Falcon Navigator - Warning

[Parksy]

Falcon Navigator SatNav – Warning

Purchased this SatNav at the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC recently. Fresh out of the box I tested it with my motorhome dimensions in my home town with a known height restriction. BANG!!!! The planned route directed me under a 15th century arch 23cm (9” in old money) less that the programmed height of my motorhome.

It gets worse, multiple telephone message and e-mails go unanswered, including written letters to Directors. All simply asking for a return address and a refund. Still working on a refund via my credit disputes department.

Moderators Edit:
The remainder of this post has had to be removed from the message board because it is in direct breach of Forum Etiquette Rule 4 which states:
'You may not transmit complaints about named companies or caravan parks.
Such individual issues should be taken up with the company direct.'
It is unfortunate that you are unhappy with the product but a caravan forum is not the best platform from which to seek recompense.
My advice is to contact your local trading standards with the details of your complaint to seek their advice.

 

[Damian]

Regardless of what a sat nav says to do, they are only ever a GUIDE, they are NOT infallible and caution must be taken when following their directions.

Local knowledge is a wonderful thing as you more than likely know what various roads and restrictions are in place, but when in unknown areas be very careful and there is no substitute for alertness and reading road signs and the use of old fashioned paper maps.

 

[otherclive]

Is there a need for DK to post in three separate areas of the forum, its hardly a life/death issue. Anyway how accurate is the information regarding the true height of the motorhome?

 

[Parksy]

Is there a need for DK to post in three separate areas of the forum, its hardly a life/death issue. Anyway how accurate is the information regarding the true height of the motorhome?

DK seems to have a grievance against the manufacturer but I'm not sure if it was because the sat nav directed him under a low bridge or if he's found out that he could have bought the sat nav cheaper elsewhere.
Fortunately while I was editing this OP, Damian had seen the duplicate postings plastered all over the forum and put a stop to it

I have to say that if everyone threw a wobbly every time that they'd been mis-directed by their sat nav Damian and myself would be working non stop to remove complaints which broke the rules.
I don't know which is the worst when towing the caravan - relying on the sat nav or trusting to Herself's non existent map reading skills, so I always check on Google Earth for myself beforehand.

 

[otherclive]

I am the sad sort that has two satnavs and vie them off against each other!! But my Garmin is programmable from the PC so like you Parksy I check my routes out on Google and then when I am happy I load them into the Garmin. But as a fall back I always have Google routes printed as well as an up to date map book. One thing I dont do even with the programed Garmin is allow it to take me off route if there is a hold up/congestion etc. I always stick to the route or use the map book to divert. Of course when Ive not got 1.5 tonne of aluminium behind I am more trusting of the satnavs own route options.

 

[Surfer]

Can I add that perhaps the moderators standard advice should be changed to give a bit more guidance, but without detailing in depth what to do? Perhaps included in the "Moderators Edit" a suggestion that any poster that has an issue, write by snail mail to the supplier and not the manufactuer and get proof of posting. Failing a response from the supplier, the aggrieved poster can return to the forum and ask for further assistance.
TS have no interest until you have exhausted the suppliers complaints procedure and besides theya re so overloaded it si unlikely you will get a response within days. Also I think these days TS can only be contacted via CAB. The above is hopefully only a helpful suggestion and not a criticism of the current format.

 

[Parksy]

Can I add that perhaps the moderators standard advice should be changed to give a bit more guidance, but without detailing in depth what to do? Perhaps included in the "Moderators Edit" a suggestion that any poster that has an issue, write by snail mail to the supplier and not the manufactuer and get proof of posting. Failing a response from the supplier, the aggrieved poster can return to the forum and ask for further assistance.
TS have no interest until you have exhausted the suppliers complaints procedure and besides theya re so overloaded it si unlikely you will get a response within days. Also I think these days TS can only be contacted via CAB. The above is hopefully only a helpful suggestion and not a criticism of the current format.

Good point Surfer

Not generally known is that is in this particular case (and in others where I deal with forum issues) I contacted the OP via email, pointed out the reason behind my action and suggested that the OP sought further advice.
Having said that, even though a post has been edited to comply with forum etiquette there's nothing to prevent fellow members from offering advice along the lines that you have suggested.

 

[DavidKennerley]

Firstly I wish to say sorry for breaching the forum rules. I have contacted the Moderator to give my apologies.
Accept that satnav is a back up, but would you have any reliance in Eastern Europe (next trip) on a unit that performed in this way.
Supplier has this morning now offered refund and has advised me that Sniper SN-700 is in fact different.

 

[DavidKennerley]

Firstly I wish to say sorry for breaching the forum rules. I have contacted the Moderator to give my apologies.

 

[DavidKennerley]

Hi Surfer
Contacted supplier over 14 times, including snail mail to parent company directors. The purpose of writing in the forum was to warn others only.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

. Anyway how accurate is the information regarding the true height of the motorhome?

about 10ft 3in in old money (with the status on) 15th centuary bridge (built for horse and carrages and the odd haywain) about 9ft 6in,
OUCH!!!!.
to be fair I think DK's complaint is that the new super dooper hi tech expensive sat navs ARE supposed to know where unsuitable roads are once the dimentions of the unit has been imputted, otherwise a £50 halfords special is good enough,
allthough having said that there is no substitute for using your eyes, all these obsiticals are well sign posted, well in advance, so don't trust the satnav,
only been caught out once when we had the M/home going to a new site, we were stopped by the police on a country lane that approached the site about 3miles away, he said where you going !! to so and so site this is the recommended route acording to the site book, not for high sided vehicles he said there's a 9ft 9in bridge just before you get to the site, a caravan would be ok but not one of these, you will have to go back and detour round to the other side, of the bridge. so I did??.
on arriving after a 15mile round trip. I mentioned it to the owner, oh thats right it is in the book "no acsess for m/homes" use alternative route, when I looked there is was, and I had missed it!! and had a lucky escape,