This is a negative review based on my experience with Tom Tom devices and the website.
The devices are the 1615 via and the 1625, which have a whole nother model number at the power socket to look them up online, which is in itself is ridiculously misleading and annoying.
I'm not even going to get those numbers for the purpose of this review because basically Tom Tom in general should be avoided, not just the devices.in fact, the website hasn't been working for the past two weeks.
Details:
the 1615 I had this unit for a few years before it quit completely because the cheap, flimsy USB mini power socket lifted off the board. It cost me $90 new. But before that, there were ongoing problems. Like after the first two weeks away it was hell to turn on. Supposedly Tom Toms come on when power is plugged in but most of the time this one didn't and didn't when the power button was hit, I had to keep hitting it and holding it and hitting it sometimes getting it to come on up to 15 minutes later and nearly always with the "new user" agreement! That's because, as I found out, if you hold the power button for 2 seconds it resets. Luckily my favorites and settings are not wiped out.
The 1615 also also always seemed to have a parallax error or something in the screen where I touched one option but activated the option in the next line below.It was nearly impossible and dangerous to try program a new destination on the fly. I had to remember to aim at the selection above the one I wanted in order to activate the choice I wanted. the 1625 that replaced it has issues but thankfully not this one nor the power issue after I altered the power port.
So the next issue arose when I replaced it with a 1625. it had maps but had none due to being resold and the site wanted me to purchase a US MAP for $50 which I was not about to do and I wrote them and told them I was a customer all read and if they wouldn't transfer my free map to the new device, then I would never buy TomTom again. I got no response and had to call them and they apologized and made the map available on the 1625 for me and I asked why I couldn't achieve this online without assistance and she didn't answer.
But I get ahead of myself. based on the last experience, I hot glued all around the power port on the motherboard to secure it in the case and on the board. That worked for awhile and then the battery use kept coming on. So there is play in the socket and I fiddled with it holding it half in, etc. and determined that I could reliably make the power stay connected by pressing the plug end outside the socket firmly into the chassis. so I epoxied a sleeve onto the case for the power plug where it slips into the socket and let the epoxy set up enough to clamp it against the case lightly with Vice Grips, fashioning a tight socket that keeps the power reliably connected.
But there is more, I lost my favorites in the 1615 and was dumbfounded to find out that even though I am encouraged to connect my device to their website for updates and back ups and to share my data, Tom Tom is too money hungry to have customer oriented services like "favorites" back ups, which is infuriating since my favorites were extensive and very useful.
But that's not all. these devices always route the same way up on busy main highways and they never learn better even when you use better quicker routes FOR YEARS and supposedly upload the data to the Tom Tom community. I have no experience with any other GPS and frankly, talking to other people, the other brands have this issue plus others, like having to pa a monthly subscription fee.
Full disclosure, the reason I didn't return the 1625 is because I am used to having to alter tools and equipment to make them better and work because the alternative is to return them and either get my money back and be without the thing I need or get another one WITH THE EXACT SAME FLAW. So right now, the 1625 works fine after my alterations, but the website is FUBAR.
Ridiculous drawback in the GPS system: I was amazed to find out that when you need it most, like in a blinding rainstorm or fog and you can't see, GPS doesn't work! it will route you willy nilly randomly anywhere, in my case apparently meandering around the Orlando international Airport in endless circles because the satellites can't communicate with your device! I use GPS at night a lot to see ahead to my next turn even though i know where I am going. But if it is really cloudy, and maybe foggy as well and I could use it even more, it won't work at all!
So finally, The website hasn't been working for the past two weeks and I cannot plug the 1625 into my computer and update it to stop the "You're map is out of date" nag screen. The website just says "we're busy right now and won't download the updates.
The devices are the 1615 via and the 1625, which have a whole nother model number at the power socket to look them up online, which is in itself is ridiculously misleading and annoying.
I'm not even going to get those numbers for the purpose of this review because basically Tom Tom in general should be avoided, not just the devices.in fact, the website hasn't been working for the past two weeks.
Details:
the 1615 I had this unit for a few years before it quit completely because the cheap, flimsy USB mini power socket lifted off the board. It cost me $90 new. But before that, there were ongoing problems. Like after the first two weeks away it was hell to turn on. Supposedly Tom Toms come on when power is plugged in but most of the time this one didn't and didn't when the power button was hit, I had to keep hitting it and holding it and hitting it sometimes getting it to come on up to 15 minutes later and nearly always with the "new user" agreement! That's because, as I found out, if you hold the power button for 2 seconds it resets. Luckily my favorites and settings are not wiped out.
The 1615 also also always seemed to have a parallax error or something in the screen where I touched one option but activated the option in the next line below.It was nearly impossible and dangerous to try program a new destination on the fly. I had to remember to aim at the selection above the one I wanted in order to activate the choice I wanted. the 1625 that replaced it has issues but thankfully not this one nor the power issue after I altered the power port.
So the next issue arose when I replaced it with a 1625. it had maps but had none due to being resold and the site wanted me to purchase a US MAP for $50 which I was not about to do and I wrote them and told them I was a customer all read and if they wouldn't transfer my free map to the new device, then I would never buy TomTom again. I got no response and had to call them and they apologized and made the map available on the 1625 for me and I asked why I couldn't achieve this online without assistance and she didn't answer.
But I get ahead of myself. based on the last experience, I hot glued all around the power port on the motherboard to secure it in the case and on the board. That worked for awhile and then the battery use kept coming on. So there is play in the socket and I fiddled with it holding it half in, etc. and determined that I could reliably make the power stay connected by pressing the plug end outside the socket firmly into the chassis. so I epoxied a sleeve onto the case for the power plug where it slips into the socket and let the epoxy set up enough to clamp it against the case lightly with Vice Grips, fashioning a tight socket that keeps the power reliably connected.
But there is more, I lost my favorites in the 1615 and was dumbfounded to find out that even though I am encouraged to connect my device to their website for updates and back ups and to share my data, Tom Tom is too money hungry to have customer oriented services like "favorites" back ups, which is infuriating since my favorites were extensive and very useful.
But that's not all. these devices always route the same way up on busy main highways and they never learn better even when you use better quicker routes FOR YEARS and supposedly upload the data to the Tom Tom community. I have no experience with any other GPS and frankly, talking to other people, the other brands have this issue plus others, like having to pa a monthly subscription fee.
Full disclosure, the reason I didn't return the 1625 is because I am used to having to alter tools and equipment to make them better and work because the alternative is to return them and either get my money back and be without the thing I need or get another one WITH THE EXACT SAME FLAW. So right now, the 1625 works fine after my alterations, but the website is FUBAR.
Ridiculous drawback in the GPS system: I was amazed to find out that when you need it most, like in a blinding rainstorm or fog and you can't see, GPS doesn't work! it will route you willy nilly randomly anywhere, in my case apparently meandering around the Orlando international Airport in endless circles because the satellites can't communicate with your device! I use GPS at night a lot to see ahead to my next turn even though i know where I am going. But if it is really cloudy, and maybe foggy as well and I could use it even more, it won't work at all!
So finally, The website hasn't been working for the past two weeks and I cannot plug the 1625 into my computer and update it to stop the "You're map is out of date" nag screen. The website just says "we're busy right now and won't download the updates.
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