They either told me things that were erroneous ("just disable your firewall"), or tried to get me off the phone ("call us back if what I said doesn't work"). Finally, on my third call, I was able to get someone who said to return it for repair. They also said they would install the update before returning it.

Magellan has the worst customer service in ANY industry. My unit stopped working so I called and got a return number and had to mail it to them at my own expense. It came back four weeks later with no repairs made to it.

I do not recommend to buy this product at all, i want to return it. I bought this GPS 3 months back, the first month it was fine, i was happy with it but after that it was horrible. Sometime it will just hang in the middle of the way and will not restart easily, sometimes it does not show the map at all, for any destination entered it says 'Destination is not in the maps'.

Having sent the unit in for repair under warranty, I'm compelled to advise Amazon buyers to stay away from Magellan products. I had to send the unit in at my own expense, and now Magellan can't tell me where my unit is, or how long it will be before I get it back. When I called to check on it, (as I was told I'd receive an email confirming receipt and repair status and had heard nothing) I was told that the units take upwards of a month for repair.

When returning a unit under warranty, they replaced it with a cheap model. Their customer service is the worst!! The 3050's are unrepairable so they replace them with cheap models.

I don't how other GPS devices work but this 3100 sloooooowly responded even froze once. Overall, it is a very practice unit and could be the most worthy unit per dollar on the market without fancy features. The reasons I returned this unit are old database near I live and frozen issue, which seemed a known defect but the tech support told me that my unit was bad.

It is a huge joke - NEVER NEVER buy a Magellan. If you do - don't think you have any options when it stops working. Just the worst possible customer service I have ever dealt with.

But I am definitely sold on GPS devices in general and the Maestro 3100 certainly served its purpose before it stopped working. Complaints that it is sluggish are very true, and it sometimes seemed like it was a little "off" with the position. Overall, I'd suggest you select a more reputable company with a better track record of customer service and warranty repairs.

I started a calling campaign to get this and another item that failed replaced. The phone conversation ends with one of three answers; "Call us back next week," "There is nothing I can do to help you," and "the item will be sent out today and at your front door by Friday." That was months ago and still no functioning GPS unit. The technicians speak very poor English and will tell you anything to get rid of you, mainly because they don't know anything.

I have been fighting with Magellan every since - they admit their udpate was defective. They wouldn't pay for me to ship it back for repair. On Feb 4th, I sent it to them at my expense.

The unit got stuck on the field and I had to reset it for it to go back to mapping. I didnt bother calling the company because I have only read HORROR stories about their customer service. I just returned it to the store and ordered a Garmin.

Well, the upgrade failed miserably and rendered the device inoperable....so Magellan asked us to send it in and they would reprogram it. Well, we sent it in, and they completely deny ever receiving it, even though we have the tracking information that shows when it was delivered. Keep in mind that we had to send it to Texas, even though every single customer service rep we talk to is in the Phillipines.

Luckily I had purchased a two year warranty, not something I usually do, but thankfully this time I did. They were completely out of the Magellans, and so they offered me a Garmin Nuvi-hopefully it won't break after a month and a half. I'm sad my Magellan stopped working, it was more user friendly and the screen was bigger.

I contacted their customer support and was told they do not have an updated map and do not plan to release one for the 3100. They said it was a cheaper gps and they were not updating them with new maps. What is the point of buying a gps with out-of-date maps?

Second, it didn't come with a AC charger so can only be charged in the car. Third, it is set to never turn off, so the battery is ALWAYS low. Fourth, when I did find a software, the battery was low so I am currently trying to charge the piece of junk in my because the software won't update unless the Maestro is fully charged...very frustrating!!!

I was only a block away from this store and it told me the nearest one was 15 miles away. Drove to Wendover NV from Salt Lake City and it told me to take an off-ramp that was 40 miles east of Wendover out in the middle of the desert. Soon after that it locked up and I had to do a reset to get it back to working.

I bought this unit on a Black Friday sale for $150 after extensive research and I was actually going to return it based on a review which said the 3100's maps cannot be updated. I contacted Magellan support and found out that this is false. The maps can be updated to a current version, and the device comes with a USB cord.

