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Suunto anyone??

My mate switched from Garmin to Suunto, but their website isn't much better. He uses it in combination with the Strava paid version.

Looks like a huge gap in the market is opening up!

I'd happily wager that a non-trivial proportion of those vocal, aggrieved Garmin product users, who “just can't wait” to “jump ship” and buy wearable devices produced by whichever brand that is well-known and beloved for its online fitness tracking and analytics platform, would then be complaining on its user forums, “Garmin's device model‑[FONT=Book Antiqua]X[/FONT] had this or that feature five years ago, so why can't your device do it? It is sooo basic and obviously technically simple to implement! Waaah! You suck!”

While I can understand best-of-both-worlds is desirable to the user, it isn't strictly required in a single product (or brand) to claim a commercially viable market share, or lead the individual consumer to pull the trigger on discretionary spending.

Not so much...

I'd happily wager that a non-trivial proportion of those vocal, aggrieved Garmin product users, who “just can't wait” to “jump ship” and buy wearable devices produced by whichever brand that is well-known and beloved for its online fitness tracking and analytics platform, would then be complaining on its user forums, “Garmin's device model‑[FONT=Book Antiqua]X[/FONT] had this or that feature five years ago, so why can't your device do it? It is sooo basic and obviously technically simple to implement! Waaah! You suck!”

While I can understand best-of-both-worlds is desirable to the user, it isn't strictly required in a single product (or brand) to claim a commercially viable market share, or lead the individual consumer to pull the trigger on discretionary spending.

All joking aside, it's completely reasonable for us to voice our frustration when Garmin features that have been commonplace stop functioning on the web UI. If not here, then where? For a GPS and metrics based product, Search and Maps are not trivial. And yes, it's discretionary spending, but that doesn't negate the responsibility the manufacturer has to support their product.

I've spent months working with Garmin to try and resolve issues with their devices. Most recently it was HRM-Run metrics not recording correctly on my previous FR620. After a while it became apparent I was essentially BETA testing for them. When I reviewed the steps we had taken and pointed this out, they sent me a whole new device. I'll give them credit for that, but I honestly I just want my device and it's advertised features to work.

I'm sure other products have their problems. I'd be curious to see what Strava came up with (though, Garmin would probably cut off their sync), and I have no experience with Suunto products, but many reputable sources highly recommend them. But again, I'd just like my Garmin and its associated web UI to work. It's kinda jacked these days. I can't even access my Activities list anymore.

This is what I get anytime I choose an option that should take me to my Activities List. Note the URL:


Here's what I get if I try to click on the Search icon (magnifying glass) on the most recent Activity in my Dashboard. Again, the URL:


I'm just sayin'...

My mate switched from Garmin to Suunto, but their website isn't much better. He uses it in combination with the Strava paid version.

Thanks for the feedback!

it's completely reasonable for us to voice our frustration when Garmin features that have been commonplace stop functioning on the web UI. If not here, then where?

By all means, voice your grievances as if that is your prerogative. However, whether Garmin responds – or even takes any notice of your complaints here – is the company's prerogative; whether your fellow forum members express support, doubt or dissent – or even takes any notice of your complaints here – is theirs, irrespective of whether they're afflicted with the same defects in Garmin's products and/or services. Surely you'd agree that's reasonable, and respect others' prerogative even if it undermines your desired outcomes?

For a GPS and metrics based product, Search and Maps are not trivial.

I'd argue that keyword search is not core functionality with respect to the fitness wearable/tracking products for which you actually paid, if the keywords are not captured or entered by the devices.

And yes, it's discretionary spending, but that doesn't negate the responsibility the manufacturer has to support their product.

… I honestly I just want my device and it's advertised features to work.

Fair enough. I embrace the Australian Consumer Law's position on this: if a product fails to be fit for the purposes it was specified or advertised (by the manufacturer and/or retailer), to the extent that the failure or gap in functionality delivered amounts to a major problem – which, if you as the consumer had known at the time, you would not have proceeded with the purchase – then you can elect your preferred remedy between repair, replacement or refund. However, you cannot actually force the manufacturer or supplier to successfully repair the product to your satisfaction or keep trying until it does, so the maximum extent of the remedy is that you get a full refund of the purchase price (and compensation for any proven material damages arising from the use of the product); the financial loss is the retailer's or manufacturer's to bear, but the frustration and/or time ‘wasted’ is basically your personal risk for which nobody else can be held accountable.

I'd just like my Garmin and its associated web UI to work.

That's a bit more difficult to establish as a major problem in relation to your purchase, since you're provided with the ongoing use of the Garmin Connect service free of subscription charges, and keyword search is not advertised as a feature of the device for which you paid a purchase price (but I'd be happy to be proven wrong). Again, even if you get a full refund of the purchase price – making any other obligation on the part of Garmin null and void – you still won't get satisfaction, which is not an entitlement of the consumer in the market.

I'm sure other products have their problems.

Even if you get to undo a hundred unsatisfactory purchases, you still have no actual ‘right’ to get what you want or would like suppliers in the market to actually deliver.

gray playground

While I can understand best-of-both-worlds is desirable to the user, it isn't strictly required in a single product (or brand) to claim a commercially viable market share, or lead the individual consumer to pull the trigger on discretionary spending.

Of course I want best of both worlds! It's 2017 mate, not 1977 .... the service Garmin currently provides does suck as they don't listen to any recommendation, complaints or feedback. (or at least they don't respond to any).

I am happily to jump ship if the opportunity arrises, even if that means that I need to migrate 5 year of data......probably manually.

Of course I want best of both worlds! It's 2017 mate, not 1977

You're no more entitled to the best of both worlds by today's consumer laws and/or market environment than you would have been forty years ago.

mincio tarragona

sure thing, but if Garmin continues to provide a crappy service, I'll walk away at the next opportunity.

… at the next opportunity.

And the point I made earlier was that the next opportunity is just going to be another compromise from one's perspective as a consumer. Those opportunities already exist today, but I daresay neither ‘perfection’ nor the ‘best of both worlds’ – to the extent that you would be satisfied what you imagine 2017's technology promises to be capable of delivering – will be forthcoming as a product (or package) on the market.

I'm not at all trying to dissuade you from ‘jumping ship’, or ‘flirting’ with another manufacturer or ecosystem in the market. As a fellow consumer, I simply don't subscribe to any of many beliefs along the lines of how consumers have immense power now thanks to social media (including forums such as this one) that consumers with money forty years ago couldn't buy, or how consumers deserve to be able to have what they want (more than consumers of old deserved it), or how fine-grained control and customisation of the user experience is the implicit promise of technology (even though no manufacturer formally signed up to an agreement to deliver exactly that).

If a (Garmin or other) product is not fit for purpose and you paid the non-trivial asking price for it, then by all means return it and press for a full refund, and learn to live without the meagre functionality and value that it did manage to deliver (without fail) – until your ‘next opportunity’ for buying uncompromising satisfaction comes along.