This work by David Boxall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
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On 13 March 2012, I updated my TomTom XXL 540 as usual. Unfortunately, all did not go as usual. The device refused to start.
The following day, after some hours searching for answers on the TomTom
support
site and forums, I
sent a message via their web form:
Since a recent update, my XXL
refuses to start. The TomTom
screen comes up, followed by the loading
screen, then back to the TomTom
screen. I tried deleting
mapsettings.cfg, to no avail. The device will connect to TomTom
HOME and is accessible through Windows Explorer. Trying to operate the
device from TomTom HOME crashes the software.
TomTom support's generic auto-response was no help.
Their second effort was no better. This response didn't seem to address the issues. I replied, asking whether they really wanted me to do what they said.
TomTom support's third response was little better than those that went before. They seemed determined to concentrate on the PC software when, to my mind, the problem probably lay in the GPS unit. Despite my misgivings, I followed their instructions.
The outcome was predictable. As it turned out, following those instructions probably made things worse. A wrong solution tends to do that. My next message may have been a little testy.
TomTom support's fourth response at last addressed problems on the GPS unit, though their suggestions took little account of previous communications. Following these instructions did improve the situation, though I couldn't follow them to the end.
My next message informed TomTom that
my maps were missing. It seems following the instructions in their third
response may have led to erasure of the map files.
They then asked for proof of purchase,
which I provided by attaching a pdf to
the record on TomTom's support web site. After a brief
delay, TomTom allowed me access to the
necessary maps. It took a while, but I eventually managed to
complete and install the hefty download, confirm that everything seems to
be working and inform TomTom.
So what, if anything, does it all mean?
If my experience is any
guide, TomTom support is probably provided by the contractor who quoted
the lowest price for the service. Their responses showed poor
comprehension. That may be attributable to a lack of training or workload
pressures. It's also possible that they take every support job through
identical steps, hoping to cheaply solve the problem without having to
think about it.
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