Tomtom Android / iOS - "lifetime maps" to be taken away!

Legacy_user

Hello,

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, but I'd like to bring this to the attention of MSE in the hope it will be widely publicised.

For many years, Tomtom has sold apps for various map regions on Android and iOS app stores. They have been sold with a key feature: 'FREE lifetime maps'. Pricing was based on the region, e.g. Tomtom Europe was £23 whilst Tomtom UK & Ireland was £15.

Recently, Tomtom has released a new app called 'Tomtom GO' and simultaneously pulled all pre-existing regional apps from the app store. This new app is based on a subscription model - details here: http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19401/?locale=en_GB

Tomtom will cease to provide free map updates for the pre-existing apps on 1 October 2015. Whilst they are offering free subscription for 3 years on the new app, this is hardly the same as 'lifetime'.

Is there anything we, as consumers, can do about this unfair and misleading advertising? Surely this is a breach of advertising standards?

I only bought the app as I believed it would be updated for a 'lifetime' - otherwise I would have stuck with the free and ever-improving Google Maps.

bod1467

I suspect they'll have had their definitions of "free" and "lifetime" covered in their T&Cs.

Fightsback

Tom Toms slippery way out of their clearly deceitful marketing:

Add link as requested by bod1467

http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19326/~/what-are-lifetime-maps%3F

*Lifetime – this is the useful life of the device, which means the period of time that TomTom continues to support your device with software updates, services, content or accessories. A device will have reached the end of its life when none of these are available any more. The useful life of the smartphone app means the period of time that TomTom continues to support the app with updates.

If you feel that strongly about it you could attempt to sue, T & C's are not necessarily a catch all to avoid intentional marketing deceit. I personally think they should be taken for every penny as I consider this fraud.

TadleyBaggie

I just checked the IOS App Store and all the regional variations are still there and no sign of Tom Tom Go. Is this just Android change?

bod1467

Fightsback wrote: »

*Lifetime – this is the useful life of the device, which means the period of time that TomTom continues to support your device with software updates, services, content or accessories. A device will have reached the end of its life when none of these are available any more. The useful life of the smartphone app means the period of time that TomTom continues to support the app with updates.

As I suspected - thanks.

Link for that?

poppy10_2

Fightsback wrote: »

*Lifetime – this is the useful life of the device, which means the period of time that TomTom continues to support your devic The useful life of the smartphone app means the period of time that TomTom continues to support the app with updates.

LOL :rotfl:
So TomTom's definition of lifetime support is "as long as we decide to support it for."

Feel sorry for anyone who got scammed by TomTom.

They are a dying company anyway, other apps like Here by Nokia do everything they do but better, and with optional online features such as traffic info and public transport options, all for free, with free downloadable offline maps. I've stopped using my Garmin since I discovered this.

https://www.here.com/app/en/?L=1

RumRat

I'll second that. Here Maps and Here Drive have worked flawlessly on my Lumia. Even better than google did on the iPhone or Android that I had before.
I fail to see the point in anyone, with a smartphone, forking out for a dedicated Satnav unless they are driving for a living, even then it's a close call.

anotheruser

It's because their business is slowly dying.
With the rise of smartphones and their mapping abilities, the whole SatNav business was always limited. I'm surprised people still use them today.

I also endorse Nokia's HERE maps - which are available on Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
They are the clearest of any maps I have used, with easy to use menus and offline mapping to save data.

droopsnoot

Surely it's not the first time this has come up, I'm sure I've read this about TT before now on MSE. Or maybe I'm confusing it with the Road Angel threads about lifetime updates.

There is such a thing as an 'unfair contract' and if you feel it's worth your time, it might be worth pursuing. Just because it's in the Ts and Cs doesn't mean it's enforceable. While they might not continue maintaining old servers just to provide you with free updates, you might get a refund.

I always worry about the data costs of using a phone-based solution - do these have a means of storing the map information locally, or is the data usage how they fund the product? That said, I'm still using a Go 710 (because my Go 720 backlight failed) and it's perfectly adequate for me.

gjchester

poppy10 wrote: »

So TomTom's definition of lifetime support is "as long as we decide to support it for."

TomTom are not alone.

I've had a router that had "lifetime support" which meant while we still make it plus 5 years.

RumRat

droopsnoot wrote: »

Surely it's not the first time this has come up, I'm sure I've read this about TT before now on MSE. Or maybe I'm confusing it with the Road Angel threads about lifetime updates.

There is such a thing as an 'unfair contract' and if you feel it's worth your time, it might be worth pursuing. Just because it's in the Ts and Cs doesn't mean it's enforceable. While they might not continue maintaining old servers just to provide you with free updates, you might get a refund.

I always worry about the data costs of using a phone-based solution - do these have a means of storing the map information locally, or is the data usage how they fund the product? That said, I'm still using a Go 710 (because my Go 720 backlight failed) and it's perfectly adequate for me.

Yes the maps are downloaded over WiFi so can be used without using Data.