Sat Nav

[fonecrusher1]

Thinking of getting sat nav. Found this but it looks too good to be true.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/4-3-GPS-4GB-Sat-N...item2ea9051532

The Garmin equivalent would cost over £200.
What do you think lads?

[slobodan]

Personally I think you should buy one...

Then report back how it performs. You would be carrying out a public service.

[colour10]

No, Don't buy it yet...

I am and always have been a real gadget enthusiast. I ensure that I stay current with all the latest technology and research the subject constantly. I have a bewildering collection of gadgets.

I have to be honest and say that Ebay is a great place to buy tech however, some sellers are very good at marketing items that will never meet your meet expectations. I have bought a few things from China for example and they simply don't work as well as you would like them to. They have loads of features but none work that well. “Jack of all, master of none”

You also need to consider if the item your going to buy is future proof. I have found that to ensure you get your monies worth, you will need to find a bit more cash and invest in a brand name. For sat navs, it has to be either TomTom or Garmin. The online support and software up-dates are always there and easy to download for both of these.

You will also need to consider compatibility between your devises.

My top tip: if the gadget your looking at has loads of extras like FM transmitter, bluetooth etc it normally means that none of these features will work too well. Will the bluetooth actually connect to your phone? I doubt it. You need to buy a satnav that is good at being a satnav. A good example of these badly made all in gadgets can be found on PriceDrop for example.

Im really into Apple products and there is a web site that tells you when is the best time to buy the latest or up-dated product. How many times have you bought a gadget that is superseded three weeks later for example?

All I would say is don't be fooled by the seemingly reasonable price. It might work well when you get it but it wont work well for very long. Hope this helps.

Bud

[fonecrusher1]

No, Don't buy it yet...

I am and always have been a real gadget enthusiast. I ensure that I stay current with all the latest technology and research the subject constantly. I have a bewildering collection of gadgets.

I have to be honest and say that Ebay is a great place to buy tech however, some sellers are very good at marketing items that will never meet your meet expectations. I have bought a few things from China for example and they simply don't work as well as you would like them to. They have loads of features but none work that well. “Jack of all, master of none”

You also need to consider if the item your going to buy is future proof. I have found that to ensure you get your monies worth, you will need to find a bit more cash and invest in a brand name. For sat navs, it has to be either TomTom or Garmin. The online support and software up-dates are always there and easy to download for both of these.

You will also need to consider compatibility between your devises.

My top tip: if the gadget your looking at has loads of extras like FM transmitter, bluetooth etc it normally means that none of these features will work too well. Will the bluetooth actually connect to your phone? I doubt it. You need to buy a satnav that is good at being a satnav. A good example of these badly made all in gadgets can be found on PriceDrop for example.

Im really into Apple products and there is a web site that tells you when is the best time to buy the latest or up-dated product. How many times have you bought a gadget that is superseded three weeks later for example?

All I would say is don't be fooled by the seemingly reasonable price. It might work well when you get it but it wont work well for very long. Hope this helps.

Bud

Thanks for the advice mate.
I think your spot on here, I bought an all-in-one (& i mean it had dozens of features) dvd car stereo through ebay from china a few yrs ago & was a bit dissappointed with the product. It was a clumsy thing to use, seemed to be made from the cheapset plastic & had no instructions. Also worryingly it used to get very hot when watching dvds!!!
Never again.

By the way I just took a look at some of the negative feedback on the sat nav & it looks a bit dodgy!
Take a look for yourselves.

[Brummie]

By the way I just took a look at some of the negative feedback on the sat nav & it looks a bit dodgy!
Take a look for yourselves.[/QUOTE]

That doesn't supprise me, if it looks too good to be true it invariably is.

Brummie

[fonecrusher1]

Take a look at this, Google Map Navigation. Looks like Garmin, tomtom etc are in big trouble.
http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/#p=default

The future of Sat Nav?

[mark 1]

Be carefull, having bought from china myself, you have to be aware that you will be charged vat from the courier as i was on top of the purchase price and if you have to return anything to china it cost's a fortune.....

[Vultch]

Take a look at this, Google Map Navigation. Looks like Garmin, tomtom etc are in big trouble.
http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/#p=default

The future of Sat Nav?

I watched a review of it on the New york Times... the guys name is Pogue and he's good.

Anyhow its a good Satnav but rubbish everything else, organizer phone all very basic

[T1z3R]

personally id avoid that cheap rubbish from ebay.
ive worked for a satnav company for the last 6 years (in support primarily) and i would always recommend TomTom units.
you can pick up refurbished (no difference between refurb and new) on our website, www.totalpda.co.uk, starting at £44.99 ex VAT.

they are simple to use, no stupid unnecessary features and theres always software and map updates available (new maps do cost though).

youll also find some of our resellers on ebay offering the same units for similar prices.

sorry if this comes across as a sales pitch as its not intended that way. ive just seen so many people buy cheap devices that end up letting folks down. TomTom arent faultless but they do have the best overall devices in my opinion.

[Smego2]

I have a cheap (£49) one I got to use when the pocket pc is on Memory map but it is shite, hard to use and gets the destination and some roads wrong!

[galooph]

ive worked for a satnav company for the last 6 years (in support primarily) and i would always recommend TomTom units.
you can pick up refurbished (no difference between refurb and new) on our website, www.totalpda.co.uk, starting at £44.99 ex VAT.

Small world! I got my refurb TomTom from there a couple of years ago

[T1z3R]

Small world! I got my refurb TomTom from there a couple of years ago

i hope the smilie is an indication that you were happy with it

[galooph]

i hope the smilie is an indication that you were happy with it

Certainly am! Saved money over buying new and it's giving sterling service

[fonecrusher1]

personally id avoid that cheap rubbish from ebay.
ive worked for a satnav company for the last 6 years (in support primarily) and i would always recommend TomTom units.
you can pick up refurbished (no difference between refurb and new) on our website, www.totalpda.co.uk, starting at £44.99 ex VAT.

they are simple to use, no stupid unnecessary features and theres always software and map updates available (new maps do cost though).

youll also find some of our resellers on ebay offering the same units for similar prices.

sorry if this comes across as a sales pitch as its not intended that way. ive just seen so many people buy cheap devices that end up letting folks down. TomTom arent faultless but they do have the best overall devices in my opinion.

Thanks for the info & the link. Can you define what 'refurbished' means exactly?

[T1z3R]

sure mate.
in general terms refurb means stock thats been sold to a supplier then maybe sold to a customer but returned for a number of reasons. usually this can be a change of heart or minor fault but its usually big customers like supermarkets etc that overbuy.

in our case when it comes to TomToms its stock thats end of line. TomTom rebox it and sell it as refurb. none of the refurb stock we buy from them has ever been sold before...just sat in the back of their warehouse gathering dust. they all come with full warranty for 12 months just like a new one does. if, heaven forbid, you should have a fault occur within thirty days we'll swap it out or offer a full refund. if a fault occurs after thirty days TomTom will collect it from you and repair or replace it.

hope that helps.