On our way back into NYS, right after the bridge, it lost track of its path and it froze. We tried re-entering the address, but it wouldn't turn back on. Only after we reset it did it come back, even then, with a delay.

I don't know what's wrong with it, but anyway it's a working one. And I don't want to bother to return or replace again. I don't know whether the general quality is dropping for this model, or I'm just bad in luck for something bought for myself....

I can't tell you how terrible this is. Every other navigation system out there will display this progress bar on the bottom of the screen while your map is still being displayed with a route. It's quite terrible when this navigation decided it needs to reroute while you're in the middle of a highway, or an important upcoming turn.

I do not recommend to buy this product at all, i want to return it. I bought this GPS 3 months back, the first month it was fine, i was happy with it but after that it was horrible. Sometime it will just hang in the middle of the way and will not restart easily, sometimes it does not show the map at all, for any destination entered it says 'Destination is not in the maps'.

I contacted their customer support and was told they do not have an updated map and do not plan to release one for the 3100. They said it was a cheaper gps and they were not updating them with new maps. What is the point of buying a gps with out-of-date maps?

I bought this unit on a Black Friday sale for $150 after extensive research and I was actually going to return it based on a review which said the 3100's maps cannot be updated. I contacted Magellan support and found out that this is false. The maps can be updated to a current version, and the device comes with a USB cord.

It looks like you have to buy a sd card with maps on it then load them in and I thought the price was rather expensive. It could use more points of interest loaded in it. I was in Branson MO recently and the road we were on had been rerouted so there was no exit to rt65 at that point but it showed on Magellan map that it was still there.

The one thing I was wanting was the ability to download maps for hiking and off-road navigation and that is not available on this model but they never said it was.

The maps in the Magellan are out of date and you can't edit them, on the TomTom the maps are current and you can edit them. TomTom is more user friendly and I like the display better. For the money, get the TomTom due to much better support, friendliness of use and current map.

I got this as an early Christmas present about a week ago and have been endlessly frustrated with it. First, the maps are 15 months old and several major are missing.

It's maps are clear and navigates well on most major streets. The only problem I have encountered is with new streets ( 3 yrs or less ) not being updated in the system. Especially in a city like Dallas, where new roads and neighborhoods are constantly growing, I would have expected more updates, at least up to a year ago.

It works pretty good. The part I do not like is that at the Magellan site they do not have a way for updating free maps to it.

the unit works well for basics.like finding an address or gas station.little lacking in upgrade the maps on new roads and resturants.

They either told me things that were erroneous ("just disable your firewall"), or tried to get me off the phone ("call us back if what I said doesn't work"). Finally, on my third call, I was able to get someone who said to return it for repair. They also said they would install the update before returning it.

Second, it didn't come with a AC charger so can only be charged in the car. Third, it is set to never turn off, so the battery is ALWAYS low. Fourth, when I did find a software, the battery was low so I am currently trying to charge the piece of junk in my because the software won't update unless the Maestro is fully charged...very frustrating!!!

I recieved a Maestro 3100 for Christmas 2007 - after Christmas - went onto the manfacuters site to register it and the site told me that there was an update for it (HUGE file 800Meg) I down loaded it. Tried to put the update on the unit - but that failed miserably - and now the unit wouldn't boot. That was about Jan 10th or so.

Thing is, I recently had it freeze while attempting the latest update (2.18, I think). I was initially using a Vista PC when it happened, but I think there is reason to think this update is trouble for many non-Vista people, too. (The Magellan website says their $5 disk is Vista compatible, but don't you believe it.) Speaking of trouble, Magellan customer service is very problematic.

Got this on Black Friday 2007 after having used Tom Tom and would have to advise against buying this. You need to download the Firmware update to get many of the earlier bugs fixed but make sure you do not attach to your PC before starting the update or you may have USB Hardware issues. Firmware update does allow you to see expected arrival time (by tapping on distance to go).

Works good for the money, but this product is less than stellar. Nuisances include no way to update Points of Interest database unless you purchase a separate AC power adapter. Touch screen panning is pretty poor.

