Map quality

[Zoe]

Hi Jirik,

Quick update - I don't have news from my colleagues who can deal with this yet, but I am following it up for you. I am sorry for the time it's taking.

Best regards,

Zoë

[Shorty]

I think my post at the bottom of page one of this topic covers the issue .... ?

[jirik]

Even if the employees who produced the map of Thailand are satisfied with their work, I must report that the wrong road classification that makes the map practically unusable is a systemic issue with this map. We drove from Phuket to Bangkok and were experiencing wrong road classification along the way, including around Hua Hin and Bangkok that can hardly be viewed as remote areas.

[Shorty]

I don't think I emphasised they were satisfied with their work but they have replied that they will rediscover road classifications in the area you mentioned and Tourist areas in particular ... and then the complete road network [instructions from the local Production Manager]  As an aside I've also been asked what my experience has been on any other "Island" and I could report that from the Africa Team we had the same problem.  Here it was because sugar plantations have tarred roads in them but (mostly) with a no-entry sign somewhere within the cane leaves.  These are not always that easy to pick up.

In this case then your report has been recognised as an issue that needs serious consideration and rectification

[jirik]

Thanks Shorty for the clarification. You are great help.

A question then arises whether it is ethical for TomTom to charge significant amount of money for such highly defective products and not allow customers to return them when they find the products practically unusable, not doing what the products have been advertised to do.

[Shorty]

The question is valid jirik but a return policy has a certain number of set criteria, one of which can be beyond a stated time within which a return is an option.  It most certainly will be an unethical situation if a refusal to return arose within the policy stated period.  Allow me to study this situation a little more and I will revert.  I'll enquire about the policies for both units and maps.

[R_K_Bell]

Shorty I don't think a sole on this board is expecting a "Perfect Map" A reasonable map would suit me just fine.

[Shorty]

Quite so, but I know from my second visit to Mauritius now with the updated map in hand we were taken down some wonderfully paved roads through the cane fields.  Apart from being lucky enough to have logged the road if there was no 'Private Road' sign at the end we mostly found it at the other;but some not at all.

This verification work will take some time I'm afraid since one cannot see such signage from our imagery.  To complicate matters, some of the canefields roads had a good flow of traffic through them.  One I recall was traveled by many and went over one of the most spectacular passes I've had the pleasure to ride.

[jirik]

Nothing happened in the last month and my letter to TomTom CEO got unanswered. The only possible remaining action for me is to post this experience on various review boards to inform other potential customers what to expect from TomTom. You can also guess that my next GPS will not be TomTom.

Let us finish this conversation with a canned phrase from TomTom customer support that they are so fond of attaching to every response: “It is disheartening to know that we failed to give you an exhilarating experience with TomTom. Furthermore, we want to thank you for the patience and co-operation you have shown.”

[Shorty]

I'm afraid no letter to our CEO nor to Customer Support on "The dud Map of Thailand" jirik, would help resolve your experience.  The fact is that neither can give you the specific answer you desire except a local Production Team; concerned, polite and admitting failure as these will be, .  All that is in the past but please have no doubt if there is anyone of our MQF board, I certainly realise how infuriating for you this must have been - I would react the same and would want to use my Navigation Device as a paper-weight as soon as my return to office.  I've done it myself.

Looking forward though and as I've reported below, I have had several exchanges with our local Production Team describing the spurious routing you experienced.  I also exchanged with them our Mauritius experience, and I posted this below as an issue that arose there.  Your report indicated they could be of a similar nature.  You know the Content Ops Manager there immediately set up a separate Team to re-visit and correct road classifications in your tour area.  What is more, he instructed his Roads Team to run a similar review on the complete road network, realising the problem could have unwittingly been created over the whole network.

I would certainly not expect to have seen any of such changes in map v885 (far to early and beyond reasonable expectation), some or all if they have completed their corrections in time for v890 release but, from experience, all should be vastly improved by v895.  I do not know if our Content Ops there has authorised some completed data to pass to map production as cleaned or whether he will do it once the complete task is completed.

If you wish I will call for a progress note and I'll try my best from this to prepare a de-heading block if confirmed progress doesn't appear for a map going forward.  You can sharpen the axe - a blunt one is just going to bounce and hurt   My way of saying the beer/whiskey is on me.

Having said all that, changing to a different product (even because of a localised poor experience) and posting on any fora you wish this bad experience (we would imagine you would do so honestly, presenting the facts as they stand or simply a copy of this topic), remains your free and personal decision.  We'd be disappointed to lose you as a client, but will respect your decision completely