To whom it may concern

Former Member over 7 years ago

I've been trying for weeks to reach someone (I even asked the moderators of these boards) that could step in and solve my problem but to no avail.

My story so far with Garmin has been clustered with hardware failures: 3 broken FR910XT (barometer) and the 4th sold for scrap value, 1 broken GPS F3 (Tech Support asked for the replacement watch back claiming this GPS was broken too and I turned down the offer because it wasn't broken, it was a POOR GPS, not a broken one) and now 2 broken barometers for the F5X.

Upon sending back the second brand new F5X to tech support, I was told all tests were performed and no issues were found.
The cause of the failure was identified in a non-official map. No mention of the USB problems.

https://imgur.com/iSbFm2a

Even if that map was the cause, which is not, I had performed two master resets before sending the watch to the Tech Support: it wasn't loaded and couldn't be the cause of the barometer freezing in place.

https://imgur.com/OQaVLKu

I challenged this conclusion immediately and the UK Tech Support confirmed the obvious.

https://imgur.com/wGpZw5X

The italian Tech support gave me back the very same watch which, of course, still had a broken barometer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c91GbU-hnwY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1XlKUJV2oA

... not to mention USB connection problems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu5-WAGS_Fc
https://imgur.com/X6CZwg4

Since it was their choice not to replace it, this counts as the third F5X.
We need an accountant to keep track of how many defective devices were replaced with more defective devices throughout these 5 years more or less.

It is important to mention the first production batch of F5X had faulty USB connector pins.
Garmin is aware of the problem having replaced them with new "golden" and longer connector pins that solved the issue, as anyone can verify by looking at the "USB Cable" thread (no use in scrubbing, it's all saved).

It is significant to point out I've had USB problems with both watches from the start, I notified the Tech Support both times but they didn't give me a replacement with the new connectors (twice).
Tech Support, however, did give me a spare USB cable the first time (it was my request: I'd do anything NOT to send back a watch because I need it) and it didn't solve the problem (3 cables, 2 watches, same problem).

In these 2 months, Garmin has stonewalled my requests for compensation while I escalated the matter to a higher level.
I was proposed on the phone 3 HRM (which I all already have) and 2 discount coupons but I turned down this offer, which wasn't made in writing, because the requisite involves me handing them the broken watch first.

The broken watch stays here until I am given compensation for the troubles I've had to go through.

What we have here is a mix of incompetence and dishonesty.
When Garmin produces a new batch of connector pins and refuses to swap a faulty watch with a working one, it's violating the warranty replacement policy and when their technicians say a barometer fails because of a non-official map installed, they are lying to the wrong person.

All I am saying has been documented and given both to the italian officials and to the escalation officials in UK.
(there's a lot more I am not posting to keep things to a minimum)

A few notes:

In regards with the first F5X replacement, when I point out I have USB problems and Garmin sends me a watch with the old connector pins, it is violating the warranty replacement policy because the unit is defective before it's even taken out of the box. When I point out I still have a faulty USB connection and Garmin sends me back the same watch with faulty connectors, as well as the same broken barometer, I can't but think this is done on purpose and I am holding Garmin accountable.

My lawsuit has been filed and soon your Legal Affairs in Milan will be notified.
I hope Garmin will entrust this case to someone who knows better than saying "what does he need a barometer for, anyway?", but to me it's already a bad choice: this is not a matter that Legal Affairs should handle because they don't understand the message:

1) Garmin puts the blame on users for auto-evident hardware faults.
2) Garmin lies to the users and dares lying even to its own beta testers (good people who report bugs and struggle to reproduce them to help Garmin improve FOR FREE).
3) Garmin has produced defective units, is aware of the problem but still swaps defective units with defective units (Garmin runs the risk of facing what Apple is facing in France).
4) Garmin is a corporation and its stock value will be affected by the negative publicity of this case.

I am publishing this post as a last resort in hopes someone is smart enough to hand it to a person who understands what's happened is wrong, what's gonna happen is worse still and if one such person exists at Garmin, he/she may step in to solve this situation before it becomes unstoppable.
(let this person know the only way to get the broken watch back without compensation first is from the hands of a judge: this is not a tech support case and the lawsuit has already been filed)

Message to Moderators: If this post becomes private or somehow "disappears" it means my message has been received. I couldn't ask for any better.

0 Dexter101010 over 7 years ago

My advice is to post everywhere where you have access.Here maybe someone will see, or maybe not.I wish for you to win this trial with Garmin.And after all of this, peoples will open their eyes and not paying for devices which are not doing what Garmin advertising.At least not doing well, most of the time!

0 ignacioeml over 7 years ago

Hi, there are more problems. For example sensor HR cracks (probably all F5X units affected).
Also for example (in my location) tides app from Garmin shows incorrect data and they don't solve it.
Regards

0 TrippyZ over 7 years ago

Do tell me, why are you a Garmin customer?

0 loaruns over 7 years ago

Strange that you don't learn from your own experience, 1500 posts of mostly complaints.

0 nmyeti over 7 years ago

The best way to make sure a resolution takes forever is to tie the result to a lawsuit.

Your experience with your Fenix does not match my own. I've even had problems with my first 5x (sensor cracks), but tech support was extremely helpful, professional, and quick to ship a replacement watch (before i'd even shipped mine back because they were kind enough to not want to interrupt my training).

