Road Angel: More feed back on after sales customer service.

[Steve_Perry]

Some of those that attended the recent Skid Pan GTG (http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5170) will know that I had a problem with my Road Angel that day. Basically for the entire 200 mile (approx), 3 hour round trip my RA failed to get a satellite lock-on and just sat there displaying "- - - mph" at me... Not Good. On the following Monday the unit also failed to lock-on to any GPS signals.

On Tuesday I decided to email BlackSpot's technical support but wasn't filled with much hope as to what would transpire. Some of you may have read my less than supportive comments on BlackSpot's support before.

Well I shouldn't have worried, their support over the last few days has been perfect and gets full marks from me. :rock: BlackSpot arranged to have a new unit delivered to me and took my old unit back as a swap. :bannana: :bannana:
Their response was very prompt too! And even when my old unit started working again yesterday :rolleyes: they suggested it would still be better if I had it swapped over for a replacement. :cool:

Well I got the new unit delivered at 12pm today :bannana: and the old one has gone back for autopsy.

Many thanks to BlackSpot and in particular Simon who have been excellent in their support over the last few days. A big thumbs up from me.

Jimmy, if you have much contact with the people at BlackSpot please pass on my good feedback.

It's good to see some positive feedback once in a while as the nature of these forums means that we usually post negative comments about problems or issues, be they faults with equipment or poor dealer/vendor attitudes towards customers.

S.

[sym]

Steve

I think you have jinxed my RA. Since the GTG it has taken increasingly longer to find satellites . . . . almost 20 minutes today !!

Guess who I'm going to be calling tomorrow !

S.

[GrahamC230K]

It's good to know you have got good service.


I have had a little trouble in the past from time to time the RA taking a while to lock onto Sats. Worst case after a few minutes driving I have cycled the power to the RA and it has then started working.

However, after some unexplainable behaviour with my Sat Nav being temporarily temperamental picking up sats, I have come to the conclusion that GPS reception is not always perfect nor is it interferrance free, hence some of these troubles are to be expected.

[jimmy]

Steve, glad to hear things have been sorted out. Simon is a really nice bloke, spent an afternoon with him at their offices when we first started dealing with them. It's good to hear good feedback about a product you are selling, just proves what I have always said about them, thats why I can't understand the bad things I hear about them.

I have sold between 80-90 of them now and have not had one complaint or query from any customer, except for one bloke who did not understand why it had to be mounted in view of the sky!

Sym, I am sure Blackspot will sort you out, if not get in touch and I will start waving a big stick at them!!

Just to let you know, mine always picks up the sattellites by the time I get halfway down my drive......






OK so I have a longer than average drive!!!

[Steve_Perry]

Steve

I think you have jinxed my RA. Since the GTG it has taken increasingly longer to find satellites . . . . almost 20 minutes today !!

Guess who I'm going to be calling tomorrow !

S.Oops :( Good luck getting it sorted.

However, after some unexplainable behaviour with my Sat Nav being temporarily temperamental picking up sats, I have come to the conclusion that GPS reception is not always perfect nor is it interferrance free, hence some of these troubles are to be expected.Graham, I am beginning to agree with you, however, even I thought that 200 miles and/or 3 hours without a GPS lock was over stretching the bounds of acceptability.

Steve, glad to hear things have been sorted out. Simon is a really nice bloke, spent an afternoon with him at their offices when we first started dealing with them. It's good to hear good feedback about a product you are selling, just proves what I have always said about them, thats why I can't understand the bad things I hear about them.Thanks Jimmy, as you say Simon is a top bloke. :D Please pass on my positive feedback to the guys, thanks mate.

S.

[sym]

.....have not had one complaint or query from any customer, except for one bloke who did not understand why it had to be mounted in view of the sky!!
You should have played along with him and told him he needed the re-rad antenna to go with it !! ;) ;)

Just kidding . . . . I know you wouldn't do such a thing !

I know its not a satellite reception problem on mine, as I had 8 sats showing on Comand at the same time, - with the RA refusing to lock on - eventually just burst into life !

S.

[RichardM]

Funny you should mention that, on friday mine wouldn't lock for the first time ever. I left an underground car park in central London and even after 5 minutes it didn't have a lock. I ended up unplugging it, connecting it again and waiting by the side of the road and it did eventually get a lock. I wasn't happy to drive around central London without it!

[GrahamC230K]

Any more experiences to share on this?

Today for example my Road Angel was very slow to lock onto sats (especially this morning), much the same as Steve originally describes.

It has happened before very infrequently, but wonder who else gets this and how often?

Steve, has yours been OK since?

[sym]

Graham

I mailed Blackspot, and was given the following advice.

Take out of the car - leave on the mains charger for about 4 hours - this will charge the internal battery apparently.

Haven't tried this, but mine has improved since receiving this info - so not sure what the problem was.

There is nothing else they can advise - apart from replacing the unit if it continues to malfunction.

S.

[GrahamC230K]

Cheers. Interesting (read as in not sure whether to believe, but willing to try) information.

If my RA is slow to wake tomorrow, I'll give it a go and report back.

[Steve_Perry]

Graham,

I've not used mine that much since but those occasions that I have, it has worked fine.

S.

[jimmy]

Most nights I park my car in the garage/lean to, every morning the Road Angel locks onto the satellites when I get half way down my drive (500yards). A couple of days last week I left my car at work, the building is steel framed and double clad, when I drove my car home it took ages before the Road Angel started working. I think there is something in that the RA continues to track the sats even when not switched on, hence why it takes longer after being in a steel building.

