ComplaintsforGarmin International Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Sept 3rd 2022, I purchased a Garmin Instinct Solar. I wore it and it performed under conditions the product advertised for about half a year before I encountered loss of power therefore the product was not usable. I contacted Garmin in July of 2023, within the warranty period and was offered a replacement with the same model. Unfortunately it was known to consumers at this point that this product was riddled with defects and I did not receive an appropriate resolution. An appropriate resolution would be exchanging the defective product with the successor comparable product.

  Business response

  09/03/2024

  Garmin has reached out to this customer directly and resolved this matter to the customer's satisfaction. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  08/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 01/24/24 I contacted Garmin Support team via phone for a warranty on a dog collar. The representative stated the collar is out of the warranty. He offered a replacement collar where I would ship my collar back and I would get another one right way. Also my collar that I would send back will be repaired and it will be shipped back to me. At the end I would end up with two collars. Mine repaired and the one that Garmin sends right away. I sent my collar to Garmin. They sent another one right away. The issue that I have with Garmin they failed to repair mine and sent it back like it was promised on the phone conversation. I called Garmin recently and they have changed the story. They are saying now that their policy is only to get one back not to also have the damaged one repaired and sent it back to the customer. Initially Garmin representative stated they would find the phone call as they are recorded and would honor what was promised on that call. Now they are saying they cannot find the recording. Order ************ Date 1/24/24

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  Thank you for reaching out about this.  Garmin does not offer “2-for-1” deals in the manner that this customer has described, so unfortunately, it appears that this customer may have misunderstood his initial conversation with our Product Support team from back in January of 2024.  Prior to the customer’s submission of this BBB report, Garmin offered the customer a goodwill 50% discount on a PT 10 collar.  That offer still stands, and this customer can contact Garmin’s Product Support team at any time to accept that offer.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  08/19/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because Garmin failed to fulfill the order that was promised on the phone call. All I am asking is what was promised during my conversation via the phone. I wish Garmin does find the recording of that phone call.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Business response

  08/21/2024

  Garmin has nothing to add to its prior response.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Company has stopped providing traffic service as of last month (they request I purchase a new one but mine is in excellent condition). See the box image below "FREE LIFETIME MAPS & TRAFFIC" The box cover also says "Ohio st" (my state that they say is no longer covered). I would like a replacement that covers traffic per the boxtop label. Thanks for your assistance, ***

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Thank you. Garmin will be reaching out to this customer directly to try and resolve this.

  Customer response

  06/14/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me; they are sending an updated unit.
  
  Sincerely,

  Thanks so much!
  
  *** *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Livescope has a mind of it's own since the update a couple months ago. It randomly lags, won't shut off, shows Saturn rings and will at no time calibrate, just sits on zero. Most problems can be fixed by restarting it up to six times in a row except calibration, it will not calibrate. Garmin replaced the GLS10 and it didn't fix the problem and now it just seems like they are done with me, takes a week just to get a response. I would like this issue resolved, have been having problems for over two months and dealing with customer service over 40 days now. ***** ***** ****** I've seen where other users with the same problem has their issue fixed with a new transducer because their internal compass was bad but Garmin says it's not my transducer, if that's the case then what is the problem and how many more months do I have to wait for a fix? For what you charge for your stuff id think customer service shouldn't take months for a fix. I just want what I payed for to work properly without all this hassle getting it fixed.

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Thank you.  Garmin has contacted this customer directly.  Once the customer reaches back out, Garmin will work with the customer to try and resolve this.

  Customer response

  06/13/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 2******** and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  Garmin has contacted me and arranged a replacement for the faulty part, I'm fully 100% satisfied with the outcome and are happy to have this issue resolved.

