Garmin Us Reviews 

Garmin charged my card without my authorisation, which I find outrageous. Even if I owe some money it doesnt automatically mean that they can do whatever they want. I never signed up for direct debit.

I bought a Garmin inReach Mini in 2024 for an international paragliding trip. I only needed the satellite service for a few days, so I activated it for about three days and then canceled it.

Fast forward to my next trip in Switzerland, when I actually needed the device again. Instead of being able to activate the service, Garmin told me I have to pay nearly $200 for a contract balance that I had no idea even existed.

An emergency communication device should be ready when you need it—not locked behind surprise fees that customers don't discover until they're already traveling.

To make matters worse, the device itself is heavily discounted, which now feels misleading because the real cost appears to be hidden in the service contract. Had this been made obvious from the beginning, I would have made a different purchasing decision.

Garmin's customer service simply repeated the policy instead of offering a reasonable solution. After spending money on the device and using the service for only a few days, expecting another $200 just to use it again is unacceptable.

I bought this device for safety. Instead, when I actually needed it on another international trip, it became nothing more than an expensive paperweight.

I purchased a Garmin Instinct 3 on Amazon which presented a definitive factory defect after only a couple of months of use. After contacting Garmin support, they validated the warranty and approved the replacement. However, their international logistics policies are completely abusive and unfair.

They require international customers to pay for the return shipping of the defective unit back to their facility in Olathe, Kansas. Shipping just the watch face from Colombia costs around $155 USD via private couriers, which is nearly a third of the price of the watch itself. On top of that, Garmin provides no guarantees regarding customs handling, meaning international buyers risk being double-taxed for import duties (another $100+ USD) when the replacement device arrives.

It is unacceptable that a consumer must absorb nearly $300 USD in unexpected logistical expenses just to resolve a manufacturer quality control issue. Their support team simply repeats script answers without providing actual solutions, prepaid labels, or courtesy exceptions. If you live outside the US, think twice before buying this brand, as their global warranty is financially non-viable for the end-user.

Planned obsolescence at it's finest. If there's an attorney reading this I want in on the class action suit. I always felt like the "active captain" updates were a little overboard. Especially considering I volunteered to be part of the "community". Every time I let my phone hook up to my fish finder it's syncing with Garmin. Jesus, you want to know what I had for breakfast too ?
Garmin is constantly pushing these pointless updates why ? To overtax your unit, to kill it. Then, you have to go buy a new one. And since you already have a Garmin boat, we know you are going to buy another Garmin to replace the one we just killed.
Now, lets talk about Navionics. Navionics WAS this very helpful educational website. It contains charts for all the world's waters. You could go to the website and look at the lake you wanted to fish, measure how far from boat ramp to fishing spot etc. Navionics is WHY I switched to Garmin. THEN they figured out how to make more money off of it. Now there's a paywall for information that was free. That my friends is corporate greed at it's finest. EAT THE RICH

You would think they would want business after Apple came out with satellite texting. I shut off my subscription because I wasn't using it much. I got a reactivation code so i decided i would give it another chance. Well it took me forever to figure out how to reactivate .. i had to call a service rep. Then my code had expired and was going to cost $40 to reactivate ! and the rep said he couldn't do anything about it. So just like that .. they lost a monthly customer

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 55 Watch to use for my triathlon training. Too complicated as I could not figure out the swimming, running, and biking. Not even the videos helped. Not able to return bc it took me two months of trying to figure it out. What a shame!

Garmin, listen… if you’re going to pretend you care about customers, at least put some effort into the performance.

I called support because I wanted one simple thing:
Cancel a $12 subscription.

That’s it.
Not a firmware patch.
Not a satellite uplink.
Not a rescue beacon activation from the Himalayas.
Just cancel the subscription I no longer want.

And guess what?
The rep was perfectly able to verify my identity, confirm my billing address, access my account, and even update my email — all over the phone. No problem. No hesitation. No legal team storming the building.

But the second I said, “Cool, now please cancel the subscription,” suddenly he hit me with:

“Sorry, we can’t cancel subscriptions by phone due to legal issues.”

Legal issues?
What law?
Show me the statute.
Show me the regulation that forbids a customer service agent from pressing the “cancel” button with their extremely functional index finger.

Spoiler: It doesn’t exist.

This isn’t a legal problem — it’s a retention tactic dressed up in cheap corporate cosplay.
It’s the same energy gyms use when they make you show up in person to cancel, hoping the friction keeps your wallet tethered a little longer.

Garmin can update my personal information, billing details, and account data over the phone…
But they can’t stop charging me?
Right. Totally believable. Very legal. Much wow.

At this point, the only people who can reliably cancel a Garmin subscription are my bank, because Garmin apparently needs a courtroom, a séance, and maybe a blood moon before they can process a simple “stop billing me.”

Final Thoughts:
If Garmin put as much effort into customer respect as they do into subscription retention hurdles, they might actually be a company worth dealing with. I won't be coming back as I'm allergic to corporations insulting the intelligence of their customers.

Garmin billing team the most pathetic bunch of people I’ve ever come across. They can’t even take a basic payment from a bank in the UK.

Because you are all so stupid I will say it here, my bank has informed me that the issue is with you not my bank, they say and have proof that you have taken over a year of monthly payments, and now you can’t. Not my problem. I only that one account. I have shut my other accounts down. The money is waiting for you to take it. Please don’t ask me to call you, if you want to call me please do.
Ball is firmly in your court and as I no longer have a court on my side please keep the ball!!!

I’m a Class A CDL driver with over 20 years of OTR experience. I haul a 48ft Conestoga trailer at 13’6” height and up to 78,000 lbs. I’ve been using the Garmin Dezl 710 for 2 years, and after the recent routing database updates — this GPS has become dangerously unreliable.

