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jonandmarkuk
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Posts: 832
Location: Derby
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 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:50 am Post subject: |
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| I think Michelin are in trouble in general, go to the main page and you will see since last year they have been making cuts and hiking the price of tyres. Also they tried and failed to break into the US GPS market and that won't have come cheap. Maybe they should have just stayed focused on the European market. |
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SpikeyMikey
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Joined: Mar 21, 2006
Posts: 852
Location: Hertfordshire. Forever blowing bubbles
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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I can't believe this !
I can't get near a PC for a few days and the whole world goes mad 
I've got a PND that won't be supported soon and a Windows mobile solution that Tom Tom might well drop as well.
Now where are all those maps, compass, back seat driver ....................................
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Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert |
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Deepfour
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Joined: Jul 05, 2006
Posts: 169
Location: Maidenhead
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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pikey
The units will still be supported with the warrenty and any updates which were specified when purchased. I hope by tomorrow to get a full breakdown of support going forwards and will post this official document on the forum when I do,
Cheers all
Stu
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SpikeyMikey
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Joined: Mar 21, 2006
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Location: Hertfordshire. Forever blowing bubbles
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Stu,
Sorry to hear your news.
Are you casting nasturtiums (sp) on my upbringing? 
I just meant, echoing others, that here we are with a growing band of enthusiastic users, with a more than helpful insider contact, and they go and pull the plug on what is a great range of products.
I sincerely hope your job search is successful 
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Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert |
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jonandmarkuk
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Joined: Aug 06, 2006
Posts: 832
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Deepfour wrote: | pikey
The units will still be supported with the warrenty and any updates which were specified when purchased. I hope by tomorrow to get a full breakdown of support going forwards and will post this official document on the forum when I do,
Cheers all
Stu |
Cheers. I think it's really bad that ViaMichelin has been so slow to post official information. (NOT YOU btw) The day it was released to the press there should have been information on the ViaMichelin main website to let customers know what is going to happen. I love my x980t and feel it's a real shame that VM are pulling out the market. Just hope someone else is in line to take over.
Suppose it could have been expected when even the AA stopped GPS units early last year. |
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perussell
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Joined: May 12, 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Cheers. I think it's really bad that ViaMichelin has been so slow to post official information. (NOT YOU btw) The day it was released to the press there should have been information on the ViaMichelin main website to let customers know what is going to happen. |
The cynical side of me says that VM still have a load of unsold units sitting on their distributors' shelves which might stop moving if people know they are about to withdraw from the market.
With all the competition on the market would you buy a satnav from a particular supplier if you knew they were about to exit the market?  |
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Plenty buy no-name brands that have little likelihood of on-going support or updates 
If it's cheap enough they'll get sold.
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perussell
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | If it's cheap enough they'll get sold. |
exactly, how long before we see VM units being sold at say 50% discount to clear the shelves? As somebody who was global head of marketing a few years back for a division in a large household name company I know well that one is always seeking to maximise returns and so VM will hang on as long as possible before HAVING to own up to events and discount their last remaining products.
I think the sort of people who visit the branded websites e.g. viamichelin.com are those who take their purchases a little more seriously and carry out a degree of research. They are the ones who may subequently go and purchase their products elsewhere if they know what is around the corner.............. |
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Deepfour
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Posts: 169
Location: Maidenhead
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure if you are referring to us as a no name brand Darren.... 
Actually to answer some of your questions we have had no official press communication so far, This will come out in a few days. The official communication together with all the support details was to be released at the same time but there was a leak in France which was picked up by our eagle eyed PGPSW hosts!!.
We do have stock left to sell and will be continuing to do this and to support all products for the full 2 years of the warranty.
Someone mentioned AA - They pulled out and left no support and we will definitely not do that to our customers.
If I end up working at another Navigation Brand then I hope to carry on the same sort of support there.
I will always be here to help those loyal VM customers we have had over what has been a very exciting 2 years!!
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Darren
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Deepfour wrote: | | Not sure if you are referring to us as a no name brand Darren.... |
No of course not!
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Darren Griffin |
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Darren
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| perussell wrote: | | I think the sort of people who visit the branded websites e.g. viamichelin.com are those who take their purchases a little more seriously and carry out a degree of research. |
Partly true although many consumers first entry into GPS is from a purchase on the high street. And the purchase decision they make is often based on very poor advice from shop staff.
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greychin
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Joined: Nov 28, 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Well I am quite upset really. I have been a Michelin fan ever since I bought my first Citroen 2cv 36 years ago. Before that, I remember the Michelin tyres on my dad’s old Citroen that always looked half-flat. Michelin maps are the clearest maps by far. So of course, I bought an x980t, no other choice! It is a very good bit of kit and as far as I can see still well ahead of the competition. I have the 2-year updates and will be hoping they carry on successfully. I agree with a previous post that it always seems to be the best that are dumped first. The general rabble has no taste! I shall miss all the chat about these gadgets and I wish Stu and his mate’s good job hunting. Regards Mart. |
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Barkley
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Joined: Sep 17, 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry - but I think this is GREAT news. The market has clearly decided, and I for one invested time and patience only discovering their mapping product was one of the worst available, with details of POIs and road alignments some five years out of date. Considering Michelin's PAPER maps are without equal anywhere in Europe, their electronic equivalent was a sad excuse and simply a 'me too' approach to fly the flag. I still have memories of arriving in Northern Ireland to find NO roads connecting Belfast and Derry (this was 2004 mapping) yet when you complain you are told that was 'all the information' that was available to them! Yet Garmin and Autoroute managed to have reasonable coverage since 2002.
Sorry about the staff, but with the mapping now in the domain of Navteq and a few others, hopefully VM will simply be just a bad memory. |
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Darren
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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VM use TeleAtlas maps as do many other major players. The issues you describe applied to EVERY product that used TeleAtlas mapping. The situation is better now but that is not the fault of VM.
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Darren Griffin |
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Deepfour
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Location: Maidenhead
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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I have to agree with the comment from Darren and I think there are another few things to note.
We gave customers the chance to get the latest maps with the Map update System.....This meant that if you got a unit and a new map release was available then you could get it for just the postage costs when you register the device. Try doing that with ANY other manufacturer and you wont be able to.
We also made maps available for 2 yrs under a subscription program which meant that it was very cheap compared with other manufacturers mapping and automatically sent out you every 6 months.
I have checked back and NO product we have ever produced had 2004 mapping on it - We didn't even ship our first PND units in Europe until November 2005 and this had Mid 2005 Maps on it, Maybe you were looking at the copyright info for something on the device not the Map info or you are talking about our earlier PDA products?
The loss of any manufacturer in a market place is sad as in concentrates the market and stops innovation and allows those who dominate the market to control pricing more.
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