However, it's helped me out a couple of times already. I don't use it all the time, but when I do, it seems to work fine. The only thing I'm not crazy about, is the amount of time it takes to update between streets.

This is not the best GPS out there. I tried to get to 3 different destination here in NYC and the directions were confusing. It is also slow, I remember one time I made a right turn and the device still did not update to the fact that I changed directions and it confused me because I thought I had to make another right turn.

The Maestro has a 2.18 update available on line only for XP windows, which took about 2 hrs. to download, via DSL, on my computer, but I can't install it into the Maestro until I buy an SD card. I may decide to keep & give the Maestro a better rating after I see the improvements the update has made.

Downloaded the latest update from Magellan, and got more map coverage, plus more poi's (points of interests). Bought both the Garmin Nuvi 200 and this at the same time, but returned the Garmin as the Magellan includes many more choices for detours, adding trips with multiple destinations and it also allows you to optimize your trips and routes.

I don't how other GPS devices work but this 3100 sloooooowly responded even froze once. Overall, it is a very practice unit and could be the most worthy unit per dollar on the market without fancy features. The reasons I returned this unit are old database near I live and frozen issue, which seemed a known defect but the tech support told me that my unit was bad.

I contacted their customer support and was told they do not have an updated map and do not plan to release one for the 3100. They said it was a cheaper gps and they were not updating them with new maps. What is the point of buying a gps with out-of-date maps?

I bought this unit on a Black Friday sale for $150 after extensive research and I was actually going to return it based on a review which said the 3100's maps cannot be updated. I contacted Magellan support and found out that this is false. The maps can be updated to a current version, and the device comes with a USB cord.

I have asked the tech support about the LOW VOLUMN and they said that "what you hear is what you get". Too bad they think this way since I can not hear the directions when driving with the radio on low low this unit is useless to me. Please check out other GPS's before you spend your money.

You only get customer support in Phillipines or India. You always get a name and ID number - which when you try to get someone to verfy a name or ID - those people don't actually exist. I have spent countless hours - trying to get satisfaction and to date (Feb 26 2008) I still don't have a GPS.

I've read about them having bad customer support, but I've not had to use them as this gps has been perfect and is so easy to learn and use. I've also heard they are moving their customer support out of India and trying to increase their service - this would make Magellan gps devices even better. I'm glad I tried the Magellan instead of following the crowd and just settling for the Garmin.

The support rep said she did not understand my complaint because I got this unit for less than half the original list price. It does not matter if I got it for free, it should have an up-to-date map or have updates availible for it. DO NOT BUY THIS GPS.

The maps in the Magellan are out of date and you can't edit them, on the TomTom the maps are current and you can edit them. TomTom is more user friendly and I like the display better. For the money, get the TomTom due to much better support, friendliness of use and current map.

Luckily I had purchased a two year warranty, not something I usually do, but thankfully this time I did. They were completely out of the Magellans, and so they offered me a Garmin Nuvi-hopefully it won't break after a month and a half. I'm sad my Magellan stopped working, it was more user friendly and the screen was bigger.

I can't tell you how terrible this is. Every other navigation system out there will display this progress bar on the bottom of the screen while your map is still being displayed with a route. It's quite terrible when this navigation decided it needs to reroute while you're in the middle of a highway, or an important upcoming turn.

The center of the touch screen seems to be touched continuously while it's not. That wouldn't allow me to set any location, as long as it's powered on, the middle of the screen looks like to be heavily touched.... I replaced that with Amazon (customer service is good), as I thought maybe that was the only one defect item, as i bought 2 others, which are pretty good so far~ But the replacement, though doesn't have the same problem, is very slow in reaction.

Works good for the money, but this product is less than stellar. Nuisances include no way to update Points of Interest database unless you purchase a separate AC power adapter. Touch screen panning is pretty poor.

You get the mounting bracket and power supply too. The only downside is that it is running WinCE, which makes the operating system bloated and thus it tends to slow down every once in a while, especially on power-up. It can take 20-30 seconds for the screen to respond to a button press.

