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Joined: Jun 27, 2005 Posts: 14 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:16 pm Post subject: Map Database Errors
Has anyone noticed errors in the viaMichelin v3 map database (and are they fixed for v4)?
I had suspicions about the accuraccy of the databse when I first bought VM3 in May, when it couldn't find the street I live in - I eventually found it when I realised it didn't know about my town; in fact, the only town it could find streets in in south Aberdeenshire was Braemar. When I accepted the fact that I really lived in a town 50 miles away, all was OK! More was to come.
Bathgate, if you ask VM3 to take you there, is in Livingston - a town about 5 miles along the M8. Kirkcaldy is in Dunfermline - search for certain Dunfermline streets and it will only find them if you realise they're really in Kirkcaldy (14 miles away). If you want a bracing weekend by the sea in Bridlington, don't be surprised if you have a long walk to the beach - VM3 shows Bridlington as being in Beverley (20 miles away).
I found these errors in actual use, not through trying to find errors - I'm sure I can't have found the only ones. When I reported them, and subsequently followed up and asked if/when they'd be sorted, I was told v4 would be out soon.
I'm not chuffed being told I get a €50 discount - that's still paying out €149 to get some significant errors fixed. I've asked Michelin if they are actually fixed in v4 but they're not answering. As of posting this message, the above errors are still in their online service: go to http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/, ask it for Bathgate, Kirkcaldy or Bridlington and see the map it produces.
Anyone got v4? Are they fixed? VM3 has been a good program, though I can't trust it - which is, to my mind, a fundamental flaw. With the approach to customer service I'm experiencing, I'll not be paying out to get it fixed. Give me the fix so I get the quality of product I originally paid for and I'll give them a second chance. I don't hold out much hope for that. For the price of their user upgrade, I can almost buy a complete new TomTom5 package! _________________ Steve @ Aberdeen
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:28 pm Post subject: Re: Map Database Errors
The mapping is not produced by the software manufacturer. It is bought from map companies. I believe that someone previously mentioned in these forums that the maps for VM are produced by Tele-Atlas and that they also provide the mapping for TomTom and other navigation companies.
I don't know why you are getting wrong hits for your area, might it be because of it working by Post Towns? (Just a guess) You might believe you live in Kirk Street, Anytown but Anytown is actually for postal purposes part of Post Town therefore perhaps you will only find it if you search for Kirk Street in Post Town.
sbcco wrote:
Bathgate, if you ask VM3 to take you there, is in Livingston - a town about 5 miles along the M8.
However, if you search for Race Road, Bathgate, it takes you directly there.
sbcco wrote:
Kirkcaldy is in Dunfermline - search for certain Dunfermline streets and it will only find them if you realise they're really in Kirkcaldy (14 miles away).
That could be because of what I said earlier.
sbcco wrote:
If you want a bracing weekend by the sea in Bridlington, don't be surprised if you have a long walk to the beach - VM3 shows Bridlington as being in Beverley (20 miles away).
When you do this search online at http://viamichelin.co.uk and then increase from the default scale to the regional scale, you will see that Bridlington is (incorrectly) directly under the centre spot and that Bridlington does not appear where it should. So the software is correctly finding Bridglington on the map, just that the map is wrong. This is the fault of the mapping company and faults should be reported to them. I can't remember how to do that but know that some other users of this forum may be able to advise on this.
sbcco wrote:
VM3 has been a good program, though I can't trust it - which is, to my mind, a fundamental flaw. With the approach to customer service I'm experiencing, I'll not be paying out to get it fixed. Give me the fix so I get the quality of product I originally paid for and I'll give them a second chance. I don't hold out much hope for that. For the price of their user upgrade, I can almost buy a complete new TomTom5 package!
But do remember that if VM's maps have faults that these faults will be present in any other programme that uses the same mapping.[/url]
Joined: Jun 27, 2005 Posts: 14 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:18 pm Post subject:
Quote:
The mapping is not produced by the software manufacturer. It is bought from map companies. I believe that someone previously mentioned in these forums that the maps for VM are produced by Tele-Atlas and that they also provide the mapping for TomTom and other navigation companies...