  
  ********** ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  05/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Garmin was having a sale on their website and I bought a GPS watch at a substantial discount. A day later, they unilaterally cancelled the order, first saying "we have canceled your order due to information that could not be verified as entered" and then later admitting they'd mispriced it and the actual price was hundreds of dollars higher. I called customer support but they refused to reinstate the order or provide any compensation for an error that was entirely on their side. The rep said their terms & conditions allow them to do this, but it's still a deceptive practice. It makes me wonder if this sale was even legitimate or if they were just trying to drive hype and traffic to their website. Since the mistake was entirely on their side, they should do the right thing and honor the price in the transaction, or at least provide some additional compensation.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  Thank you for reaching out about this.  As alluded to by the customer, there was a pricing error on Garmin’s website for certain products for a short period of time that was corrected once noticed.  Some customers were able to place orders for those incorrect prices, but Garmin cancelled those orders and ensured that no customers were charged for attempted purchases that Garmin cancelled.  As has been explained to this customer, section 3.4 of Garmin’s Shop Terms and Conditions (which a customer agrees to when they place an order on Garmin’s website) allows Garmin to cancel orders in these types of situations, and Garmin chose to do so here.  Therefore, Garmin will not be reinstating this customer’s order.  Thank you.

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Garmin has nothing further to add.  For the reasons previously stated, Garmin will not be reinstating this customer’s order. Thank you.

  Customer response

  06/03/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: explanation was unsatisfactory and no action was taken by Garmin.
  
  Sincerely,
  ********* ***

• Initial Complaint

  04/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Garmin Epix Gen 2 on April 8th. Having owned Garmin watches before I am familiar with the product and its operation. To ensure I was up to date, I had purchased a Garmin 245 Music used to get reacquainted and to ensure all features I require still work eg. Audible Alerts. Audible Alerts generated by the watch and sent to the phone. All of Garmin documentation lists those watches that support two key features; Audible Alerts and Interval Training. Both the Forerunner 245, Fenix, Epix, and others support both features. However as noted on the Garmin Forums, current open cases, the feature in support of Audible Alerts for Workouts e.g Intervals will NOT send said alerts to the phone. Garmin Product support has confirmed this issue also exists with the Fenix which shares the same hardware and software. My complaint is that Garmin "markets" and "sells' the watches supporting features that do not work. And, Garmin refuses to formally acknowledge the issue with a customer notification nor provide customers with a target resolution date. As a result, I am returning my purchase. BBB and the Government should prohibit all GARMIN sales of the affected watches (interstate commerce) until Garmin can produce a software fix.

  Business response

  04/26/2024

  Thank you for reaching out about this. 
  
  While we understand the customer’s frustration, Garmin did converse with the customer and after investigating his report, confirmed that the product is working as-designed. 
  
  That being said, Garmin has considered the customer’s request for such a feature and similar requests from others and has developed a software update for the subject watch line and others to make such a feature available.  That software update has not yet been released but should be released soon.
  
  Per a review of our materials, Garmin has not made the representations about the availability of such a feature that the customer claims that it has made.
  
  Based on our records, this customer appears to have purchased the subject watch from a non-Garmin retailer, and therefore, he intended to seek a refund from that retailer.  It appears that the customer likely has already sought that refund (and presumably is in the process of receiving it), because the customer has deleted the subject watch from his Garmin account.
  
  Thank you.

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  Garmin has nothing to add to its prior response. Thank you.

  Customer response

  05/02/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Garmin's initial response is not factual and in point of fact should be considered "False Advertisement. I have added additional information from both the Garmin Forum and Garmin's website one can use to compare models. Additionally and per Garmin's own product specialists/response, if the watch is working correctly (per initial response) then why is there a need for a software update? If the Watch is working correctly (per initial response) then why is there a support case open for said feature Garmin insists works properly as documented on their website?  I do not care about a refund. I care about other consumers and that Garmin is allowed to market and sell a watch with a documented feature that does NOT work. Accordingly the BBB and the ******* ***** ********** should legally force GARMIN to remove such product claims from their web site and notify owners of the defect and offer alternative watches and or their money back. Auto makers for example have 'recalls' all the time to protect the consumer and themselves.  Garmin just announced record earnings - earnings at the expense of buyers looking for features that do NOT exist. All I want is a watch that does what Garmin "claims" it will do; support interval training (laps) and provide an audio alert of either the proceeding or preceding lap - that's it. The Forerunner series supports this without issue (see product comparison) as of this writing and per Garmin Product specialists, the case, and the forum neither the Fenix or Epix do - yet are sold as such.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have not had a Garmin watch in over 6 years and I still get JUNK UNSOLICITED EMAILS without an Unsubscribe button ... this should be illegal in this day and age.

