Customer Reviews

Garmin City Navigator for Detailed Maps of China (microSD/SD Card)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This map is totally useless for finding your location in China, which is probably why you are buying it. Can be as much as a quarter to a full mile off. I have had a long email exchange with Garmin upon return from China on the subject. Apparently, the Chinese government requires a "shift" to be put into the map program that accounts for this dislocation. Garmin's response on how to fix this was convoluted and abstruse, requiring elaborate programming (creating new waypoints, pulling the card out, reassigning them, etc) none of which could be done except while IN China. Oh yes, and you have to have your Garmin op sys completely up to date (something I am sure we all do each weekend). None of this elaborate fix is documented on Garmin's website.

More frustrating than this is that I asked Garmin if my unit (Nuvi 370) was compatible before I bought the map, and they said it was indeed compatible. Garmin customer service now says it is not compatible. Perhaps so, as I would be surprised if the map works with any Garmin unit at all.

Just another example of how GPS mapping is still an emerging technology hampered by global politics and inept marketing. Perhaps someday a company will emerge that realizes that people just want to USE the GPS unit, not program it, fight with technical support, and pay $100 for useless maps.

This product is absolutely useless in China. Does not provide accurate positioning and the information is so off the map that it renders the product unusable.

This map never worked in China, total fiasco. Asked Garmin for help, never answered. Still fighting for a reinbursment.

This product is indeed useless if you want to navigate in China. I talked to Garmin after getting back from China and finding the maps have a"shift" in them that puts you off by several thousand feet. This shift is also not consist about the country. Garmin claimed to be unaware of the problem and I directed them to several websites documenting the problem. They said they would get back to me but nothing (it has been several months)

Despite the other reviews on this site, I purchased this software with the understanding that Garmin had corrected the previously described map offset. Guess what? They did not.

On my GPS, my actual vs. indicated position on the map is off by at least 500 yards, making the maps completely useless for point-to-point navigation (which is the point of having a GPS and associated maps to begin with). Garmin had indicated prior to purchase that the maps would work fine with my 60CSx, even though it is not listed as being compatible with such on their site.

Technical support has not even recognized that there is an issue, let alone offer resolution.

A completely worthless product for Navigation in China (currently living in Kunming).

I asked Garmin technical support about this and got this reply (June 1, 2009):

Thank you for contacting Garmin International. It is not intentional on our part, however the Chinese government does "shift" the mapping.

I think this is mainly to with China's legislation in regards to security in China and the use of GPS devices, so as to distort it not to give an accurate reading.

We would not be able to guarantee the accuracy of the mapping. Some customers have found it useful and some have not.

Initially, I was having the same offset problems with my China map, finally, after communicated with Garmin Taiwan and China, my Garmin is now working fine with this map...essentially, Garmin has omitted a "006B082300.bin" file in their earlier batch of SD card that were sold in the United States, once, this "bin" file is copied to the SD card, it will solve all the offset problems faced...It is sad that Garmin didn't recall their faulty product swiftly to avoid all the inconvenient caused to their "loyal" customers...

I bought this before a two month trip to China. I checked it first in the US, and it had the maps of China, and i was able to identify my main places of interest. However when I arrived in China I was stunned to see that the maps were all offset from actual positions. I would be on a highway, and it would show me as a mile out in the ocean. Garmin technical support was little help in resolving the problem either.

I began to be worried that this was not an original map, because it didn't have the Garmin sticker on it, so I had a replacement sent from Amazon. Again, it appears to be just another copied map. On, I believe a Garmin site, it says that if the maps are copied, they won't sink up right. So I probably now have a second one of these that will not work. But won't find out till I go back to China.

I had purchased & used the China NT 2008 map with my Garmin Oregon 400T within the last month. This was a useless combination. It gave me loop-the-loop navigation, failed to show travelways over 10 years old, and was generally off by 100s of feet. This product deserves negative stars as it is also a waste of time. I would not even resell it to anyone as it would wreck my reputation. Certainly Garmin's version of this map has wrecked their reputation. Recommend purchasing a GPS in China - like many taxis and bus drivers do.

DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. IT IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY. GARMIN/AMAZON I WANT MY MONEY BACK!

I purchased this map to use in my Garmin Nuvi 370. I had previously used my Garmin very successfully in europe. I purchased the map just prior to my departure for China in June of 2009. The map was totally useless as it was significantly offset which made navagating in Shanghi, Hangzou, or any of the other 9 cities we visited unworkable. If there was a fix it was not in the packaging or on the website. While tour travelling with marginal internet connections there is little hope of troubleshooting major product failures.

Even if the map had worked, there was a serious lack of detailed roadways. On the first day in Shanghi it was evident that the major 6 lane street that travelled in front of the Holiday Inn downtown next to the northern major railstation was not on the map. With this kind of lack of detail makes this the worst Garmin product I have seen. My sons and I own many Garmin products with great success.

Even corrected this is a very poor product.