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HighWing
06-19-2012, 06:26 PM
Woe is me. I received my BendixKing Av8or today - don't ask why I didn't go Garmin - and nothing but problems. The sticker sealing the lid says log onto bendixking.com/aviator/welcome I do that and get an error message telling me there is no such site. Oh Well, I log onto Bendix King and am immediately connected with Honeywell. Careful here guys. This is a mega corp with very few consumer items in their inventory - most of their customers are other mega corps, government agencies, military organizations and I suppose the CIA. The first thing I have to do is establish an account. And to simply update my software and database, I need a user account that the KGB can't crack. This could be fun having an account in a super secret organizion. I use my typical everyday username - fine. Then I use my typical everyday secure password - not fine because they require alph, num and non alph/num. I add a non alph/num character and it accepts it. Now, I have to write it down or I will never remember it - so much for a secure password. I complete the form and submit it. Fine so far. I wait for the email to come with instructions to complete the registration. I click on the link and all they need is for me to type in my new forgettable password. I type it in click done and voila, I get a notice that the registration has been rejected and I am to contact the administrator. No link to an administrator or any other help link. I go back to the last page before the registration page and search for help links - nothing regarding registration errors so call the phone number listed. I get the usual menu items, except they are not very usual - more like what you would find if you were the CIA needing help with some top secret mega bucks item. I finally just put any random number and get a person. Very nice, but all she could tell me is that the phone number for the Av8or was changed four weeks ago and that when connected go to menu item 3 and offers to connect me. Here I get marble mouth giving me options. I don't hear that well, so maybe my wife can help. She calls the number and makes a face like a person who's mouth is full of marbles, but recognizes enough that I will need option 2 THEN 3. OK. I go there and am connected with a guy that probably knows everything there is to know about the GPS, but is unable to help with the registration issue. I call Aircraft Spruce and tell them that I will be returning the unit if I can't resolve the issue - what good is a GPS who's software version and database is already out of date with no apparent way to update it.

Ok calm down. Let's try this again. I try another registrationin using the same username but another version of the password - you guessed it, my username is now owned by them and I am unable to use it again. I modify it just enough and they accept it. I type in the new new password twice plus the three security questions plus the answers to each twice again and push send. I get the note that I will find an email with instruction on how to proceed. They want my new twice forgettable password. I type it in again and presto, the registration has been denied and now they own two of my user names and I still have a Bendix King Av8or GPS that is of no use to me. Tomorrow I won't have it bothering me anymore as Aircraft Spruce will re-assume ownership of presumably a very fine piece of equipment that has no real value.

May the customers beware.
Lowell

SkySteve
06-19-2012, 07:17 PM
Wow. No joy, Lowell. Thanks for the heads up. I almost bought the Av8or awhile back. Glad I didn't now.

Av8r3400
06-19-2012, 07:48 PM
Sorry to hear your tale of woe, Lowell.

I have absolutely no regrets choosing my Garmin Aera 500 and still recommend it highly... :o

jamesmil
06-20-2012, 07:05 AM
would like to tell my "good" experience with garmin. after installing the g3x in our ss7 and getting signed off by the faa we had an oil pressure problem show up at 3 hr.tt. turned out to be the sender was damaged by r/f in its mounting position on the front of the motor. after a lot of trouble shooting and mounting a manual gage so we could keep flying i called garmin for more help, had to go through the main menu 0n the phone till i got to the right department witch was not very hard.
i was conected to a very knowledgable tech. named tim, sorry i dont remember his last name. after going over my problem and given some things to try he gave me his dirict phone number to his desk. this saved a lot of time and we were able to fix the problem togather. :)

series7
06-20-2012, 12:34 PM
We have an IFly 700 in our Kitfox. It is a great gps and you cannot beat their customer support.
Ken

Woodennickle
06-20-2012, 03:47 PM
Love my Garmin Aera:cool:.

HighWing
06-20-2012, 06:01 PM
In Fairness:
Everything I posted yesterday did in fact happen, but - I received two emails this morning and a person there straightened out the registration problem. It seems the problem was in the website where links on pages and internal links simply did not go where intended. My registrations did in fact work despite the replies that they had been rejected. Still undecided.
Lowell