HD Traffic Accessory UK Launch Postponed

ItsMikeE · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:13 am Post subject:

I am a long time Tomtom user (dating back to when they were called Palmtop NL I used Route Planner, City Maps and Psion Money as well as several versions of Tomtom software on PocketPC and Palm with traffic).

I took the plunge to move to a Tomtom hardware unit when I read about the upcoming HD Traffic service and bought a 730.

A bigger screen is nice, IQ routes helps a little, the computer generated voice is a real improvement but the promise of HD Traffic was absolutely the deciding factor.

If Tomtom decide to release x40 now, and then a standalone HD traffic receiver within 3 months then that is just about acceptable.
If not, then I will be demanding an upgrade to an x40 unit.

Failing that I will not only make sure that I never spend another penny with Tomtom, but would hope that enough of us could group together via this forum to look at the possibility of a class action against Tomtom.

Surely this is a flagrant breach of the trade descriptions act.

Tomtom must be made to realise that they cannot behave like this

DinAlt · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:52 pm Post subject:

That's my view too Itsmike

I've used tomtom products on the my PDA since Version 2 - I've just bought a 720 because it now seems probable that PDA support is basically dead - for them to renege on their proposed support just seems liek another kick in the teeth.
personally I'd have thought they would be delighted to sell as many people a piracy free stream of revenue - the most galling thing is that these add on recievers are actually being sold by Tomtom themselves if you live in the Netherlands.

Oh well if they don't see sense there's always the Blaupunkt 700

DinAlt

Darren · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

This may well just be a cynical marketing move to concentrate sales on the x40's in the run up to Christmas. Perhaps they plan to launch the HD Accessory in Q1 08 but who knows. It might even be something to do with the Vodafone tie in. Perhaps they charge more for the service here and there isn't enough profit to offer the HD accessory at present?

Either way I sympathise. There was mention yesterday of offering a 20% discount to subscribers to TomToms TRAFFIC via GPRS service to encourage them to buy an x40, perhaps they may extend this to x30 owners? They owe you that at least if the HD Accessory is really not going to be launched indefinitely.
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Darren Griffin

dave-t · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 25, 2006 Posts: 37

Last night I e-mailed TT expressing my "views"

I spoke to them this morning as was told that "the dongle would be released in December" - BUT they refused to put this in writing and said that this date "may slip"

I have now printed off all TT presss releases and documentation from their web site relating to the HD traffic service and told TT that I will be forwarding this material to trading standards and Advertising Standards.

I have requested that TT now treat my email as a formal complaint and expect the complaints department to contact me TODAY.

I will shortly be contacting amazon asking for a full refund on the basis that "the product cannot be used for the purpose for which it was purchased" as advertised by the manufacturer and on Amazon's web site.

I doubt that I will get anywhere but it will provide some ammusment for me!
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Dave
TT 530, TT 510, SPOT, Quo2, SatMap Active 10

ItsMikeE · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject:

I have just logged a query with TT support regarding the HD service.
I expect that I too will also soon be in touch with both Trading Standards and Amazon.

Just checked the TT website. The "Live Services" which includes HD Traffic will cost £7.99 per month.
Does anyone have a record of what price was originally stated?
I have a vague memory of 8 or 10 Euros

Darren · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject:

SpeedCam · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject:

Like Darren say's I'm of the view this is clearly down to marketing, last night I logged a call with TomTom and have just called them and have been assured that the HD will be released prior to Christmas.

This makes sense, TomTom do not want to impact the release of the x40 range, and I'm guessing that when HD is released it will offer all the functionallity of the x40 not just traffic. I can confirm that the Navcore 8.203.9717 happily runs with fully licensed maps (not pirated) on the 720.

This is almost identical to the x30 release, TomTom held back the Navcore v8 upgrades for x20 users for a few months to allow the new models to sell.

Darren I appreciate your honesty and understand how frustrating TomTom are and the challlenge you face having signed their NDA.

dave-t · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 25, 2006 Posts: 37

dhn · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject:

dave-t · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 25, 2006 Posts: 37

SpeedCam · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject:

mikealder · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject:

The 8.2xx release was a test release that someone stupidly posted on to one of the illegal file share sites so you certainly haven't missed anything. I am surprised you are still using it though as test releases can contain bugs causing problems in use (that is why the software is tested prior to release) - Mike

SpeedCam · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject:

And OT for this thread so let's leave discussion of it there please.
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Darren Griffin

carl_the_cobbler · Frequent Visitor Joined: Jul 22, 2007 Posts: 251

The best ideas are wonderfully simple and the Traffic part of the HD Services is amazingly simple, see where people aren't moving and then pass that info. on to others who are approaching as quickly as possible. I'm sure to put it into practise was a little more complex.

In the future it should be possible to completely eradicate the traffic jam. Car Radios could integrate the info. into their displays, radio reports will be far more up to date, do you reckon any radio stations are going to buy a x40 just so it can give more up to date traffic reports of the major routes in its area.

One of the problems could be that if we were to all have this technology, everyone being rerouted along the same route would cause problems and so on and so on.

Just need to have cars controlling and driving themselves, which I saw a few years ago at a job interview, it was great, and would imagine this technology would help.

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