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THE UNIT ITSELF IS OK BUT SHOP AROUND THERE HAS TO BE BETTER. I LIVE IN WESTERN LONG ISLAND NY WHERE THE COVERAGE AREA SUPPOSED TO BE GREAT- WHAT A JOKE. GARMIN C 580 STREET PILOT-THE MSN SUBSCRIPTION IS AWFUL- DO NOT DO 1 YR FREE TRAIL THAT IT COMES WITH. IT CONSTANTLY TRIES TO UPDATE SOFTWARE BUT NEVER DOES AND THE MSN UPDATING SCREEN BLOCKS OUT THE WHOLE VIEW OF THE SCREEN SO YOUR LEFT WITH VOICE ONLY.
The auto dept had a pre-recorded message that said "All agents are missing. Needless to say - I'll never buy Garmin again.Other problems (minor)2) Bulky Design: This is a older generation of GPS.
not c500 series) if you would like a sleek/lightweight device.3)Slow Startup: Often takes > 1 minute. Look for other families (i.e.
The c580 is an adequate product in terms of GPS capabilities but suffers from the following problems:(MAJOR Issue)1) Poor Customer Support (Read - if its breaks - you're on your own)The suction mount on my GPS stopped working (GPS would fall off) and I promptly called the number given on the manual to get it replaced under warranty. My call was never picked up and I eventually gave up.
During cloudy days - can take longer. The lady who picked up the phone initially asked me what the problem was and said "ahem.let em transfer you to the auto dept".
Pls accept to wait at least *30* minutes" - which is ridiculous.
I was then asked to do several tasks that I had already tried a number of times. That should be fun ya think. I got a guy who obviously was having a bad day and proceeded to describe my problem. With the same result.
I tried to power it on and it was just dead. This time it was dead out of the box. The Garmin product support was worse than anything I had ever dealt with and that goes for Microsoft or even Verizon cause when you get those clowns they actually help you. I explained all that had happened and that I was ready to take all of my Garmin products and run them over with my truck(I also have a handheld Garmin Etrex Vista). What a mistake that was.
Ok so not everyone can estimate. I downloaded several versions of the software for bluetooth and all of them failed. Now comes the part that I dreaded and that was to contact the Garmin support. First off this is my 3rd Garmin GPS.
I called the Garmin support line again and waited about 40 minutes for a tech. A version of the bluetooth firmware actually caused the unit to digress even further. This time Katy was the rep. He then asked for my email and sent me a few things to try and ways to reset the device. I'll keep you posted.
I purchased a C340 for myself and my girlfriend and then after reading some of the positive reviews for the C580 I decided to purchase it and give my C340 to my daughter. I can't really knock the unit while it works. It took me close to an hour to get another real person on the phone. Its 3/25/09 and I have to send back the unit, which they're paying for this time, by the way. I contacted Support again and he gave me a RMA and asked me to send the unit back.again.I got another "Factory Refurbished" unit sent to me about a week and a half later.
The GPS worked fine but when I tried to get the bluetooth function working it would display "Enabling Bluetooth" then die. I also have to have them transfer a "Lifetime Map" Update License I purchased for the C580. When she go back on she asked me to send the unit back to Garmin and that they were going to send me a "New" Garmin Nuvi 780 as a replacement for the C580 and for my going through hell over the past 6 weeks. I received the replacement "Factory Refurbished" unit about a week after and wasn't too keen on it being a refurb but gave it a chance.
She asked me to do another reset of the unit and when nothing happened she told me to hold on and talked to her supervisor. But after 6 months of usage my original unit decided to die. I actually started laughing. I would then have to power down the unit to get out of the screen.
I called around 4pm one day and was given an estimated wait time of 30 minutes which turned out to be 60+. He then gave me a RMA and asked me to return my "new" unit for repair.
I love the bluetooth feature, and able to make calls to any destination,hotel,movie theater with the little 'call' button that picks up your bluetooth and makes calls as if its an i-phone. Agreed its bulky, but it's the best at the basic features a GPS should have. I love it. Absolutely love this. Its not that fancy sleek,in-pocket,cycle riders GPS.but its more than that in every sense.
The next morning I turned the unit on and it worked, however there was a significant amount of water behind the display, making it very hard to read. I am so impressed with the Garmin C580. I had left the unit attached to the suction cup mount on our kitchen counter while running some errands. That's my only complaint.
Good job Garmin. I do have to say that the suction cup lets go quite frequently when attached to a surface such as the windshield, making the GPS go on a flight to the floor board of the car. I'm so thankful and impressed. After about 3 days all that was left was a small, almost imperceptible water stain on the display.
This Garmin went swiming for nearly 2 hours. The next day I turned it on and there was less water behind the display but everything else worked ok, so I started using it again in my car. Not only does it do a good job navigating and keeping me informed of traffic (I live in the Dallas area), but it really shocked me when the unit survived an accidental "baptism" in our kitchen. I simply left the unit alone for one more day.
I used a hair dryer to attempt to dry it inside and out. When I returned home I found that the suction cup had let go and the whole unit had gone for a swim inside a pyrex that my wife had in the kitchen sink full of water. When I saw it there I knew the unit was a gonner.
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