LIVE Services, HD Traffic and other Services

[PODMAN]

Ms. Ditte:

You have been aware of this problem since at least 20/4/12 as I sent you my serial number etc directly to you via PM. At that point you mentioned that you sent the issue to your team for further investigation. Today is 16/5/12, I find it unbelievable that the brilliant programmers who fixed the leap year issue (within 2-3  days) can not come up with a solution in nearly 4 weeks.

I am in the car a lot and today was a truly miserable day for the 2535M in the DC area. During the 12 Noon time period , it did not get the HD traffic for over 20 minutes causing me to be stuck in major traffic on the highway for over 50 minutes. The same thing happened on my rush hour drive this evening.

This GPS was purchased at a premium cost for the benefit of HD traffic. I am not receiving that one major benefit that was my sole reason for purchasing the GPS.

I would appreciate and expect a better reply then "We're still investigating this issue" after nearly 4 weeks.

Thank you

[DCTomTom]

Almost a month and nothing?  Does TomTom just hope the problem goes away? 

I would consider TomTom's marketing claims on the website to be false, misleading and blatant lies.  Specifically :

"Just take it out of the box, turn it on and go. With TomTom HD traffic you'll never have to sit in traffic again."  - I don't have to sit in traffic - I get to sit in traffic with the latest TomTom & Live Services!

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=89&tab=152

"You'll spend less time in traffic and get to your destination faster." - Faster than what?  Walking? 

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=89&tab=153

"With HD Traffic information on your screen you immediately know where the traffic is."  Maybe immediately means when we feel like it in Amsterdam?

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=89&tab=154

How to Get It - "HD Traffic is part of TomTom LIVE Services. It brings you the best real-time TomTom services straight to your device, all available in one smart bundle." - One smart bundle?  I pay and I can't get it - seems like a smart business move by TomTom. 

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=89&tab=156

"...delivers updates every 2 minutes to get you around traffic more effectively than ever before. As soon as an accident or other delay is found on your route, TomTom alerts you and can re-route you to an alternative, faster route."  - I can't even get basic traffic information in 30+ minutes - it sure would be nice to get those updates!http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=89&tab=152

 Seriously TomTom - what is the big secret here? 

DCTomTom

[GO2535nyc]

I'm the same problem here in New York City. I have Tomtom Go 2535. I think I will stop using Tomtom and maybe get a Garmin.

[JHFE]

@Kex,

In light of the posting of “Ditte” two days ago (May 16, 2012) [Message 76] that TomTom was still “investigating this issue,” it seemed it might be useful to highlight that there appears to be an alternative which provides a partial solution to the current “Live Traffic” issue at least in the USA, and an ability to get TMC traffic coverage where and when “Live Traffic” services are not available (such as in Canada for USA users) and TMC traffic coverage is.  This partial solution (as referred to in the 3 Messages quoted at the end of this posting from you, “jonstrong,” and me) is, unfortunately, only available at an additional cost and for the owners of, for example, the GO LIVE 2535M (such as mine with App 11.037) could be the purchase of a GO 2400/2500 TMC Receiver.

The GO 2400/2500 TMC Receiver described at:

http://www.tomtom.com/en_us/products/accessories/chargers-connect-cables/tmc-receiver-go-2400-2500/i...

still does not seem to be available again at tomtom.com.

However, 3 units appear to be currently available at:

http://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-GO-Navigator-4UUC-001-03B-4UUC-003-01/dp/B006W4B17Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?...

and more than 10 units appear to be available at:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOMTOM-GO-2050-2405-2435-2505-2535-GPS-RDS-TMC-Traffic-Receiver-Charger-4UUC...

In this connection, the map for TMC traffic coverage for TomTom in the USA (see pages 1-6 and the beginning of page 7 of the link below, all covering “cities” 1-66) and Canada (see the rest of page 7 of the link below, covering “cities” 67-69) is apparently at:

http://www.tomtom.com/lib/images/milan/tmc_us/index.html

Of course, the “current” listing of “Live Traffic” incidents in the USA, Canada, and other countries covered is at:

http://www.tomtom.com/livetraffic/

and travel routes can be planned using then available “Live Traffic” information before leaving (not why one got a GPS in the first place!) at:

http://www.routes.tomtom.com

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Message 19; from  me, “JHFE”]

<< 

3 weeks ago - last edited 3 weeks ago [From May 18, 2012]

@Kex,

Thank you for your posting last Friday.

Yes, I have spoken with Customer Service in Mexico for the USA as well as had communication with Ms. Ditte of TomTom in the Netherlands.  Ms. Ditte says they are investigating the Live Traffic problem at least as it relates to the Washington, DC, and New York, NY, areas and will get back.

