Garmin issues

[Paul Wagner]

Anybody ever had any trouble trying to register a Garmin device with their website?  Apparently there’s an issue.  When I fill out the form correctly I get this message: “The user object contains invalid values.”

And in checking their Q&A, they are aware of the problem, because lots of people have reported it, and don’t have a fix–at least not one that’s simple and effective.  Their engineers say “they are working on this issue.”

Makes you wonder exactly how well their system works, if they can’t figure this stuff out…

The good news is that I bought the thing through REI, so I should be able to return it if Garmin can’t get me up and running.

Oh, and when you send Garmin an email with a problem, they promise to get back to you in three to five days, unless they’re really busy.

These folks are selling an emergency device.

[Bruce Tolley]

Hey Paul,

Do you already have an older Garmin device and accout, or the older Delorme Inreach?

I have an established Inreach account but I also have a regular Garmin account. I find I get “user errors ” when I enter from the wrong home page or splash page (as the web designers call it).

 

[Paul Wagner]

Hi Bruce

Thanks for the suggestion, but nope.  No previous account. From what I’ve learned online, this is an ongoing issue. Seems like they should tell you about it before they sell you the device…

 

[DWR D]

Just call them… I have had good experience calling…

 

[Paul Wagner]

Except that they are not open on the weekends or…

[Brad Rogers]

Garmin hardware = good

Garmin software = not so good

[Bruce Tolley]

Are you starting from here: https://account.inreach.garmin.com/activate/Activation/DeviceValidation

[Paul Wagner]

Bruce—LOL.  When I click on that link, I get a server error!

I am starting at the explore.garmin.com.  That’s the webpage they stipulate in the directions to the inreach mini2

 

 

[Matthew / BPL]

Are you starting from here: https://account.inreach.garmin.com/activate/Activation/DeviceValidation

FWIW, that link loads for me.

[Paul Wagner]

Thanks. Matthew.  It loads for me now, too.  Must have just been a glitch earlier.  And yes, that’s the same page I have been using.  I’ve been reading on line that this has been a recurring issue for some years now with Garmin.  And the page still tells me there is a problem.  I’ll call them tomorrow…sigh.

[Ray J]

I have the older Mini and had the DeLorme before that.  I find the documentation difficult.  Many terms seem to be used without a definition of just what THEY mean by the term.  Example.  “Sync”.  For about a year, I thought when I connected my old device to my computer, logged on and did “Sync”, I was getting fixes and such.  NOPE!  Sync is to sync my contacts and such.  There is another process for getting Garmin updates to the device.  And it’s called, on my PC, “Garmin Express”.  OK………

 

But the above activation link does work for me and seems to be the correct one I used when I got the Mini.

[Chris FormyDuval]

The status page indicates a couple of problems recently but all green now. https://status.inreach.garmin.com

[Bruce Tolley]

Good to see that they are tracking issues.

I don’t see membership initiation on the list of issues tracked.

 

[Paul Wagner]

Try this link, guys. It’s on Garmin’s own site:

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/inreach/f/inreach-mini/275358/can-t-activate-in-reach-mini-the-user-object-contains-invalid-values

 

[Paul Wagner]

UPDATE; I spoke to Garmin’s customer service department. Very nice guy, very efficient. And he told me they are aware of this issue, and it is a top priority with them. But he has no timeline for when it will be fixed, and based on their own troubleshooting message boards, it’s been going on for at least three weeks.

He told me there is nothing he can do. He suggested that I try a different email (!) or a different browser. I tried two different emails, and both Chrome and Edge, and none of the combinations work.

What a mess! You’d think that they would tell people about this, rather than just continuing to sell these devices as if there is no problem.

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