...This is the fault of the mapping company and faults should be reported to them. I can't remember how to do that but know that some other users of this forum may be able to advise on this.
That may be so, but I've bought the maps as part of the VM3 package so I expect them to sell me accurate maps. To take the arguement further, I believe the software application is also bought-in from another company - but I still expect viaMichelin to take responsibility for it. They are, after all, the ones who are getting my money.
Admit that the maps have errors, fix them in the next release and let me have the fix and I'd have been quite happy. Pass off my problems and then ask me to pay €149 to get them fixed (assuming they have been fixed - they've certainly not updated their online ones and have gone quiet on a direct email request for confirmation).
Quote:
I don't know why you are getting wrong hits for your area, might it be because of it working by Post Towns? (Just a guess) You might believe you live in Kirk Street, Anytown but Anytown is actually for postal purposes part of Post Town therefore perhaps you will only find it if you search for Kirk Street in Post Town.
If I search for a street within a particular county or town, I'd expect it to return hits for all streets of that name in that area. It doesn't matter how they do it but, if they provide a facility to search by town and then street, it should return the street in the town you've just selected!! For most, it does just that but, at times, the streets are listed in other towns or areas. I live in a post town but, if I search for my home town, then my street, the map goes to a street of the same name in a town 15 miles away!
Quote:
However, if you search for Race Road, Bathgate, it takes you directly there.
Yes, but ask it to just take you to Bathgate and you'll end up in Livingston. Ask for Elgin Street in Dunfermline and you'll need to select Elgin Street in Kircaldy to get it.
Quote:
When you do this search online at http://viamichelin.co.uk and then increase from the default scale to the regional scale, you will see that Bridlington is (incorrectly) directly under the centre spot and that Bridlington does not appear where it should. So the software is correctly finding Bridglington on the map, just that the map is wrong.
I'm surprised nobody else seems to think maps should be accurate.
Quote:
But do remember that if VM's maps have faults that these faults will be present in any other programme that uses the same mapping.
True, though a quick scan of other mapping applications I've been able to try haven't shown these mistakes. So far I've checked the RAC, AA and Streetmap online, and tried a TomTom 300. My suspicion is that the map is fine at the street level, it's teh underlying database that links it into the search, routing and display applications that has the faults, and that is likely to be specific to the application. _________________ Steve @ Aberdeen
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I'm surprised nobody else seems to think maps should be accurate.
I'm surprised that you think I was suggesting that they should be inaccurate or that we should accept such a situation. What I am suggesting is that when you discover errors, you should report them.
Joined: Jun 27, 2005 Posts: 14 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:47 pm Post subject:
metroace wrote:
sbcco wrote:
I'm surprised nobody else seems to think maps should be accurate.
I'm surprised that you think I was suggesting that they should be inaccurate or that we should accept such a situation. What I am suggesting is that when you discover errors, you should report them.
Your response seemed to imply that I was moaning here, rather than telling the supplier.
My argument with viaMichelin is that I have reported the errors to them; a chase-up email asking if there would be a fix was (eventually) another email saying an upgrade with new maps would be out in a few months. Then, a couple of weeks ago I get an email telling me how glad they are to offer me €50 off the new version.
I say "eventually" because most emails from them in my folders are either automatic acknowledgements or boilerplates apologising for a delay in replying because of the volume of emails being received. When I queried their policy of asking customers to pay for an upgrade to fix problems in the version they've already bought (and only 6 months previously), I got the new boilerplate saying it's a €50 discount or nothing. _________________ Steve @ Aberdeen
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Whiile I fully agree with you that inaccurate maps are a scandal, it is not something that is VM's problem alone.
I have been to the TomTomGo forum and there is a thread there at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=20507&start=0 where the users are all bemoaning a map upgrade. The maps for TomTom are produced by Tele-Atlas, the same company that provides mapping for VM. So jumping ship to TomTom just because of the mapping would not necessarily provide any benefit from a mapping point of view.
I'm not defending VMs pxss-poor customer service, that is appalling and infuriating. Just pointing out that map problems are not solved by changing system.
(It seems that I am not allowed to type the word that begins with P, ends in double-S and has an I in the middle without it being censored by this forum! When you do, it comes out like this - .)
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