General One year later, and still no TomTom

[Kris8]

Hello, all. Haven't been on here in quite a while but wanted to see how other Abarth owners in Canada or the US have fared in getting the TomTom gps unit from their dealer. I'll have had mine for exactly one year this month and still haven't received the unit. I've phoned the dealer a couple times and called the Chrysler Customer Care line a few times....each time I was told they were hoping it would be delivered in a few more weeks.

I'm starting to feel like I imagined it was supposed to come with my car, because most of the people I've contacted didn't even understand what a TomTom is...but that friggin' port for it IS on my dash. I even have the cradle for the unit in my glovebox. Grrrr.

Anyway, I'm going in this Friday for my first oil change and tire rotation and I plan on causing a stink over it. I just wanted to check with other Abarth owners, especially Canadian ones, because I remember a few on here saying they were still waiting for theirs.

Getting really fed up with this. Seeing how there is only one Fiat dealer in my province you would think they would be trying to build a satisfied customer base. This is definitely not the way to do it.

 

[jrkitching]

...you would think they would be trying to build a satisfied customer base...

This is not what FIAT dealers do. In Europe, the dealership experience is reckoned to be one of the worst in the industry. There are a few who care & try harder; most don't.

FIAT customer services seem to be there mostly to protect FIAT from its customer base. There have been some exceptions, but generally you won't get any concessionary treatment beyond what is legally required to comply with the terms of the warranty. If you have a failure the day after the warranty runs out, you'll likely be on your own.

 

[Kris8]

Oh fabulous. Thanks for the reply.

It's a shame, because I do like the car. This situation alone is kind of making me regret not going with VW again, though.

 

[jrkitching]

Oh fabulous. Thanks for the reply.

It's a shame, because I do like the car. This situation alone is kind of making me regret not going with VW again, though.

FIAT aficionados put up with the sometimes indifferent build quality & appalling factory/dealer support to own a stylish, individual car that's genuinely different from the rest of the pack.

 

[Kris8]

Oh, don't get me wrong...I am proud of my car. At first, all the looks I got driving through town was a bit unsettling, but now I find it very cool having something so different that still draws attention on a daily basis.

Call me crazy, though...I just don't think there should be a trade off of crappy customer service to have a cool car.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[Jasoon]

Hello, all. Haven't been on here in quite a while but wanted to see how other Abarth owners in Canada or the US have fared in getting the TomTom gps unit from their dealer....

I'm starting to feel like I imagined it was supposed to come with my car....

One year? Wow, that's some patience.

Just curious, was the TomTom listed on the dealer sticker? Was it on the Dealer add on page? Did you and the dealer sign something agreeing to the addition of the GPS Unit? An Example: When I bought our van some years back, I requested a few upgrades at cost.... Fog lights, upgraded emblems, Factory Subwoofer. There was a page we had to sign stating the dealer agreed to add those things.

FWIW, I have added in-dash GPS to 2 of my cars, and I prefer the GPS on my Galaxy S3. If they haven't got it in by now, get a refund and buy a nice phone cradle off of Amazon. Search Keyword "RAM". You'll be much happier.

 

[Kris8]

I've had the cradle for the TomTom in my glovebox since I bought the car, and the salesman who sold me the car said it came with the Abarth and it would "only be a few weeks'...or maybe 52. Didn't have to sign anything. When I bought the car I also had to wait about a month to get my second key set. Thought that was strange at the time.

Anyway, had my service appt. this morning and went in thinking I'd have a fight on my hands getting any resolution to this. The guy who sold me the car apparently now works at another dealership, but an older salesman approached me and seemed determined to fix the problem today. He had a $500 credit put on my service account and started calling around in search of a TomTom. So we headed for home, an hour away, and then got a call from them that they had located a unit but would have to test it on my car to see if it's compatible. We're on vacation in a few more weeks so will probably head back in to see if it works.

On a side note, I noticed that the 2 new 2013 Abarths on the lot do not have the TomTom port on the dash and it isn't even an option anymore.

 

[loveshandbags]

I've had the cradle for the TomTom in my glovebox since I bought the car, .... and then got a call from them that they had located a unit but would have to test it on my car to see if it's compatible. We're on vacation in a few more weeks so will probably head back in to see if it works.

The TT B&Me 2 will work as a Sat Nav 'out of the box' and if it's compatable it will integrate with the B&Me in the car allowing you select Music, give some stats on mpg etc. Would suggest that they courier or post it to you so that you can try it out yourself.

...
On a side note, I noticed that the 2 new 2013 Abarths on the lot do not have the TomTom port on the dash and it isn't even an option anymore.

Since it is based on the Go Live 1000 this isn't listed anymore on the TT site so it will most likely be discontinued. The 1005 is a 5 incher and will be to big for the cradle (Flashyphotos tested it).

I have the B&Me TT 2 in a MiTo & it works fine as a Sat Nav but does not integrate. Since it's primarily a Sat Nav I don't miss the addtional functions.

 

[Kris8]

Thanks for that info....I'm not an expert on them by any means. When I go into to test it it will have to be completely compatible and do more than a standard GPS...like you mentioned, integrate with the Blue&Me, etc. If it doesn't I'll just stick with the credit they put on my account. I can get a decent GPS system for a heck of a lot less than $500....

 

[loveshandbags]

Thanks for that info....I'm not an expert on them by any means. When I go into to test it it will have to be completely compatible and do more than a standard GPS...like you mentioned, integrate with the Blue&Me, etc. If it doesn't I'll just stick with the credit they put on my account. I can get a decent GPS system for a heck of a lot less than $500....

A credit of €500 translates into €380 odd. You could forget about the gadget capability of the B&Me TT live 2 and try and pick up a discounted Go Live 1000 model. Having the cradle is a plus & worth around £50. Key feature of one of these TTs is the absence of trailing wires.