Faulty devices!

It is with extreme and utmost frustration that I finally put pen to paper and express my disappointment with your product. I have tried numerous times to solve my problem at store and customer service level with no success, which has now left me very dissatisfied with the Garmin brand.

My husband and I both purchased a fitness watch from Sportmans Warehouse (Tyger Valley – Cape Town, SA) on 28/04/2019 – details below: Garmin Forerunner 935 – Serial no: 50S257114 Forerunner 35 – Serial no: 4SH695981

For the last 6 months, the elevation gain of the Forerunner 935 has been totally faulty, forcing my husband to actually use his phone for this information when he exercises. The elevation gain is double than what it should be and he has spent endless nights researching on the internet and implemented all the advice given online, with no success. He is a cyclist and heavily relies on this data during his races.

For the last 4 months, my Forerunner 35 only sporadically records my work-outs, resulting in me loosing out on fitness points with my medical aid/health insurer, and fitness points that transfers into cash is the whole reason why everybody records their workouts!! This ripple affect has also affected my health profile during my medical aid assessments, which puts me in a different fitness category for my age, which affects my monthly installment. In addition to this and most important, my watch no longer picks up my heart rate, or only sporadically connects. This also gives me an incorrect reading when I have done a fitness class, affecting my calories burnt and therefore my points earned. Also, my phone date and time has suddenly changed, being 24hours behind and nothing I do seems to correct this. I have escalated this to Garmin International and the Product Support Consultant mentioned it may be the True Called app on my phone, which I was now forced to delete off my device. I had to uninstall and reinstall my Garmin app and also download and send all my Garmin storage files for them to investigate. A lot of effort for an expensive product that is supposed to work, without constant glitches and admin required from my side!! After a very long struggle, the work outs are now recorded again and the date is correct, but the heart rate function remains faulty and out of order.

I have addressed my frustration with the store where we purchased both watches, but as expected in our country, they turned me away and said I must contact Garmin with my complaint. We paid a lot of hard-earned money for these watches, but unable use their full functionalities – something that one would expect from a “made in china” product!! And two products that are just over 2 years old. Shocking and unacceptable. As I speak with people around me, I am often told that Garmin Forerunners are only made for Runners, and not other types of sport. If this is the case, which I find hard to believe, I have no words that such an expensive product has is so limited in its delivery.

Regards,

Hilde van Rooyen +27 (0)83 ***