As "Lupus1" wrote one week ago in "Re: Long amount of time to download traffic on the 2535TM Live":

<< 

[T]he time you'll need to get the information downloaded from TT's servers gets longer the more users are accessing that server, the more users are using the same network and the more data is needed. Therefore the problems in areas with many people and much traffic are worse than in rural areas.

....

...[I]n the UK it is known that at rushhour the LIVE services often were knocked out especially with the old range of 160km. It is more stable since TT reduced to a range of 120km but still there are some knock-outs from time to time due to overload.

>> 

Please note that after a "hard" reset, you must sign into your My TomTom account again on your device itself (with it being outside and having acquired a GPS signal) to reactivate your Live services, according to Customer Service in Mexico for the USA.

On a related matter, the GO 2400/2500 TMC Receiver (Article No. 9UUE.052.00) works very well with my GO Live 2535M both in the USA (when and where Live Traffic is not available) and in Canada (where Live Traffic is not available at all for USA TomTom devices with Live Traffic).  I have it connected to my GO Live 2535M at all times in my car and it only "engages" when Live traffic is not available, but RDS-TMC traffic is (of course, it also keeps my GO Live 2535M charged).  This Receiver is described at:

http://www.tomtom.com/en_us/products/accessories/chargers-connect-cables/tmc-receiver-go-2400-2500/i... 2400/2500 TMC Receiver

Although it appears it is not currently in stock and available at tomtom.com (it was in December 2011), hopefully it can be found elsewhere.

>> [Emphasis added.]

[Message 24; from ”jonstrong”]

<< 

3 weeks ago [From May 18, 2012]

@J[HF]E -

Interesting re: the TMC receiver. I'm aware of it -- but didn't know how the 2535M Live would "decide" which service to use. If it does, indeed, work as you describe -- only falling back to TMC when Live Traffic is unavailable, that would seem to be a good model.

Live Traffic -- when it's working -- has been superb in my experience. By design, it's picking up and reporting much more current info than the TMC service, and providing it to the connected TomTom's more frequently. Live Traffic in the US is limited to the availability of a usable GSM 2G signal from AT&T in addition to whatever issues may crop up back at TomTom. Coverage is good, and I've never suffered due to lack of AT&T signal -- but I imagine there must be spots with poor coverage.

Extra cost involved, but I think the combination you describe, in addition to providing a stop gap while TomTom sorts out any Live Traffic issues, is a clever way to broaden coverage. Almost seems like this approach would be a desirable standard, if it weren't for the added [co]st...

- Jon

TomTom Go 2535 M Live
app: 11.037.920860.84 (0) (3015, 4/5/2012), OS 824205
gps: 2.16.201 127698, boot 642776 map: USA, Canada and Mexico v885.4102

>> 

[Message 25; from “Kex”]

<< 

3 weeks ago [From May 18, 2012]

Jon, the XL 340S LIVE worked in the same way. In fact, there is even a model that was available for a time (and may still be) that was the XL 340TM LIVE. As you know, that would mean that not only did it benefit from lifetime maps (the "M" in TM), but also from a lifetime traffic receiver (the "T" in TM). Since I have both a regular XL 340TM, and an XL 340S LIVE, I was able to test it by just swapping the power cords.

If the LIVE signal cannot be acquired, it falls back on the RDS-TMC receiver. Similarly, when abroad (where no LIVE signal is available for a U.S. device with an AT&T SIM card), the RDS-TMC receiver takes over. Finally, when I let my LIVE subscription expire, because I had a newer model to use, the XL just operates as a normal RDS-TMC device.

The only caveat is that switching back and forth like that could be quirky at times. I didn't use it long enough to pin it down, and maybe it's a much smoother process on the newer GO LIVE 2535 models when an RDS-TMC power cord is added.

Although RDS-TMC has NO information whatsoever for side streets, and even some major highways in the greater Los Angeles area, the information has improved in the last year or so, in my opinion. When it is correct, and when IQ Routes data is sufficient to choose the best alternate routes (meaning no unusually severe delays for the time of day on a particular day of the week), an RDS-TMC based TomTom can be every bit as impressive as a LIVE device with HD Traffic ... until that one time when you get directed into unexpected jams on routes not covered by RDS-TMC!

With all the supposed complexities of HD Traffic (after all, Garmin have given up on connected traffic completely, and never really got it working in the first place, so it must be quite something to behold), if there really is a widespread issue in the D.C. area, I wouldn't be expecting a quick fix.

