UPDATING YOUR TOMTOM.
This is not a complaint, it is to acquaint those unfortunate people who have had the misfortune to purchase a TomTom satnav, of the highly dubious tactics used by TomTom to extract more money from them.
On Tuesday last, after several months of lockdown, I was obliged to make a trip into unfamiliar territory. For this I used my TomTom satnav which took me there and back without any problems. However, during the trip my TomTom advised me that a "FREE" update was required. (The trap was set).
On returning home I set up my computer etc. and proceeded to attempt an update. I reached a page which asked me my details, name, model etc. which I entered and pressed continue, which then caused all my entered info to disappear. After repeating the process a number of times with the same result, I was ready to give up. However, as some woman on live chat, who had been pestering me throughout the process and who was still there I decided to give her a try. (The trap was sprung). She informed me that my maps were out of date, asked me for my telephone number and said that an engineer would ring within two minutes. No reference to money whatsoever.
The engineer Michael duly rang and instructed me to do this and that to my computer, and suddenly he had control of it, poking about amongst my files, asking questions,"Who was the little boy on my wallpaper" etc. After quite a considerable time with Michael fiddling about in my computer and files opening and shutting here and there, the question of how was I going to pay arose. I pointed out that I was there for the free update whereuon he informed me that nothing was free and asked me for about £150.00. When I told him that I didn't want it he informed me that work was already in progress and offered me a reduced price. Obviously, with him having complete control of my computer I was being held to ransom, I had no option but to pay or risk untold damage, which may or may not have been caused anyway.
If you are considering buying a TomTom please reconsider, the machines are OK but the company appear to be a gang of not very nice people. And I strongly advise, do not let them near your computer.
August 4, 2020
Unprompted review