beware InReach satellite subscription service

I bought a Garmin InReach Explorer GPS with satellite text communication capability.
I order to use the satellite service I had to sign a subscription contract. After two weeks of use I decided to return the unit because the display was so small I needed reading glasses to read it; a real PITA in the field.
After returning the device I called to cancel the satellite subscription. Garmin says "no cancellations" however, they would take a $110 early cancellation fee. Not happy about that!
"So sorry, but you did agree to a contract"...so beware if signing a contract with Garmin.

0 supranihilest over 5 years ago

You can use the Garmin Earthmate app on your smartphone to send texts through your inReach. The battery life of your phone then becomes the limiting factor instead of the display on the inReach. I can't imagine sending texts directly using the inReach anyway, both due to the screen and the basic keyboard. A friend and I used Earthmate to send thousands of texts on a trip to Argentina, and that was far, far better than typing or reading texts on the inReach unit itself.

As far as the contract goes, I'm not sure what you expected. It's a contract. You shouldn't sign contracts unless you know right then and there that you agree to the full terms of the contract, which in this case include a fee for cancellation. You should have gone with the Freedom plan which costs more per month but allows you to cancel/suspend at any time for free. So you didn't do your due dilligence in researching the plans, signed up for the wrong one, then came to the forums to complain about it. That's not Garmin's fault. I suppose the takeaway should be do your research before dropping hundreds of dollars on a subscription-based device, yes?