- It do not display the battery level on the main screen. The only way to find the battery level is to access the settings option which is annoying.

The problem is, it doesn't say the street name so if you are in the city or a part of a town that has streets close together, it is hard to tell which one it is talking about. If you can't take your eyes off the road to read the street's name on the screen, you won't know that you are passing it until the little doorbell chime goes off which means it's too late anyway.

The screen is a little on the small side, but if you want to spend more for the same technology, Nuvi 300,600, and 700 series has it for 3 to 5 times the price. Points of interest are a little skimpy, but for a 48 State high quality GPS with quick acquisition, this unit can't be beat.

The navigation system in my car is not touch screen and it's such a hassle to find anything. I definitely recommend this product for road warriors, or just for people that don't like getting lost.

I thought that the 3.5 inch screen would be too small, given how they are now making most GPS systems larger, but I've found it to be perfectly fine.

Magellan has the worst customer service in ANY industry. My unit stopped working so I called and got a return number and had to mail it to them at my own expense. It came back four weeks later with no repairs made to it.

When returning a unit under warranty, they replaced it with a cheap model. Their customer service is the worst!! The 3050's are unrepairable so they replace them with cheap models.

It is a huge joke - NEVER NEVER buy a Magellan. If you do - don't think you have any options when it stops working. Just the worst possible customer service I have ever dealt with.

But I am definitely sold on GPS devices in general and the Maestro 3100 certainly served its purpose before it stopped working. Complaints that it is sluggish are very true, and it sometimes seemed like it was a little "off" with the position. Overall, I'd suggest you select a more reputable company with a better track record of customer service and warranty repairs.

The unit got stuck on the field and I had to reset it for it to go back to mapping. I didnt bother calling the company because I have only read HORROR stories about their customer service. I just returned it to the store and ordered a Garmin.

Well, the upgrade failed miserably and rendered the device inoperable....so Magellan asked us to send it in and they would reprogram it. Well, we sent it in, and they completely deny ever receiving it, even though we have the tracking information that shows when it was delivered. Keep in mind that we had to send it to Texas, even though every single customer service rep we talk to is in the Phillipines.

The only problem I have had is with customer service. The CD-ROM that came with it was defective, I called customer service and they said they would replace it, which they never did. Luckily it was pretty self explanatory plus you can get directions online.

The center of the touch screen seems to be touched continuously while it's not. That wouldn't allow me to set any location, as long as it's powered on, the middle of the screen looks like to be heavily touched.... I replaced that with Amazon (customer service is good), as I thought maybe that was the only one defect item, as i bought 2 others, which are pretty good so far~ But the replacement, though doesn't have the same problem, is very slow in reaction.

I've read about them having bad customer support, but I've not had to use them as this gps has been perfect and is so easy to learn and use. I've also heard they are moving their customer support out of India and trying to increase their service - this would make Magellan gps devices even better. I'm glad I tried the Magellan instead of following the crowd and just settling for the Garmin.

Thing is, I recently had it freeze while attempting the latest update (2.18, I think). I was initially using a Vista PC when it happened, but I think there is reason to think this update is trouble for many non-Vista people, too. (The Magellan website says their $5 disk is Vista compatible, but don't you believe it.) Speaking of trouble, Magellan customer service is very problematic.

I got to my destination very frustrated, and immediately returned it to the closest staples. The entry level Tom Tom for the same price is LEAPS and BOUNDS better. I'm truly sorry I wasted my time with this unit, and advise you to avoid it.

I made an impulsive buy based on the special price but read all these bad reviews and thinking that I might have to return it.

It looks like you have to buy a sd card with maps on it then load them in and I thought the price was rather expensive. It could use more points of interest loaded in it. I was in Branson MO recently and the road we were on had been rerouted so there was no exit to rt65 at that point but it showed on Magellan map that it was still there.

The support rep said she did not understand my complaint because I got this unit for less than half the original list price. It does not matter if I got it for free, it should have an up-to-date map or have updates availible for it. DO NOT BUY THIS GPS.

