Drivesmart correct information for updates

[nuttynurse]

Well, as a one time "pro DS forum member" regdor, I would have to say that at the time the DS team were being so strongly supported by the forum, that they deserved to be. At that time there was no other product or forum that could rival the DS or the support they gave their product. Certainly not in my experience anyway. When it became obvious however that all was not well, as stated by rushkins, several hitherto pro DS forum members launched an all out critical assault aimed at the DS team when it became obvious to us that the former good standing of the company was no longer credible and was instead deceiving people. This onslaught of criticism prevented the DS team from deceiving potential new forum members and customers to the site from purchasing a defunct Def2, and to make them instead question the credibility of any new or existing product being promoted by the company; who continued, by the way, to pretend all was well when clearly it was not. The DS teams response to this was to try and censor the critical posts they were getting from us and to threaten us with removal from the forum. This threat did not work and our resolve was only deepened by their attempts to shut us up. So all in all, I think we did a valiant job in both defending the DS when they deserved it and being critical of them when it was warranted.

However good the DS team were or how good the Drivesmart was, I think it right that those of us so shoddily treated by the DS team should rightly question the validity of their announce to return to the market with the "Laser Star" as if all was well. If I had been dupped into buying a faulty £400 product I would be annoyed too. If the DS are really planning to re-emerge into the market place and expect to regain their former credibility, perhaps they should begin by recompensing those they previously sold shoddy, faulty goods to (BBQKing) for one. Either that or give them each a Laser Star so that they can be the first to try it out at no cost to themselves. What better critics to have and what better way to show concilation to your former supporters and customers for the shoddy way you had treated them.

As much as I still like my old DS unit I would not run out and buy from the DS team again, not until at least several hundred other people had been foolish enough to first. Mind you, their last post on this forum is somewhat, nay, very reminiscent of the "two week" undertakings of old. So like then it may never happen.

edit for language by PaulB2005

[GJF]

[nuttynurse]

Hi GJF, good to hear from you too.

To be honest I haven't visited the Drivesmart website for quite a while, didn't seem any point, so will go and do so. Also I haven't visited this site so much of late either due to the unsocial hours, floods and everything else so have only just caught up with the discussion on the Drivesmart. Good to see some familiar names. I had wondered what had happened to rushkins and others.

Perhaps the DS crew had hoped we all gone away and forgotten their treatment of forum members and customers over the last 12 months or so. Good point you raise on the garage opener aspect. LET BUYER BEWARE both on the price, legality and backup from DS. I certainly won't be handing over £240 let alone £540 until they have regained the standing they once had and the product has earnt the same merits as the old ds unit. I wonder if the forum as been reinstated?

[nuttynurse]

Well GJF, I have never been to their web shop before, so was I impressed? NO. All I could see was 4 large star logo's giving you the option to purchase one of 4 items ranging in price from £270 to £540 which neither gave any decription or any images of the product in question. For all I could tell I was just purchasing a large star logo. So was I in the right web shop? Or is the Laser Star again being promoted before it is finished? Mmm

[GJF]

Not a very inspiring site is it?

Who would buy from a site with no direct phone line, no technical support, no e-mail replies, no.....nothing at all?

A lot of money spent for.......no backup!

It would be interesting to know if the Laser Star works as detailed, or is it a clone of the Def2?

You were in the right shop on the web site, finished who knows, maybe in "two weeks".
_________________
TomTom Go 60
Garmin Nüvi 660, Firmware v4.90
Drive-Smart GPS with Loader v1.4.16
HTC Advantage X7500 MS 6.1 Tchart Speed Sentry
Satmap Active 10, Software v1.16
Fuzion 32 HUD Bluetooth GPS receiver

[nuttynurse]

Well no doubt they are expecting to catch some unsuspecting fool. Doesn't look like it will be you.

So, lets sum this up:

1. The "Laser Star" comes with four model variations with four corresponding price tags. This leaves you to decide how much you can afford to get ripped off for.

2. We know the "Laser Star" is based on the "Def2" Initally intended as a cheaper "Cut Down Version" of this faulty product that never worked despite it hype at the time. So it based on a poor pedigree with an disproven track record! Bound to be a winner then!

3. There is no technical spec or description of the product to go on just the invitation to pay up to five hundred and forty quid for a product due out in two weeks. YES YOU CYNICAL LOT THAT "TWO WEEKS" Bare in mind here that this time frame does not allow for trials and reviews of the product. So order early to ensure disappointment..

4. You can buy these product at their webshop but not on their website as their website has not been updated for at least a year and still refers to their faulty, out of date, out of service products. And don't forget their forum and customer services is non operational to boot. Is this using a Back Door Approach to draw in new unsuspecting customers?