[GrahamC230K]

My unit looses sats every night, when I park in my garage. Perhaps this internal battery is just so it knows where it is, last time it was powered up. If the battery looses charge (it shouldn't should it with regular in car use), everytime you switch on it would start from scratch, like the 1st time you powered on when you bought it?

I'll see in about an hour and report back!

[Tony M]

I had a 'loan' S 500 from my dealer and could not locate a single satellite.

Phoned Road angel, who said the new s class have ultra violet light reflecting screens, and you need a remote sensor if you wish to use it.

[GrahamC230K]

My unit looses sats every night, when I park in my garage. Perhaps this internal battery is just so it knows where it is, last time it was powered up. If the battery looses charge (it shouldn't should it with regular in car use), everytime you switch on it would start from scratch, like the 1st time you powered on when you bought it?

I'll see in about an hour and report back!
Better today by far - picked up sats after about a mile max - not as quick as it has been, but better than the 12-15 miles yesterday!

The more I think, the internal battery charge is the key. It can take up to 45 mins to work when you buy a new Road Angel, a flat battery would revert the unit to the same status no?

Anyway for info, over a 18 mile, 25 minute journey I averaged 6 sats, peaking at 9.

[Ian B Walker]

Touch wood, I have had no problem with mine at all. An excellent investment. Both my wife and I are delighted with its performance. It takes about half a min to get a reading when cold and about 15 secs after use. I am a little suspisious of the laser thingy on the screen though as I have never whitnessed it going off and dont know it its working. I have read the posts on how to test etc but do not have sky tv so cant use the sky remote to test, any other ideas would be appreciated.

[GrahamC230K]

I am now dealing with Blackspot as I beleive I have a fault. It's getting interesting and I may be visiting their office at Silverstone tomorrow - will update you when I have all details.

[Steve_Perry]

I am now dealing with Blackspot as I beleive I have a fault. It's getting interesting and I may be visiting their office at Silverstone tomorrow - will update you when I have all details.
Still failing to lock on G.? :confused: I shall await your update with interest, I have only positive things to say about Blackspot after my experiences detailed above.

S.

[sym]

Take it the new one is performing OK then Steve.

Mine has been fine since I mailed Blackspot . . . . perhaps they sent a special GPS signal to make it behave !! ;)

I will be keeping a close eye on it though, and if it begins to mis-behave again before I have had it a year, (subscription renewal time !!) I will be back in touch with them.

S.

[Steve_Perry]

Take it the new one is performing OK then Steve.

Mine has been fine since I mailed Blackspot . . . . perhaps they sent a special GPS signal to make it behave !! ;)

I will be keeping a close eye on it though, and if it begins to mis-behave again before I have had it a year, (subscription renewal time !!) I will be back in touch with them.

S.Sym, funnily enough I tested it after I read Graham's post. Mine had been switched off permanently for a good 2 weeks, it locked onto satellites after approx 10 secs after power up. That's good enough for me :D

S.

[GrahamC230K]

My post was a bit mean on info.

I tried charging mine having taken it straight out the car and the performance locking on afterwards was very fast. However, left overnight it was back to old tricks, to me this says the internal lithium cell is dying. Blackspot think the GPS engine is faulty. However, as the battery is in this component, replacing the engine solves both issues, so I won't compalin.

The exciting bit is, I have been told the engine is now on version 2 and is much more efficient over the version 1 engine I have. So after my fix, I shall have a current model Road Angel which the guy tells me will be much better.

I hope to call in tomorrow to have this done whilst I wait.

[GrahamC230K]

Visiting Blackspot this evening. Will report back later - apparently they have a new GPS engine for me - how exciting!

[sym]

apparently they have a new GPS engine for me
Kompressor ? ;)

S.

[GrahamC230K]

LOL, no, no Kompressor. But nearly as good.........

I made my way to the Blackspot "office" in Silverstone Village. Very nice too!

I met the guy I had been talking to and 10 minutes later he handed me back my same RA, re-serial numbered and with the latest firmware and a new later revision "GPS Engine", which he assures me should be much improved.

This is not official, but I picked up on that to see if you have the new firmware, press the Store and Delete buttons together, if it reads you your serial number, you have the new firmware.

I believe you need the new firmware to have the later GPS Engine, but I don't know if some RA's have the new firmware with the old engine. Anyway, fingers crossed I am sorted.

[RichardM]

Any idea what other benefits it gives Graham?

[Steve_Perry]

...This is not official, but I picked up on that to see if you have the new firmware, press the Store and Delete buttons together, if it reads you your serial number, you have the new firmware.

I believe you need the new firmware to have the later GPS Engine, but I don't know if some RA's have the new firmware with the old engine. Anyway, fingers crossed I am sorted.Seems I have a new GPS Engine and firmware, thanks for the info G.!!

S.

[GrahamC230K]

Any idea what other benefits it gives Graham?
He said there was no other real end user functionaility to the firmware. The serial number read out was for them, as most people had stuck velcro over the lable on the bottom.

The GPS engine is just evolution of the product - apparently far more efficient, but doesn't actually do anything over and above the old one.


EDIT: Now much much better - get car out of garage, by the time I have got out to close the up and over door and got back in car it has locked onto GPS. Cool!