hard resets (at the request of TomTom support) I was sent a refurbished device. This new device gave me the same connectivity errors. Again, updated software, maps, and rebooted. Again, I was sent another refurbished device.
At this point I was frustrated and researched the issue myself online. I found some suggestions that said sometimes SIM cards are deactivated, and many technicians don't know how to check this or reactivate them, so otherwise working devices are replace ad nauseum even though they just need their SIM cards reactivated.
The next time I contacted customer support, I brought up the SIM card issue. The tech told me he would look into it, then later got back to me and said it was something he was unauthorized to deal with. At this point I requested to speak to a manager, which I had to set an appointment to do. The manager reassured me it was not an issue with the SIM card. I was assured my issue would get resolved, but their policy was to send one more used device before sending a brand new one. I must have sounded agitated enoough, as they sent me a brand new device. And guess what, with the 3 month free trial of Live services, the device was working fine. I decided to call the original 1 month I paid for a wash since I was getting 3 months free. This was early June 2010, 2 months after my initial issue.
My plan was this time to not wait until the free subscription expired to sign up and pay for Live services...but unfortunately, when time came, it slipped my mind. That bring me to this month. Early this month, with my device software seemingly up to date, I bought 1 month of Live services through TomTom Home. I was notified this would be valid for the device currently connected. I paid and went to try it out, and once again, Live services weren't working. I got the same old error messages as before, "Unable to connect to Live services." Once again I contacted customer support, and spend the better part of 2 hours with them. First we completely deleted the current software version on the device and updated. Tried the reboots. Come to find out, the services I paid for were for the last device I owned, since the current one was never synched to my account. I would have to create a new account and pay for service again and request a refund for the first payment I made.
So I went through the pain of creating a brand new account and paying for Live services again. Once again, they weren't working. I once again asked about the SIM card, and the tech said he was not sure what I was talking about, but would look into it. Of course he never got back to me.
Since I was about to make a big trip, I made one last attempt to update my device, and after this update, I got a brand new error message when attempting to connect to Live services. It reads, "There is a problem with the SIM card. Contact TomTom support." Apparently it forgot to add that TomTom support has no idea what the SIM card is nor do they have authorization to perform any action related to it.
I'm fed up and at my wits end at this point. I've wasted hours on the phone with tech support or give me the same crap about updating the device and doing a hard reboot. I've talked to a manager who promised the issue would be resolved yet here I am dealing with it again.
I know I need to go up the chain of command again, but it only got me so far last time. Who do I need to speak to? How do I respond if they want to keep replacing my faulty devices? There is no way, at this point, the problem is with the devices. If it is, I must have the worst luck on the planet as I've gone through 4 devices all with the same problem. I refuse to send this back unless they know with confidence it truely is the device and not the SIM card or other issue. Please, someone advise me on where to go next. I'm tired of wasting my time with TomTom's problem.
