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 Former Member over 7 years ago

Let me explain:

Being in the Open Beta you need to transfer files more often than just when you apply patches and install/uninstall faces, widgets, apps, etc. and for that you need a stable USB connection.
If you use third-party log analyzing software, you also need to transfer your training files from the watch to the log archives.
Needless to say, when you race against yourself between work/swimming pool/home/ 3 gyms, we're talking of many files and many USB connections per day.
Your routine also misses 2 or 3 hours a day in the swimming pool (swimming, aquagym and hydrobike) and your barometer is not exposed to chlorine water.

This is what I was meaning and I hope it's clear now. In any case, yours like my own, the watch must work in all circumstances with all users.

The quasi-certainty (in my case) of a barometer failing is backed by Garmin's under-warranty-replacement policy.
I factor this quasi-certainty in the equation of pros/cons, no more and no less than I factor other pros/cons; the very bad decisions of Garmin Italy do not change my opinion about Garmin's products.

Garmin Italy could have replaced my connectors twice and they didn't.
They lied about the causes of the second barometer failing and sent me back a broken device.

8 months of USB connection issues (with 2 watches and 3 cables), plus 2 barometers breaking down and Garmin thinks they can walk away from this with 3 HRMs (which I already have)?

SSU: the @ reply feature still gives JSON error on the boards.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

The first thing to do after buying a Garmin device is to buy a Gadget insurance, you will use it.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

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

The dude is buying a device that the manufacturer claims something and obviously it doesnt, therefore if there is a lawsuit becasue of that I have to agree with the buyer. We all know many companies careless about warranty, they really thing that doesnt apply to them, but the law says otherwise. The warranty is also included in the price tag,

0 SUSSAMB over 7 years ago

Then he's at liberty to return it and buy a different brand, which is what gaijin was suggesting. Many more seem content with their devices so winning a lawsuit is hardly likely to do anything other than cost Z-74 in time and money. Seems rather futile when under consumer law he can return it for a refund.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Then he's at liberty to return it and buy a different brand, which is what gaijin was suggesting. Many more seem content with their devices so winning a lawsuit is hardly likely to do anything other than cost Z-74 in time and money. Seems rather futile when under consumer law he can return it for a refund.

You may not return the item after so many days, yet the company still have to give warranty in the item, in Europe 2 years.

0 Scorp1981 over 7 years ago

He has stated already, that other brands (Polar & Suunto) aren't flawless for him either. He has already hinted, that Garmin is so far the lesser evil (for him). So no point to telling him to switch brands, is there?

And to be honest: isn't the point he is trying to make absolutely and irrefutably true: A product has to live up to its promised features and quality.
This is doubly true, when a product is as expensive as a fenix 5x.

Most of us, me included, are used to accept the fact, that often devices are not what they should be. Well, he doesn't anymore and he wants to hold them accountable. Isn't this not only in his right, but actually also the right thing to do?

Of course there are some who have no problems at all. My VAHR is finally bug free and my Fenix 3HR, after having it exchanged, does not (yet) have the altimeter problem anymore. But as happy as I am for the moment, just today my wife received her brand new FR645 that is having trouble keeping connection with her phone (Galaxy S8). This is not how it is supposed to be... As consumers we are entitled to have functioning products right out of the box. Garmin (and others too, of course) don't always provide this, so he is now holding them accountable, because THEY ARE.

Maybe it would be different if at least Garmin CS wouldn't sometimes try to blame the customer for their defective product.

0 SUSSAMB over 7 years ago

Well best of luck to him. This thread though isn't contributing anything other than allowing people to rant.