C-map customer service???

[Tom Bunker]

I'm going to skip some of the details to keep this from becoming a long rant.

I'm in Guatemala and I bought a Raymarine chart plotter that was bundled with a C-MAP chip. The instruction said that the chip could have one of three areas unlocked (South and Central America, Asia, or Africa).

The link in the instructions didn't work, so I went to the C-MAP site, created an account, and registered the chip. I've used easier sites.

The chip was identified as an "ESSENTIALS EXPIRED" It was locked on Africa. I couldn't change it.

I made my first contact with "customer service" and couldn't resole the problem. There was an offer to purchase the premium charts for 50% off. So, I gave in and did that. It was not easy to make an online purchase.

When I went to down load the charts, it wasn't there. Instead, I found the Gulf of Thailand. I checked my purchase and it was definitely for South and Central America. Back to "customer service."

The next day, the charts appeared but wouldn't down load. I eventually contacted them in Italy via SKYPE and gave them remote access to my computer.

They said that the chip was EXPIRED. What?? Like a gallon of milk?

They said that I couldn't down load to that chip and sent a different one by DHL. Now that chip is in customs here and they expect me to pay the duty.

I am a less than satisfied customer.

A lot of frustration and wasted time has gone into this process.

Something to consider. I hear good things about Navionics

[redbopeep]

Wow. I feel your pain. Unfortunately for every bad story of one chip/electronic chart maker there's a similar bad story of another. My overall impression is they're none of them quite up to snuff. But that's just me. We had a similarly bad Navionics experience so don't assume the grass is greener because it's not.