Quote Originally Posted by catymag View Post
Any comments on missing 4 times updates a year ?
Garmin only promises updates up to 4 times per year, is that what you mean Caty?

Interesting quirk that i found on a US device which had US lower 49 as OEM. A previous owner had purchased a separate NA LM for it [you can't buy US only LM], but of course it would install only the US lower 49 only update map to the device. If the option to install to PC is selected, then a gmap folder for the entire NA is installed. It is then possible to load the remainder of NA [AL, CA & MX] by MI to a microSD card complete with gma & unl codes for those maps specific for the device. Seems perfectly legal to me, after all the LM subscription is for the entire NA, and although Garmin states: "Unless otherwise stated, the updates you receive under the subscription will be updates to the same geographic area included with your Garmin product when originally purchased" and therefore has a legal 'out' to say 'No, no, no! You can only have the OEM map area even though you've bought the entire NA now", it could be argued that in that case they should have offered LM for lower 49 at a reduced price. I'm sure the same would be possible if a 'One Off' map update NA was purchased as they also don't sell US only there either.

Now consider this: The owner of an OEM lower 49 purchases a LM NA for US$89.99:
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Only the current version lower 49 is loaded to the device. He believes the blurb that he's only entitled to the 'same geographic area' as OEM so is not surprised when only lower 49 is updated on his device. But... he wants to venture into the Wild North and go South of the Border and so he has a look at what's available:
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He thinks he's gonna have to buy CA & AL for $59.99 and MX for $49.99 and innocently adds them to his cart:
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Does Garmim's system tip him off that he's already paid for those areas and although he's not technically [legally] entitled to anything other than his lower 49 OEM, he can load AL/CA & MX from his PC to a card? No, absolutely NOT! How do I know for sure? 'Coz i've tried it and it takes you all the way to the point of final payment, I only had to click 'Place Secure Order' and kiss goodbye to $98.98 US [Garmin kindly gives you 10% discount off your next purchase after you've registered a device, and strangely it doesn't have to be something for the specific device you last registered either]. But, if the Account holder was not a US resident, you get flicked to your local Garmin site to complete the purchase and then have to pay the local price which is usually much higher than the US site price [stiff luck again]. This is a US account anyway and the LM devices was connected the whole way with the site navigation started from the Map Updates screen, via the 'Shop Maps' Quick Link then went thru' the above step-by-step and ended up here:
r0pu

Ta ta 100 bucks, hello CA & MX which I already had in an entire NA gmap folder on my PC. I'm sure the above has happened more than once to innocent owners of a US lower 49 unit to which an NA LM has been added. "Come in Spinner" [AU for Welcome Sucker].