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out about this.  Garmin has reviewed its records and can confirm that this individual is not subscribed to any Garmin marketing emails at this time and that Garmin does not send him any marketing emails. 
  
  Garmin’s records do show that this customer has a Garmin Connect account with one device associated to that account. 
  
  The email in the screenshot that the customer provided is not considered a marketing email; it is a software update email.  Software update emails are intended to provide customers with important information related to the devices that are actively associated with a customer’s account, and therefore, there is no requirement to include an “unsubscribe” button on those emails.
  
  Even though the customer is not actively syncing his watch with Garmin Connect, Garmin’s records show that the customer’s watch is actively associated with his Garmin Connect account, which is why he received this email.
  
  As mentioned, there is no unsubscribe link for software update emails, but Garmin does have a process on Garmin’s end that can block this customer from receiving future, similar emails.  If the customer wishes us to complete this process as to his email address, we can do so; we just need his permission here.
  
  However, please note that blocking this customer from receiving future software update emails will not stop the customer from receiving other types of non-marketing emails from Garmin, including but not limited to legally-required notifications about changes/updates to policies or terms.  If the customer wishes to stop receiving all emails from Garmin, the only way to achieve that is for him to delete his account.  The instructions for doing so can be found here: *******************************************************
  
  Thank you.

  Customer response

  04/08/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The email from GARMIN is UN-SOLICITED therefore it is junk spam mail and i do NOT have any Garmin products for 5 years now, i switched to COROS 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** **********

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Recently the watch that I have been wearing and trusting the information from for 4 years stopped producing consistent results and dropped the number of calories burned it was counting by something like 30% overnight. After weeks of tried troubleshooting I can't get any answers as to why this might be, they say they're correct but can't say why it changed. Nothing about my activity level height weight gender Etc has changed certainly not overnight so either it's been overestimating data that I've been relying upon for the past 4 years or it's wrong now but I've hit a dead end and can't get any answers from Garmin

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  We are in contact with this customer and will work with the customer directly to try and resolve this. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello, I've had a Garmin Instinct Solar 2X watch for less than a year. It had always given me about 28 days battery life after a full charge. Garmin released a software update within the last 2 months or so of v14.12. This update significantly reduced the battery life down to 19 days or less. I had a previous Garmin device last year that after an update the same thing occurred, and I never contacted them. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake I just contacted their chat support today 18MAR2024 and ******** was unable to even come close to assisting. It took so much energy just for her to understand the issue and she couldn't grasp it in the end. I've already gone through their trouble shooting steps of resetting it and adjusting the settings. Nothing helped restore the battery life with the same settings I always had. I truly love the usefulness of their devices, but this is a $450 watch and I bought it for its increased battery life. Please help. Thank you.

  Business response

  03/25/2024

  We have reached out to this customer directly. Once they respond, we will work with them directly to resolve this matter. Thank you.

  Customer response

  04/01/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I've been out of the country and will return the phone call. The message left stated the garmin representative switched to the old firmware. This does not revert to the older firmware of all the modules of the watch that may have been updated as well. This would invalidate his results. My original instinct solar tactical would give me 18 days of battery life with pulse ox and heart monitor on. The 2x should give me the 28 days of battery life as it used to.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Business response

  04/02/2024

  Garmin will continue to work with this individual to try and reach a resolution upon his return to the country and his returning of ******** phone call. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I visited this company's online store to download international maps for a product I own. I paid 105.99 for the map download and the website sent a confirmation email but never sent instructions or a link to download the maps. In other words, I performed and paid for the product and Garmin did not give it to me. I need the item by tomorrow so I attempted to call support. It is very difficult to find their number/email/chat or any other information. The customer support is not open until Monday, when I will likely not need the download anymore. I tried to start a return order but the website will not let me refund because it's not refundable. I feel Garmin has been unjustly enriched and I want my money back immediately. I have no patience for a company that is this large with an ordering system that works so poorly.

  Customer response

  01/29/2024

  Garmin was able to resolve the issue I had just before the purpose of the sale became frustrated.  Thus, I retract all complaints.

   

  Thank You,

   

  **

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