On the whole I feel really good about Garmin as a company. 3 of my friends also have the 5x and one of those guys bought a 5s for his wife. All are happy Garmin customers. In fact I'd say they are probably far happier than I am. I'm convinced that spending time on these forums tends to make you paranoid about every little thing with the watch.

0 gaijin over 7 years ago

My story so far with Garmin has been clustered with hardware failures: 3 broken FR910XT (barometer) and the 4th sold for scrap value, 1 broken GPS F3 (Tech Support asked for the replacement watch back claiming this GPS was broken too and I turned down the offer because it wasn't broken, it was a POOR GPS, not a broken one) and now 2 broken barometers for the F5X.

Upon sending back the second brand new F5X to tech support, I was told all tests were performed and no issues were found.

You've been complaining about your Garmin watches for years - and yet, you still buy more. Your videos make you sound happy, even gleeful, when you think you are demonstrating a watch "failure." Now, it's a lawsuit.

Have you considered, perhaps, purchasing a different brand?

HTH

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

The best way to make sure a resolution takes forever is to tie the result to a lawsuit.

There appears to be no other alternative.
Company policy being to swap one unit with another hoping nobody ever holds them accountable. I didn't hold Garmin accountable many times but this time they crossed the line.

On my part, I am still trying to solve this in a friendly manner and that's the reason for this post.

I am hoping someone will understand that with this kind of behavior, Garmin's standard company policy cannot apply.

I didn't complain when the first watch showed USB problems and only returned it when its baro failed.
I didn't complain when the new replacement also had USB connection problems and I only returned it when its baro also failed but if you send me the same watch with the same USB problems and the same broken barometer back, I won't complain, I will sue you if you don't compensate me (and I did).

Your experience with your Fenix does not match my own. I've even had problems with my first 5x (sensor cracks), but tech support was extremely helpful, professional, and quick to ship a replacement watch (before i'd even shipped mine back because they were kind enough to not want to interrupt my training).

May I ask what localized support you're talking about?

On the whole I feel really good about Garmin as a company. 3 of my friends also have the 5x and one of those guys bought a 5s for his wife. All are happy Garmin customers. In fact I'd say they are probably far happier than I am. I'm convinced that spending time on these forums tends to make you paranoid about every little thing with the watch.

It all depends on what you do with the watch and what you expect it to do.

I've learned to weigh Garmin's pros and cons against the pros and cons of the other brands.Garmin's inferior hardware quality, while impacting negatively on my overall evaluation, still makes the brand come on top because I know first-hand that Polar and Suunto are not flawless either.

Anyway, as far as the general picture of the technical issues go, let me tip you off: when my second watch was delivered to Milan, it was accompanied by an F3HR with a broken baro.
As I took it back from the dealer, his junior mech stepped in the conversation to complain about his FR920XT: another broken barometer.

I think one needs to build some experience with different units, watch the forums in a critical way and on the long run, plus, study a lot.

There are people in these forums from all over the world who've had multiple, consecutive, instances of broken devices (I'm not the record holder, eh eh eh).
Considering these items lose value over time, when a watch is constantly coming and going from/to the tech support, these users are damaged twice.

It doesn't take rocket science to know it was only a matter of time before someone held Garmin accountable when you look at how long this has been going on.

0 Tommylee84 over 7 years ago

Sounds like you chase ambulances on the side, you know the "track record of garmin products" yet you continue to purchase them and what threaten them cause they don't live up to what ever standard you set forth with them? Do yourself a favor stop buy their product and move on, nothing they will every produce will be up to your standards and all you're doing is wasting their and your time. I bet Suunto or Polar would love to have your business and have them get yelled at for so many years cause they aren't making their product up to your standard.

0 Benjamin over 7 years ago

I had similar USB connection problems. The unit usually appeared as a drive, if not the first then second or third time, but there was always a red sync error on garmin express. I tried to contact Garmin twice about it, they replied some BS thing that wasn't helping, I tried with 2 different PC and with watch factory reset and it never helped. Once or twice I don't know why, it did a successful sync, 99% times not.
Nowadays there is no message - no green for sync successful either. Maybe simply they removed the message to get rid of the error they couldn't fix.
The watch syncs through bluetooth fine (although somewhere around version 2 of firmware it became very very slow) so I never stressed it more.
I never used the barometer, but I noticed the GPS and OHR are very inaccurate. To be honest even the hrm-run strap is weird for its price, sometimes showing wrong results for several minutes mid run when it's properly wet for sure.
Good luck, I never had your patience, I simply tell everyone about how disappointing fenix 5 and garmin is. For the record I wanted to go for SSU because I had very good experience with ambit3, but touch screen is a big no no. I thought garmin is more expensive than other sports companies because they have better products. They don't. The many software features are nice indeed but don't compensate for problems with core features.

0 nmyeti over 7 years ago

May I ask what localized support you're talking about?

Garmin US Support

It all depends on what you do with the watch and what you expect it to do.

That is a bit condescending isn't it? My intended use and expectations are no less valid than yours. Just because you have had problems doesn't mean that your use is somehow more demanding or that your standards are somehow more rigorous than mine.

I run with the watch (trail and road) 5-7 days a week. I backpack, hike, rock climb, Ice climb, cycle, etc. My 5x has been through all of that and kept me happy. The two instances where I wasn't happy, Garmin Support was professional, empathetic, and quick to offer a resolution. I have zero complaints.