Mine just says version 27 (with no date) and the Magellan website says they expect to issue updates every 12 - 18 months although does not state what, if anything, they will cost (the firmware update is free btw) Its not a bad unit but I just know the Tom Tom is better and about the same price

One thing that could be better is the amounts of points of interest. I have looked for nearby restaurants and it doesn't list very many, even though there are lots in the area. Overall it is a good value for the price.

I wish I'd known that before I sent it in. I bought the unit based on price and because I had no experience with GPS devices yet, and figured I'd invest the least I could in a technology I wasn't sure I'd utilize.

Great product for the price. Can be a little confusing setting in addresses at first but you get the hang of it in a very short time.

The screen is a little on the small side, but if you want to spend more for the same technology, Nuvi 300,600, and 700 series has it for 3 to 5 times the price. Points of interest are a little skimpy, but for a 48 State high quality GPS with quick acquisition, this unit can't be beat.

It seems to be OK so far, but I need to do the estimated 11 hour update. There are many POI that are not showing (ie gas stations and resturants). The price was great, but I hope I didn't sacrafice information just to save some money.

They either told me things that were erroneous ("just disable your firewall"), or tried to get me off the phone ("call us back if what I said doesn't work"). Finally, on my third call, I was able to get someone who said to return it for repair. They also said they would install the update before returning it.

Magellan has the worst customer service in ANY industry. My unit stopped working so I called and got a return number and had to mail it to them at my own expense. It came back four weeks later with no repairs made to it.

I do not recommend to buy this product at all, i want to return it. I bought this GPS 3 months back, the first month it was fine, i was happy with it but after that it was horrible. Sometime it will just hang in the middle of the way and will not restart easily, sometimes it does not show the map at all, for any destination entered it says 'Destination is not in the maps'.

I bought this unit on a Black Friday sale for $150 after extensive research and I was actually going to return it based on a review which said the 3100's maps cannot be updated. I contacted Magellan support and found out that this is false. The maps can be updated to a current version, and the device comes with a USB cord.

I don't know what's wrong with it, but anyway it's a working one. And I don't want to bother to return or replace again. I don't know whether the general quality is dropping for this model, or I'm just bad in luck for something bought for myself....

I will never use a Magellan product again. They will not return calls as promised. You'll be sorry...

I had driven to the Staples using Tom Tom on my PocketPC, but decided to test it out the Maestro 3100 driving back. What transpired driving back from the Staples to the city would ultimately lead me to return the Maestro 3100 later that day.

(3) No question asked return. 2-star to Maestro 3100 for (1) As some reviewers stated: It does "freeze" when turned on for several times during 5-day usage.

I made an impulsive buy based on the special price but read all these bad reviews and thinking that I might have to return it.

Just buy it from merchants that handle return easily such as Amazon in case you experience the same way I did.

As the saying goes, "You get what you pay for". This is an ok system; however, it did not list Church's, or Shopping Malls in the points of Interest listing. It also does not recognize newer addresses reassigned by 911 addressing system.

It looks like you have to buy a sd card with maps on it then load them in and I thought the price was rather expensive. It could use more points of interest loaded in it. I was in Branson MO recently and the road we were on had been rerouted so there was no exit to rt65 at that point but it showed on Magellan map that it was still there.

Works good for the money, but this product is less than stellar. Nuisances include no way to update points of Interest database unless you purchase a separate AC power adapter. Touch screen panning is pretty poor.

Downloaded the latest update from Magellan, and got more map coverage, plus more poi's (points of interests). Bought both the Garmin Nuvi 200 and this at the same time, but returned the Garmin as the Magellan includes many more choices for detours, adding trips with multiple destinations and it also allows you to optimize your trips and routes.

One thing that could be better is the amounts of points of interest. I have looked for nearby restaurants and it doesn't list very many, even though there are lots in the area. Overall it is a good value for the price.

The screen is a little on the small side, but if you want to spend more for the same technology, Nuvi 300,600, and 700 series has it for 3 to 5 times the price. points of interest are a little skimpy, but for a 48 State high quality GPS with quick acquisition, this unit can't be beat.