It all started innocently enough.   I was looking for a small GPS unit to help us navigate our motorhome around western Europe.   Looking through various reviews and specification lists I was attracted to the Michelin X980T.   It appeared to have everything we needed and its original high price had come down.   A couple of concerns were put in an email to ViaMichelin and after some days they replied in the affirmative that indeed the X980T would have knowledge of campsites across Europe and I could specify that I was driving a large vehicle so that appropriate routes would be offered.  

A little more research and an appropriate vendor was given the order online.   www.easydevices.co.uk seemed very efficient, the order was processed and the goods arrived promptly as promised on Friday morning.   The ViaMichelin documentation suggested that the device was 'intuitive', well maybe for someone with a degree in French logic but for the average freckled Brit things were less obvious.   An email to ViaMichelin asking for help was answered quickly and helpfully (could they have come across the problem of dull-witted Brits before?).   Progress was slow but by the end of the day the unit was charged and ready for testing.   This was when I could not find how to set up the unit to understand that I needed routing for a 4-tonne, 3-metre high motorhome.   I searched through the manual and the ViaMichelim website, no luck.   I even printed the whole of the manual, all in vain.   The problem was that the support staff had gone home for the weekend so I had to wait until Monday.   My patience was rewarded first thing on Monday morning when my phone call to ViaMichelin immediately established that there was NO facility to specify a large vehicle on the expensive X908T!

After I explained that Camille of ViaMichelin had assured me that the X980T could cope with this requirement I was told that Camille was not at work on that Monday but she would call me back on Tuesday.   Silly me to fall for that one!   Tuesday was a Bank Holiday for the French so I waited all morning without Camille calling.   When I got through to the next ViaMichelin duty support person on Tuesday afternoon he listened to my tale of woe and promised that Camille would call back on Wednesday.   In the meantime I had explained my problem to support at www.easydevices.co.uk, this was when I stopped polishing their gold star.   Their first reaction was that because the advice I had received was outside their control I could not returns the goods nor get a refund.   The 'distance selling' rules were brought into play so they shifted their defence to the 'You've opened the software' tack.   Sadly, www.easydevices.co.uk would not contemplate a refund and would not even issue the RFA number so I couldn't even send the goods back.   Needless to say ViaMichelin had not been idle, their latest advice was still to send the goods back to www.easydevices.co.uk!   It took a while to get the ViaMichelin support to understand that I was facing a somewhat impregnable wall of resistance in that direction.   I think that they thought the www.easydevices.co.uk defence was weak as the software was useless without the GPS unit and the device was useless without the software.   This was not 'software' like most other in that it could not be used for any other purpose than running the unit which was being returned (some hopes!).

So Wednesday brings Camille, the author of the problem, well no actually I got Ted.   No explanation this time on the Camille front, has that young lady is responsible for all my distress and she won't talk to me.   Only slight progress today, a hint that I might be able to return the unit and have a credit note.   Trading Standards say I don't have to accept a credit note so I turned down the offer.  

Already it is Thursday, the fourth day of the story.   Having a sleepless night I decided to write this webpage, it has helped me maybe it will help you too!

So this morning's developments are very disappointing.   The good news is that easydevices have at last offered the RMA number and instructions but have added to killer proviso that the unit must be in 'uncompromised and re-saleable condition'.   However they already know that it is NOT in that condition because the software has been opened and loaded into the unit.   Meanwhile at ViaMichelin there is no news!   Head Office in France is not responding to messages with any urgency, that is - not responding!

This saga goes on, while waiting I have started this website and will be continuing the story until we have a happy ending . . .