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _____ ______ ______
TomTom XL 340S LIVE & XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) & GO LIVE 2535M - in daily L.A. Traffic

>> 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Kex]

Thanks for those details, JHFE. The traffic receivers for the newer 1000 and 2000 series GO LIVE models appear to be available on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/USB-RDS-TMC-PN-4UUC-001-05B-4UUC-003-05/dp/B006W4MVZK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1...

http://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-GO-Navigator-4UUC-001-03B-4UUC-003-01/dp/B006W4B17Y/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UT...

I'm not sure where you found that TomTom map, but as far as I am aware, the RDS-TMC information used currently by TomTom in North America is from ClearChannel, the Total Traffic Network. Their maps are available here:

http://totaltraffic.com/CoverageAreas/

None of the map viewers, nor any of the devices, allow the user to view IQ Routes traffic flow predictions, which means that routes that appear completely clear on http://www.tomtom.com/livetraffic/ or the TomTom online Route Planner may still have heavy congestion. When I was last using Garmin, with RDS-TMC data (from Navteq, which also seems to have improved recently), the lack of IQ Routes data made it impossible to use the traffic features on the device. This was because the routes offered to avoid traffic on freeways would almost always take much longer to travel by than the traffic delay being avoided. The simple XL 340TM was a vast improvement in that regard.

[Carminat]

---

Hwalker1 wrote:

I have been tryingto find out if my 720 will connect to live services. No information is on thge web site and TomTom inform me that they will no longer accept emails from customers having "old" tomtoms. I only bought it new last year.

Rubbish company!

---

The GO720 was new in 2007, not last year.

It will NEVER, EVER receive Live Services, because it isn't built for them, doesn't have a Vodafone SIM card built into it. If somebody sold it to you saying it received Live Services, they saw you coming!

It would receive RDS-TMC Traffic service if you had a separate antenna, purchased to go with it, attached round the inside of your windscreen. That's free for life after you've bought the antenna. But it's not as good as Live HD Traffic (or rather, as good as Live HD Traffic used to be when it was first introduced, before it was crippled by volume problems - people use it, so it crashes!).

[tpw]

Orlando, Florida using the XL340 Live device

So sad.  I received yet another lame response to my open incident that had been in a "research" status for over a week;

"This is Alice with the TomTom Customer Support.
We have received a reply form the supervisor which I would like to share it with you.
We would request you to perform a soft reset and check whether the issue persists with the Live services. Also let us know if your issue has been resolved.
I will be anxiously waiting for your reply. We want you to know that, we will be there for you and we do value you as a customer. "

Soft reset, the answer to all issues.  Live services, weather & traffic worked just fine all weekend.  Monday morning, same old story, no connection, server error message after several minutes trying to connect when selecting the live services option.    So in my last response I asked them to;

1 - acknowledge that they have a problem.  Something that they have yet to do.

2 - explain what the root cause is

3 - present their action plan for resolution

4 - give me a date for when it will be resolved
My subscription expires in July and I will not renew without a resolution to this issue prior to that time.

[TT1]

HD Traffic keeps getting worse.  As if it's not bad enough that it takes so long to load that it isn't useful, now when it loads it doesn't seem to be detecting traffic around me.  In the past I would get at least a 10 minute warning on just about all of the traffic around me.  Since last week, I'm running into delays, some as long as 8 mintes, with no notice whatsoever.

There were no cell phone users sending anonymous data stuck in the traffic first?  No Tom Tom users sending anonymous data were stuck in the traffic before me?  It seems like it has been no better than RDS traffic when it finally loads.  I know someone has to be the first person stuck in the traffic, but this is getting ridiculous. 

[PODMAN]

I give up on tom tom finding a solution. They have known about this issue for over a month and still no answer. In fact the last week has been the worst with the HD traffic.

I am guessing that Tom Tom is taking a laid back view on fixing this major issue due to not understanding the US market. If this continues whenever anyone searches for product information on the internet they will learn that they need to avoid Tom Tom. Just check amazon.com and search the 2535M

Great way to run a company.......

[JHFE]

@ Kex,

Thank you for the correction and update as to the web address for the current RDS-TMC information used currently by TomTom in North America being from ClearChannel, the Total Traffic Network at:

http://totaltraffic.com/CoverageAreas/

Particularly for Ms. Ditte, as a continuation on the subject of this "thread," on a trip from Chicago, IL to New York, NY on May 29, 2012, LIVE Traffic services were not available between Exits 118 and 135 on the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80) (this is west of Cleveland, OH) beginning at about 5 P.M. until about 5:20 P.M.  Otherwise, LIVE Traffic services were available during the entire trip.  I have a GO LIVE 2535M with App. 11.037.