Rand-McNally TND 720 "Trade-In" Program - DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!!

As a registered user of a TND 710 (which I just purchased a few months ago only to find out later that there were additional fees for map updates), I received an e-mail titled "Introducing the TND Trade-in Event in honor of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week".

So, in spite of my dissatisfaction with the way Rand-McNally is trying to nickel and dime everyone on map updates, I decided to check it out.

What I discovered is that Rand-McNally doesn't seem to "appreciate" truck drivers very much if this program is a reflection of their "appreciation".

So, the promotion is this, thru 09/22/12:

If you agree to return your old GPS (TND 500, 510, 710, etc.) within 30 days of receipt of the new unit, you can buy the TND 720 for $249.99. Which at first sounds like a decent deal, right?

BUT WAIT!! This DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LIFETIME MAPS as you would get with the other currently running promotion.

BUT, they'll allow you to purchase them for "only" $69.99 during the same period.

So, let's do the math:

TND 720 $249.99
Map Updates 69.99

Total $319.98

ASSUMING you return your old unit.

BUT since you can find the same unit WITH LIFETIME MAPS all over the internet for around $350 or so, they're basically allowing you only $30 for your old unit.

Now, I purchased my TND 710 just a few months ago and paid $349, and Rand-McNally tells me they'll only give me $30 for it?

NO THANKS.

Even if I were to purchase a TND 720, which I'm not going to because I'm now trying out a Garmin dezl 560LMT that has lifetime maps AND TRAFFIC (and am planning on purchasing the 760LMT when it ships in December with even more features INCLUDED), it wouldn't make sense to use Rand's trade-in program as I could just purchase the unit elsewhere WITH lifetime maps and sell my old TND 710 for far more than $30.

So, it seems that Rand-McNally doesn't really "appreciate" truck drivers much, and/or they think we're really STUPID.

Rand seems like the "gang who can't shoot straight" when it comes to their business practices and I for one am not going to be screwed by them AGAIN!!

 

So, dieselboss.com is not an authorized source? If you buy it there it's $379 and if you buy it bundled with a camera you save an additional $50.

Try all you want to cover for Rand's messed up business practices, but it'll be to no avail. We're not stupid.

As for your car analogy, here's another one for you.
If the TND was a car, it would be delivered without an engine (as maps are the engine of the TND), then when the buyer asked about it, Rand would say "Oh, you wanted an engine with that? Well, that's an additional charge."

 

The 560LMT is GREAT! While I like some of the things about the Rand McNally's user interface better, the ACCURACY of the ROUTING on the 560LMT seems to be superior to the Rand-McNally.

And the traffic updates and alternate routing around potential traffic issues on the 560LMT is AWESOME!

The really great thing about the Garmin unit to me though is that everything is included in the initial purchase price.

They recognize that professional drivers are going to want things like map updates and thus they include lifetime map/traffic (including the traffic receiver) updates with their product for no additional charge.

With Rand-McNally, unless you purchase a unit within some BS "promotional period", you have to pay for future map updates. And in order to receive traffic updates you have to buy a separate traffic receiver. Garmin includes all this in their initial purchase pricing.

Casual drivers (4-wheelers, etc.) might not be as interested in map updates, and thus a company that caters to them might be able to charge more to provide map updates to those who are. But PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS, like us, are not only interested in them, but MUST HAVE THEM in order to properly do our jobs and to charge additional for them is being disingenuous if not outright dishonest/unethical in my opinion.

Garmin gets that, Rand-McNally does not.

 

My 710 took me down a road with a 11'9" bridge on the opposite side of the interstate from where I was supposed to go. It was pouring rain and there was little room to turn around. So, I had to call the local sherrif's department to handle traffic while I got out of there.

Come to find out, when I got to my destination, there were at least 3 other truck terminals on that street.

Now how does a product that is targeted toward professional drivers not know how to get to a street that has at least 4 big truck terminals on it?

I don't know if my Garmin would have gotten it right, but its routing has been far more accurate than the Rand-McNally since I've been running them side-by-side.