In June 2006, I purchased a satnav unit (navman icn320). It was a great price, and it came with the option of a free upgrade to the 2006 maps when they became available (in september 2006).

I thought: thats great, I’ll buy it, as it will make my travels safer.

As I used it, it worked really well, but I started finding the outdated map frustrating… I good example is a nearby road (warroo drive). It was once split into 2 parts, but the 2 parts were joined before I moved to qld (ie Warroo drive must have been joined before 2005).

So I put up with it, and in september, I send away a form, requesting a map upgrade, together with a copy of my receipt.

A month later, I phoned navman, and I’m told sorry, you cannot get map upgrades for the icn320… its no longer a current product… its not for sale anymore.

OK, I explain that one of the reasons I bought it was because it was advertised with a “free upgrade to the 2006 maps”, so you had better deliver on your advertised promises.

So then I get: “Oh in that case, let me check”.

Then I’m then told: yes, you can get upgrades, but they will only be ready in November, and we also don’t have your details on file anywhere… could you send them again…

OK, I get their email address, so I can send it via email.

I email again at the end of November, and I’m told there has been a delay, and the maps will only be ready in december. Oh, and could you please send the scan of the receipt again?

Ok, I send the receipt, application form, etc again, then in Jan I email again, asking about the maps.

I get yet another apology… sorry for the inconvenience, and am told the map will be shipped to me in Feb.

Nothing in Feb, so I fire off another email, and this time I get a more meaningful reply:

map updates were sent to me in Jan and again in Feb… I should have received them. I then get a commitment to send the map via express post… I think: good

Well, work gets very busy, so about 2 weeks later, I’m about to call navman, and I receive an express post letter with the map upgrade. Hooray!!! (Although 2 weeks for en express post letter from NSW to QLD seems a tad slow…)

its a navman icn330 map chip, so I hope it works with an icn320…

Well, it does work (to my relief), and it has 1 or 2 extra features, which is nice.

I then look to see what new roads it has… Hold on. Warroo drive is still split into 2 parts… plus about 15 other places I know were wrong in the 2005 maps, are still wrong in the 2006 maps.

Is this a navman problem, or a whereis problem?

I check the info menus on the navman, and it shows that the maps were generated around mid 2006… so it could be Whereis / Sensis (I like to call them Sensless 🙂 ).

Yep, I go to the whereis website, and it still shows warroo drive as being split in 2… Grrr

Just to get a second opinion, I take a look at the Street Directory website. It has NO errors… as far as I can see, it is fully up to date… even recent road alterations (from 1 month ago) are there.

Since I’m from Melbourne, I’ve grown up with the local melbourne street map (called melway)… recently, they have branched out to create the Sydway, Brisway, etc… and they also provide the maps behind street directory… They really seem to be on the ball!

I must say, after this whole saga, I’d be prepared to spend an extra $100 on a satnav that uses the brisway/sydway/melway maps, rather than the crappy whereis maps.

Sensis really need to get their act together… if/when the melway people can come out with satnav maps, I reckon Sensis will be scrambling to catch up.