New 2024 inReach Consumer Subscription Plan Changes question

Hey Garmin-Leslie,

one question for clarification: if I switch from a Mini 2 with Safety plan to a new Standard plan, I am not able send photos/voice messages via the Messenger app, because this is only possible with the new Messenger Plus due to hardware changes? I have not read this, maybe I have overlooked it? Otherwise there should be more clarification about that!

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  • Indeed, you cannot suspend anymore. So if you use your inReach for a couple of non-consecutive months per year, the new model is much more expensive.

    You either need to switch to Enabled state for the months you're not using it (which costs USD 7.99 per month, not sure what UK pricing is) or cancel your subscription and sign up again and pay the activation fee.

  • I think the UK pricing is £7.99 too cause loads of places do that instead of actually converting the price. I'm so cheesed off about all this. Just about to go hiking so this is a very unhappy surprise. Thankfully my old plan is still avaliable for now but obviously that'll all change. I just want to make sure Garmin know this isn't cool and a obvious money grab.

  • One thing I don't see answered in the FAQs is what happens if a current freedom plan is suspended on their next annual renewal date. Will it get converted to the "enabled" plan, or will it be canceled and require a new activation fee to resume service after that?

  • Didn’t see that answered in the FAQ either so I asked Garmin Support about it, and their answer was that you would be migrated to the Enabled state.

    In another topic I opened about this question, Garmin-Chris replied that he has asked for verification on this and, if correct, to have it added to the FAQ. See forums.garmin.com/.../migration-of-suspended-freedom-plan-to-new-plans

  • Increases becoming very expensive here also with the multiplier effect of conversion to $AU.

    And on a device that after two years still has unresolved bugs preventing internal high detail activity tracking.

  • Maybe with the extra money Garmin is going to get they can hire some engineers to fix the bugs in their products, it’s been months since the last 67 update. I think they’ve given up on it. Very disappointing..

  • You would pay an activation fee when first choosing a plan. The Enabled status is not a plan that can be selected for activation. If, after activation, you try to cancel or change your plan, you will be offered the opportunity to switch to Enabled status. There will not be an additional activation fee charged for this (or for any other plan changes). The only time you would pay another activation fee would be if you canceled your plan and then activated again later. 

  • So if I understand you , I might use my in reach Mini 2 like this:

    activate (and pay the fee), and use it with the new Essential plan at $14.99/month. Then, during the months I’m not out and about, switch to “Enabled” mode and continue to pay $7.99/mo. Then, when I am ready to start getting out into the wilderness again, I’d simply, what, switch back to Essential…and just go back to paying $14.99/mo … but NOT pay a new activation fee. Is that right?

  • Another question / point. If a device is not yet activated, an owner cannot select “Enabled” as a plan to activate the device. However, once activated, “Enabled” is, in fact, one of four “plans” one can switch between at will? I.e. the subscription plan website does not list “Enabled” as a “plan” and yet in other places (e.g. the image here, from the iOS Messenger app, in the screens about plan changes) “Enabled” does appear as one of four separate plans a user can choose between — despite the word “plan” not being included in the header of the “Enabled” section