TomTom Traffic services coverage out of country- GO 6200/5200/620/520 — TomTom Community

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TomTom Traffic services coverage out of country- GO 6200/5200/620/520

AntidoteAntidote Posts: 15 [Legendary Explorer]
edited January 2019 in TomTom Services
I purchased a Go 620 because I do a lot of international traveling. After receiving it, I found this forum. Reading here I discovered that traffic will not work if I leave the United States, where I bought my device. I sent a message to TomTom customer service about the crippling of their traffic service when traveling out of the region from where you bought your unit. Here is the response I received.

Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support. My name is xxxxx and I am happy to assist you with this.

Due to higher than normal email volume, we apologize for delay in responding to your query. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.

Mr. Miller, I'm sorry to learn that the traffic feature on the GO 620 did not work when you were in Europe. I can understand the inconvenience you are facing due to this and I'll assist you to get the resolution.

I would like to mention that the traffic on your GO 620 depends on the SIM on your phone. If your SIM on your phone is able to connect to the internet in Europe, then the GO 620 should be able to receive the traffic. If not, then it could be because the bluetooth tethering of that particular carrier in Europe is enabled in which case we suggest customers to contact the carrier support to enable it.

As the GO 620 is for the World navigation, these are purchased by the customers who often travel across the globe and the customers are able to use it in other countries without any issue. I would, hence, request you to please try to use the GO 620 in your next trip to Europe with tethering enabled and let us know if you are still facing the issue with it.

MikkoK, I really do appreciate all that you try to accomplish through this forum. I would really like to hear your definitive thoughts on this.

Comments

  • VikramKVikramK Posts: 11,624 Moderator
    Hi Antidote

    Very sorry about the incorrect information provided by the customer service.

    TomTom devices will connect to TomTom services only in the region/country where the device was purchased. This does not change, whether the device comes with a built-in SIM or its a smartphone connected.

    These devices come with lifetime world maps but the traffic connectivity is county or region specific.

    I will send a heads up to the customer service about this.

    Regards
    Vikram
  • Westy70Westy70 Posts: 23 [Master Explorer]
    The devices WILL connect to regions/countries outside where the device was purchased and you know it..
  • AntidoteAntidote Posts: 15 [Legendary Explorer]
    I realize that this is a user forum, but why is this policy not spelled out in TomTom's advertising? I do not believe that it is unreasonable for someone to infer that when you purchase a device that is advertised as being global in nature, with global maps, that all the features will work globally. There needs to be a plainly worded disclaimer to this effect. TomTom is being deliberately misleading on this subject.
  • Tony CollinsTony Collins Posts: 28 [Apprentice Traveler]
    Agreed - there is no justification for this policy in any case (Tom tom provides the data - it is their DECISION to disable it in other regions)

    To further not publicise the impact of this decision is disingenuous at best - fraudulent at worst.
  • TklaarTklaar Posts: 2 [Apprentice Traveler]
    I absolutely agree. The only reason I bought the GO5200 was because it offered this world coverage, including, as I understood it, traffic updates EVERYWHERE.
  • BishiBishi Posts: 1 [Apprentice Traveler]
    Agreed, doubly annoyed as can't get traffic updates in the USA for my GO5200 and whereas the road trip map for Route 66 is correct the downloaded directions are not - they direct you into Iowa which is not on Route 66.
  • BrianWattsBrianWatts Posts: 40 [Renowned Trailblazer]
    I know I am 5 months late for this thread, but this is relevant. Vikram wrote:
    "TomTom devices will connect to TomTom services only in the region/country where the device was purchased. This does not change, whether the device comes with a built-in SIM or its a smartphone connected."

    Well, 15 months ago I bought a GO6100 in Australia and was glad because I thought it had worldwide traffic via roaming on the built in SIM and would be great on my 6 weeks driving through Ireland, Wales and England in June and July, 2017.

    Image my disappointment on reading these boards and seeing that live traffic and services were only available in the region of purchase.

    Then image how pleasantly surprised I was getting over to Ireland and England and my Australian purchased TomTom worked perfectly with live traffic and services in all regions I travelled on the 3800 km trip. Go figure that out !
  • AntidoteAntidote Posts: 15 [Legendary Explorer]
    BrianWatts wrote:
    I know I am 5 months late for this thread, but this is relevant. Vikram wrote:
    "TomTom devices will connect to TomTom services only in the region/country where the device was purchased. This does not change, whether the device comes with a built-in SIM or its a smartphone connected."

    Well, 15 months ago I bought a GO6100 in Australia and was glad because I thought it had worldwide traffic via roaming on the built in SIM and would be great on my 6 weeks driving through Ireland, Wales and England in June and July, 2017.

    Image my disappointment on reading these boards and seeing that live traffic and services were only available in the region of purchase.

    Then image how pleasantly surprised I was getting over to Ireland and England and my Australian purchased TomTom worked perfectly with live traffic and services in all regions I travelled on the 3800 km trip. Go figure that out !

    Yes, this is the result of a new update that recently went out. The update is only for devices that have a built in SIM card. These types of devices are not available in the US. Also, the roaming traffic feature is now only available for customers from Australia.

    TomTom has lost me as a customer over this. I am enjoying my new Garmin. The traffic works internationally wherever the service is available, all I need is a local SIM for my phone. Yes, I do need to buy new maps, but if I am going back to a place that I have visited before then I can get by with a map that is a couple of years old. Roads do not change as often as traffic does so being able to use the traffic feature worldwide is far more important to me than having free worldwide maps.
  • miketorcymiketorcy Posts: 3,500
    Superusers
    I am not from tomtom, i am just an ordinary user!

    All i can say is that i had the occasion to test a garmin vs my 6200 (both at the same time in my car) and the traffic information provided by the garmin is a big bulls**t. The tomtom is very more accurate, there is no photo.

    I live in France near Paris!
  • fredaroony2fredaroony2 Posts: 121 [Renowned Trailblazer]
    The irony is the phone app does not have any region restrictions so the comment about contractual arrangements sound very valid.
  • totobel2totobel2 Posts: 19 [Master Traveler]
    I have a 6200 with build-in SIM.
    It's a very sad situation : I buy the best device tomtom has, designed for global usage and when I change continent suddenly it doesn't work anymore...
    I would like to be able to use it everywhere, even if I have to pay a little extra money.
  • CliffHCliffH Posts: 3 [Apprentice Traveler]
    Great NOT - I've also been misled as the reason I upgraded to my 5200 was because of the traffic working in the US. I wonder what the Advertising Standards Agency has to say about this as I (and many others) have been misled on this.
  • PowsiPowsi Posts: 1 [Apprentice Traveler]
    I have been pleased with my Tomtom GO 5200 for the but recently found out that the traffic services did not work in Australia and like everyone else here I was under the impression that it was worldwide maps and services. With the premium that the devices attract to purchase you would think they would be made for a global traveller these days.
    Prior to my arrival in Australia I downloaded the Australia map via wifi which was good but on arrival in Australia and first switched on there, it came up with a message something like services or sim no longer work in the this country but if I connect Tomtom to a phone then services should work. I did connect via bluetooth but still had no traffic services. Maybe I didn't configure it properly but I shouldn't have to try and work all that stuff out as I'm trying to leave the airport car rental. I got mine with the intention of global traffic services but it won't do it. I just rang Tomtom support on my arrival back in the UK for them to tell me traffic support is only in Europe if it was purchased there.

    So any future purchasers please be aware and I hope you find this forum so you are aware as it isn't clearly displayed in any advertising.
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