Anyone had dealings with them recently?
My Garmin has failed after 8 mths and I atempted to return it for a replacment on Saturday as I urgently needed to use it. 
Seems they no longer stock Sat Navs and the shop seemed low on stock generally...hmmm wonder if they in financial problems?
Anyways I produced my reciept and as they had no repl unit and would take around two weeks to get one I asked for a refund which initially the staff happy to give.  However after a call to the regional manager it was refused saying I had to contact him directly during the week...
I wasnt impressed!
I always tght that you were entitled to a replacment item under the sale of goods act within any reasonable time span dependant on the price paid and reasonable expected lifetime of the item (condition/care is a factor too). 
So for a £400 sat nav to last only 8 months with only intermittant summer use is in my opinion unreasonable.....
Garmin DO warranty products for 12months anyway....but of course my CONTRACT is with the retailer who should sort it out.

SO folks just be aware,Heine Gereike NOT as helpful as they once were......well Maidstone branch isnt!                                                                                                                                                                             

Andy you should have told himyou will meet him in the shop on monday at 10am for your refund and point out if he or the cash isnt there you will just pass it on to trading standards
                                                                                                                                                                             

Get in touch with garmin,they will ask you to send it to them and will replace they did with mine very helpfully and very prompt                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm sure your right Alex (about Garmin) But Andy is quite right, it's the RETALERS responsibility by LAW Contact Trading Standards office Andy, maybe give the regional manager a ring first to offer 1 last chance to resolve it I'm sure the "new" LAW says you are entitled to a replacement item if it's still available or a FULL refund if you want one     I could never understand how HG could stay in business, in such a  "financially challenged" climate                                                                                                                                                                             

just tried phonning HG customer services about something that i bought mail order,and hasnt arrived yet... all i get is a message saying to ring back when they are open, which is 9 till 5 - and its now 10.30.. hmmm

                                                                                                                                                                             

hmm indeed Neil......
Ive had no reply to yesterdays e mails or phone call to HG head office despite a promise to deal with it promptly so Ive sent anther long e mail asking again for my refund to be sorted today.

emzed, exactly....not up to me to chase Garmin..                                                                                                                                                                             

JP...we see what occurs today.....

                                                                                                                                                                             

HG in Leeds are stocked up so there is no indication there that they are in trouble. Got three Garmin's & never had a prob with them I would contact Garmin's customer services they mite ring HG & sort it out for you? I had a problem with an alternator in March & one call to trading standards sorted it out as they told me how to word a letter but I believe they have been dispanded now due to cutbacks?                                                                                                                                                                             

Well Maidstone didnt have much of a selection of sizes in the leathers I was looking at whilst there and shop hadnt fixed the failed lighting since my last visit months prev....no budget apparently for repair.#                                                                                                                                                                             

Not looking good....                                                                                                                                                                             

HI rosso , i had a garmin zumo and after 8 months it was giving problems such as freezing and tryed rbooting but no good so sent of to;- Garmin Europe
       Liberty House
       Honsdown Buisness Park
       Southhampton
       S0409LR
     08082380000

give them a try they should be able to help at least as long as its still under warauntee send it with your serial number and where you purchased it , good luck .

they sent me a new one back within 10 days and it been working fine .

well going off at a slight tangent, i still cant get any response by phone or email from their "customer service" department.... oh well i'll give them till the end of the week and raise a paypal claim back... shame, i'm not in a desperate hurry for the stuff but just would like them to tell me that it has or hasnt been sent/lost... sad really when retailers are supposed to be suffering hard times...                                                                                                                                                                               

Jst to end this the area manager finally sent me a new power lead to try..I had to go to Maidstone to collect it tho..but it worked|! 
Frustrating it took so much effort ot sort it,if only they kept a sat nav in stock or spare leads et it coulda been sorted in minutes...
Moral....only buy fron someone who specialises and keeps stock!                                                                                                                                                                             

Result!   Andy for info, had a email from HG with special promo's on.....looks like they are planning to be around for a bit   I have had lots of stuff from them over the years & had no probs at all, looks like this mite just be a bad experence                                                                                                                                                                              

Tried sat nav last night on a ride out..worked for 5 mins an packed up again grrrrrrrr.
ffs!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

well hope you have better luck with their "customer services" - still not answerign the phone or responding to emails so have opened a paypal dispute..                                                                                                                                                                               

My sat nav saga STILL ongoing....Ive returned faulty unit to the shop with an e mail saying I never want to see it again and a request for a refund. Now they saying they cannot refund the monies until Garmin say its faulty and reimburse them!  grr                                                                                                                                                                             

That's BO**OKS Andy   The LAW says that they MUST replace or refund   Phone Trading Standards today   They are breaking the law and MUST be held to account   If they are under the impression that you are ignorant of your rights and they think they are "too big" for you to argue with (like banks,insurance companies etc.) Then it's your duty to bring the LAW  (hard won)  to bear on them   Keep us informed please Andy, I'm sure we all really want a satisfactory conclusion for you, to this appalling saga   And would be good to know how they respond to having the LAW on their case                                                                                                                                                                              

Absolutely. The contract of sale is between you and HG, not Garmin.                                                                                                                                                                              

yee I agree folks, issue is of course the onus is on me to provide evidence it was faulty when I purchased it...over 7mths old when it finally packed up....and ongoing since...
I e mailed them yesterday..and surprise surprise..no reply yet....

I wil pursue it fully have no fear,its all documented and I pretty sure the County Court/Trading Standards will be on my side.
Another problem is TS have not the resources to take it on for me...