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Angry as hell - My Garmin Nuvi has banner ads.

amdhunter

Lifer
I've had the device for about a month now, and never had to use it until today. I needed to find some place in Brooklyn and turned on the Garmin device.

I figured I'd give the integrated traffic option a shot and the device started to connect, then I decided to type in an address and was greeted with this fucking screen:

http://amdhunter.net/garmin.jpg

Really? A banner ad when I am using my device? Are the makers of Garmin on fucking crack or something? When the hell are lines going to be drawn? Now I have to see these advertisements when I drive? And the advertisements came up when I was close to a Best Western -- targeted advertising based on location?

I am planning to make a HUGE fucking stink about this. Going through the device options, there is a new icon called "OFFERS" which led me to more advertisements and coupons, with NO way to turn them off. Clicking on one of the offers actually rebooted the device.

Good job Garmin. You have made it so I'll never buy one of your fucking devices again.
 
They have to pay for the traffic information. There is no other way to make money after you buy the device. If you use the basic navigation features, there are no ads.

I don't see the issue here.
 
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.
 
Originally posted by: dainthomas
They have to pay for the traffic information. There is no other way to make money after you buy the device. If you use the basic navigation features, there are no ads.

I don't see the issue here.

And they make you pay for the traffic information.
 
Originally posted by: dainthomas
They have to pay for the traffic information. There is no other way to make money after you buy the device. If you use the basic navigation features, there are no ads.

I don't see the issue here.

This is NOT mentioned anywhere prior to purchasing the device, and there is no mention of "offers" ANYWHERE in the manual.

If I had known there'd be advertisements, I would have paid more for a better navigation WITHOUT the traffic feature.

They need to advertise this, or make consumers aware of this "feature."
 
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

Personally : I would accept a cheap + some ads if there was an expensive + no ads (perhaps a few bonus features). I like options, ads aren't the end of the world.

The integrated traffic is ad supported but regular GPS isn't right?
 
Originally posted by: MotF Bane
Originally posted by: dainthomas
They have to pay for the traffic information. There is no other way to make money after you buy the device. If you use the basic navigation features, there are no ads.

I don't see the issue here.

And they make you pay for the traffic information.

Go ahead and get another device that has traffic info with no ads. Problem solved. I guarantee you'll pay more though.

You can complain, but they're betting more people would prefer a cheaper service.
 
I think you have the option of subscribing to a paid traffic service and that will eliminate the ads. And if you turn the traffic info option off, doesn't that eliminate the ads?

You can have either free traffic info with ads, or paid traffic info with no ads.
 
I have a Pioneer Avic Z2 and it has an add-on that you can get for XM traffic. So far as I know there are no ads in it, but this is a higher end, in-dash unit.
 
Is traffic free? If so, I wouldn't complain to much. Most GPS companies make you pay for the traffic. You're really paying for the cellular communication device and the traffic data collection systems.
 
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

newspaper I get is free every morning (dc), I use over the air free digital TV, and my magizines are also free(business).
 
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

newspaper I get is free every morning (dc), I use over the air free digital TV, and my magizines are also free(business).

:cookie:
 
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

newspaper I get is free every morning (dc), I use over the air free digital TV, and my magizines are also free(business).

so I guess he's correct to assume you've never purchased one of the above?
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

you're god damn right.

have you ever had read a newspaper article that was interrupted by a half-page used car ad?

no, those ads are in a completely separate area of the newspaper. what a horrible analogy. newspaper ads are totally different. when you want ads, that's where you go. if ribs are $4/lb, or ribeyes $6/lb at publix, then it'll be in the paper, but it is my choice to look at those ads because i have to seek them out.

when i am using an information device such as a phone or GPS i do not want ads getting in the way of the information i am seeking. what an insult to the user.
 
Originally posted by: alyarb
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

you're god damn right.

have you ever had read a newspaper article that was interrupted by a half-page used car ad?

no, those ads are in a completely separate area of the newspaper. what a horrible analogy. newspaper ads are totally different. when you want ads, that's where you go. if ribs are $4/lb, or ribeyes $6/lb at publix, then it'll be in the paper, but it is my choice to look at those ads because i have to seek them out.

when i am using an information device such as a phone or GPS i do not want ads getting in the way of the information i am seeking. what an insult to the user.

I wasn't making an analogy, I was listing other services (which most people use) that cost money and have ads. I was making the point that it's stupid and arbitrary to say that paying for something is ok, and ads are ok, but not both (see oogabooga's post for more info on that).

Fortunately most people don't share your crazy ideas, so the rest of us are still able to use paid services that are partially subsidized by ads.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: alyarb
wrong. i will never use a service that costs money and supports ads. it's got to be one or the other. free + ads, or pay+no ads.

I assume you have never purchased a newspaper, magazine, or subscribed to cable or satellite TV service.

newspaper I get is free every morning (dc), I use over the air free digital TV, and my magizines are also free(business).

:cookie:

Actually i have a woman at another Dept that makes me cookies and pound cake every now and then.


😛
 
Originally posted by: amdhunter
I've had the device for about a month now, and never had to use it until today. I needed to find some place in Brooklyn and turned on the Garmin device.

I figured I'd give the integrated traffic option a shot and the device started to connect, then I decided to type in an address and was greeted with this fucking screen:

http://amdhunter.net/garmin.jpg

Really? A banner ad when I am using my device? Are the makers of Garmin on fucking crack or something? When the hell are lines going to be drawn? Now I have to see these advertisements when I drive? And the advertisements came up when I was close to a Best Western -- targeted advertising based on location?

I am planning to make a HUGE fucking stink about this. Going through the device options, there is a new icon called "OFFERS" which led me to more advertisements and coupons, with NO way to turn them off. Clicking on one of the offers actually rebooted the device.

Good job Garmin. You have made it so I'll never buy one of your fucking devices again.

That is how they pay for the free traffic option. If you actually researched what you were buying you would have known that. You also would have known that those banners only appear when the unit is not moving. Start moving and they will disappear. I have a NUVI 755 that does the same thing. Took it on a 5k mile trip this summer and didn't find the banners bothersome in any way. Your rant is weak. Yous didn't do your homework be fore you bought and now you are stomping your feet and whining over nothing.
 
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