Lest You Have Forgotten: These are the guys who ridiculed the manufacturers of "Road Angel" for their poor customer service, then followed in their footsteps and developed their own really shoddy attitude towards loyal customers and forum members before disappearing from the scene for a year leaving people with expensive faulty goods etc, etc.

5. It seemingly has no gate/garage/light sensor unit so potentially leaving you with an illegal product if the law is changed to outlaw its other intended use. So not only do you pay through the nose for a doubtful product, you may well end up in court and pay a hefty fine for having fitted it in the first place.

Mmmm, they convinced me, I think I will have two!!! Just so I can really feel peeved this time.

[GJF]

That's seems to be a good description, lets think though - the only problem left is, that if i don't find my £540 I will have nothing to gripe about next year.
_________________
TomTom Go 60
Garmin Nüvi 660, Firmware v4.90
Drive-Smart GPS with Loader v1.4.16
HTC Advantage X7500 MS 6.1 Tchart Speed Sentry
Satmap Active 10, Software v1.16
Fuzion 32 HUD Bluetooth GPS receiver

[rushkins]

Jusat thought you would like to know, I have just purchased one of the new units.







Only joking, where on earth are they going to market this product.
For one where did they market the original DS Unit, no where, the only people that purchased the DS seemed to fall on it. Secondly I don't think they really have the backing to do it. It takes a great deal of money to get it out in the open market as I am sure GJF will warrant.
Therefore I cannot see it going anywhere and I am sure the company will probably fold in the next 6 months. This will be a real shame, as I keep saying the DS unit was brilliant and if they had kept to this before running then things would have been different.
Now I wouldn't give them the time of day.

say no more apart from, thank god for PGPSworld, they keep my DS unit and TOMTOM going, I don't need anybody else.

DS go and jump. Nice hearing from you once in a while.

Regards

Rushkins
_________________
DS Unit
TT510

[eire05]

The Laser star is a rip-off of the Laser Pro Park / Anti Laser,

1) Control Box & wiring loom are same size dimensions

The only thing they've changed is the bracket (probably off a pulsemaster)

also the heads are pretty similar , i'm swilling to bet they reverse engineered the LPP & marketed it as there own.

I'd say their heads would probably work on an LPP box and vice versa

[nuttynurse]

I take it that you have seen the mythical "Laser Star" then eire05, albeit disguised as a Laser Pro Park? Have the "two weeks" since it was first announce gone past so quickly? I hadn't noticed

[GJF]

[BBQKing]

MY feelings have been made very clear in the past - steer *well* clear of them. Tears will only follow. (Oh, and purchase an LPP and GPS Mirror as well).
_________________
"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

[nuttynurse]

I may well be wrong but I don't remember the Drivesmart team ever stating that they were distributors for anyone else. So why now are we expected to believe that Neil and Co were just that and someone else, hitherto unknown, has suddenly appeared out of the ether to reclaim their baby.

From what I can see of the revised www.drive-smart.co.uk website, I most definitely for one won't be sending them any of my money. I think someone is out to lure unsuspecting, naive individuals to part with their money and to buy goods that must at least be regarded as dubious considering the circumstances. And even though it appears updates for the drivesmart are once again flowing you definite need to know from where and from whom.

If the "Laser Star" is a genuine product, fully functional and legitimately backed by the manufactures of "Drivesmart" and not Neil and Co
distributors, why did they not speak up at the time when forum members and disatisfied customers began to complain about the sudden decline in service and product reliability etc? None of the questions that were posted on the forum were satisfactorily answered then or now and yet we are being asked to believe that the Phoenix "Laser Star" has risen from the Ashes, promoted both on the former Drivesmart.co.uk website and elsewhere as if nothing had happened. WELL THEY SAY A FOOL AND HIS GOLD ARE SOON PARTED. Lets see how many fools are out there

Of course these so called manufactures of the Drivesmart, Laser Star, etc etc, could make themselves known so that their identity as a company can be verified. They could also ask Pocketgpsworld to evaluate their product for quality and purpose!

Anyway it seems to me that the links to www.drivesmartsupport.com simply links back to the original drive-smart website, albeit revised.

Having just read the thread regarding Paula and her communication with www.drivesmartsupport.com it strikes me that the comment
[quote]We don't carry any products here except those for warranty. We have recently licensed to a manufacturer in the Far East and I will ask for you what they have. [quote] is again reminiscent of Drivesmart. Didn't they use someone in the far East to manufacture their goods?

We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?.
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!