SPOT IS A DISHONEST COMPANY- AVOID!!!

[Cameron M]

Several years ago when I bought my SPOT device, I was promised a rebate that never came. It took many calls to an almost non-existent customer service to finally get my rebate. Then I sold my device two years ago and cancelled my plan, but no amount of cancellation calls to SPOT or credit card disputes will stop them from billing me every year. I believe that this is a deliberate billing strategy instituted by a failing company. So I advocate avoiding SPOT, and if you have done business with them in the past, check your credit card statements!!!

[David Sugeno]

I don’t know if I would have called them dishonest, but at the very least they are grossely incompetent, and their device ineffective.  Possibly the worst customer service I have ever encountered.  Switched to Delorme Inreach a few years ago and never looked back.

[Roger Caffin]

I recently upgraded a piece of SW I use from the FREE version to the ‘Pro’ version, for a fee. Part of the purchase process required that I authorise them to keep deducting the annual fee from my Paypal account – for ever. OK, but 5 minutes later I had revoked their authorisation at the Paypal web site.

@Cameron: I am wondering whether they are just ‘billing’ you, or whether the credit card company is still paying them out of your account despite you trying to block that. The former can simply be ignored; the latter is fraud or legal misconduct, and actionable. Do you bank with Wells Fargo?

Cheers

[Cameron M]

It is a serious charge to call someone or something dishonest, and I do not level it carelessly. I believe that dishonesty extends to companies that willfully exhibit poor customer service when it financially benefits them. In my several discussions with their customer support person, it was admitted to me that my various complaints were justified, and it began to appear that the person I was talking to was set up as a frontman to make customers feel better rather than being empowered to actually change problems. I also cancelled my account and revoked the permission the bill me on their website, and all that was ignored.

How about this: My credit card is with Bank of America. The person on the phone told me that she had had interestingly enough “fielded several other similar complaints about this SPOT company”.

Call it dishonest or call it incompetent, I don’t care. I just want the word out that SPOT is still attempting to bill me every year, even after my multiple attempts to stop them with every resource they offer, and including BofA refusing their previous charges. Buyer beware.

[Roger Caffin]

Given a choice between devious machinations and plain simple incompetence, I would plump for the latter every time. In the case of SPOT, that incompetence has to start at the very top for it to be tolerated. The proof may be found in Cameron’s story.

Given that degree of incompetence, do you want to trust the company to replace the functions of a known-reliable PLB?

Cheers

[Jerry Adams]

InReach works pretty good, plus you can send text messages

[Casey Bowden]

Thanks for posting this Cameron. I greatly value your input.

[Geoff Caplan]

My personal take – I can’t see much case for the Spot except for casual use, even if you trust that they won’t rip you off.

If reliable rescue is your priority, the clear choice is a PLB.

If two-way communication is a higher priority than rescue the inReach seems the best choice. But reception can be less reliable in some scenarios and you have to be sure to keep your payments up to date and the battery charged.

Ideally you would have both in your party.

Carrying both is practical even for solo use now that the inReach mini is only 100g and PLBs start at 130g, though that would be overkill for most projects.

And if you’re heading for somewhere really remote on a long expedition, it’s worth considering a satellite phone for weather reports and for organising logistics, medical advice and evacuation.

[Tom K]

Duly noted, Cameron.  Thank you.

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