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🚫 Fake restrictions, real consequences

The most alarming example is U.S. 95 between Marsing, ID and Jordan Valley, OR. This is a legal, state-approved truck route, used by 80,000 lb rigs every day. Yet Garmin falsely labels this segment with a 23-ton (≈46,000 lbs) weight restriction — even though:
• There are no posted restrictions
• There are no DOT or FMCSA notices
• Trucks run it daily without issue

Garmin completely blocks routing through it with a standard profile. Unless I lie about my weight, height, or length (e.g. reduce to 13’4”, 76,000 lbs), it forces me into pointless detours 100+ miles long.

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🧨 Routing logic is broken

And this issue goes beyond US-95.
• If I stop at a Walmart or truck stop without setting a via point, 9 out of 10 times it recalculates a completely new route, often with insane detours.
• Near Baltimore on I-95, Garmin misreads the post-tunnel signage, assumes an overheight issue (which doesn’t apply), and tries to route trucks into downtown Baltimore, which has strict truck restrictions.
• On highways like I-70, I-80, and I-10, it routinely exits you off the interstate for no reason, then loops you back onto the same highway a few miles later — wasting time, fuel, and focus.

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⚠️ It’s not a GPS anymore — it’s a liability

This device:
• Ignores legal roads
• Invents restrictions
• Breaks your route if you stop for fuel
• Fails to offer safe, legal options unless you manipulate it
• Makes assumptions that can lead a less experienced driver into fines, stuck routes, or restricted zones

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🔧 I’ve done everything:
• Used precise vehicle profiles (height, weight, length)
• Disabled avoidances (no ferries, steep grades, tolls, etc.)
• Forced via points, changed profiles, restarted trip planner

Still — it behaves irrationally, unless I “trick” it with lighter dimensions. This is NOT what a professional truck GPS is supposed to do.

⸻

🧠 Final thoughts:

If you’re a new driver — this GPS could get you in trouble. If you’re experienced, like me, you’ll be wasting time fighting Garmin’s logic instead of focusing on the road.

⸻

📢 To Garmin:

Fix your Truck Routing Database.
Remove fake restrictions.
Let the GPS route based on real regulations, not flawed assumptions.
You’ve taken a trusted professional tool and turned it into a gamble.

⸻

★☆☆☆☆ – Until you fix this, I will not recommend this GPS to anyone in trucking.

Ugly Microphone Cover Garmin Fenix 8**

I am usually enthusiastic about Garmin products and was considering upgrading my Garmin Fenix 5 Plus to the new Garmin Fenix 8 Solar 47 mm titanium (with the yellow strap).

What incredibly bothers me about the design is the yellow microphone cover. The strap can be replaced with another color, but the ugly and striking microphone cover cannot.

There is no alternative with a MIPS display, gray case, and solar.

Many online share my opinion. Links cannot be shared here:
- Garminrumors
- Forum Garmin
- Reddit

I approached Garmin through multiple channels to see if this watch is available with a different colored microphone cover. Unfortunately, Garmin is not willing to think along.

**Conclusion:** This is not possible, and if you repaint the part yourself, the warranty (understandably) expires.

Throughout the entire process, customer service has not been particularly cooperative and, with a high degree of disdain, has indicated that Garmin simply makes good choices in design.

Usually a fan of your products, but less impressed with customer service and customization.

I will wait for a potential Garmin Fenix 9, and if an appealing design does not come along, I will switch to a competitor.

I am willing to adjust my review if you come up with a solution.

After contacts with various people at Garmin, Garmin clearly shows that customers who have problems with products, Edge 520 Plus, after the warranty period has passed are completely uninteresting to them. No spare parts are available, even if I am prepared to pay - in other words, Garmin sees three years as an appropriate life cycle for its products, after which they disclaim all responsibility.
Garmin offers a 15% discount if I want to order a new equivalent product - wishful thinking - Bye Bye Garmin, forever!

I had difficulty placing my order, so contacted customer support. I spoke to Carla and Dawn across 3 calls. The support was outstanding and the effort displayed was exemplary. I’m now really excited about my Fenix 8. Hopefully this watch will be as good as my previous Fenix. Great customer service

I’m not an athlete - just an everyday person who wanted to record things like steps, sleep, and heart rate. Up until October 2023, I only purchased and wore fitbits. Every 2-3 years, I would replace because I wanted to not because the wearable failed on me. When google purchased Fitbit and they took everything in a direction that didn’t feel good to me, I decided to find an alternative. People online and in real life raved about the Garmin brand. I purchased a Garmin Venu sq in late October 2023. I loved that like my previous Fitbits, I could go days on one charge. It stared out as 6 days until recharge needed. In June 2024, it dropped to 3 days and then in July, it dropped to 18-24 hours. When I reached out to customer service, because I was within the one year warranty, i was given the option of swapping mine out for a refurbished / recertified replacement. I took that option knowing that it legally would only carry me through to my one year warranty anniversary. I placed a deposit of $220 down and it was sent within a week.

My rating here reflects a combination of factors.

1. This product which I spent more on than any of my previous wearables, started failing me at month 8. That’s just not a good product.
2. The replacement included within the warranty is only valid until my anniversary date instead of 90 days.
3. The Garmin app is on my iPhone is not at all intuitive.
4. The Venu SQ wearable onscreen menu options and various selection options are not at all user friendly.

I do not have any faith in the replacement lasting more than a few months. I’m fortunate enough that the holidays are coming up soon and I can take advantage of sales for a different brand of wearable - I won’t be coming back to garmin.