UK Mumsnetters needed to test TomTom’s top Sat Nav - the GO 5000 worth £259.99 NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at TomTom to find 100 UK MNers to try TomTom GO 5000.

We're looking for Mumsnetters who are regular drivers.

TomTom says: "We all know that traffic jams can take seconds to build up and then last for hours. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in a jam or in slow moving traffic and not knowing how long you will be there. Especially, when your time is tight and you have children to pick up or drop off.

TomTom satnavs know the precise traffic situation on most UK roads at all times, in real time. The satnav you’ll be given to test is a “live device,” this means it is constantly searching every possible route option to find you the fastest route available. So, if the traffic situation suddenly gets bad on your “normal” route, it will automatically search other options to find a new, faster route and give you a new arrive time."

If selected, you'll be sent the TomTom GO 5000 to try for a few weeks and so long as you add feedback as required you will be able to keep the product.

If selected, you will be sent the TomTom GO 5000 at the end of September, and asked to try it for two weeks. You will then need to try it and add feedback to a thread on Mumsnet. At the end of the testing period, we’d also like you to post a review on the Mumsnet review pages and fill in a short survey. In order to keep the product, you would need to add your feedback by the 26th of October, so please only apply if you are able to do this.

Please also note that TomTom may use your anonymous feedback comments on their website and social media channels, as well as elsewhere.

If you'd like to take part, please add your details here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/RKBRB3K

We will be in touch with selected MNers ASAP.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Hello everyone, TomTom have been reading your posts so far, and wanted to get back to some of the queries raised on this thread. So, I'm going to be posting their responses shortly :)

Angelie's post (and the one after) have just appeared on the thread for me, I've had this several times since the work at the weekend. Very odd, suppose I should let someone know...

Gloom the depot I presume you mean 'testing' not 'resting'

@IAmAPaleontologist

How does it actually work? How does it know where there is traffic? If I'm about to turn right out of work car park into standing traffic will it automatically yell at me to turn the other way and take me on some as yet unknown adventure through to another route?

TomTom say:

"Hi IAmAPaleontologist, TomTom Traffic combines multiple sources of information to detect traffic around you. To explain it simply, we have access to over 400 million anonymous GPS signal traces around the world from vehicles and other GPS enabled devices. These signal traces also contain speed information and are updated constantly. When we combine this information with other sources such as historical data and other standard traffic services, we get a very detailed picture of the traffic situation. It’s important to mention that the traffic situation can change extremely quickly so we can never ensure we have absolutely every single jam recorded.

Additionally, even if there is traffic on your route that does not necessarily mean that changing your route will save you time – the TomTom GO 5000 does a number of complex calculations to check whether it can save you time. If it calculates a faster route you will get a message in your route bar suggesting the alternative and letting you choose whether you want to take it.

In case you’re still curious to find out more, you can read about how we ensure the quality of our traffic on the following page: www.tomtom.com/en_gb/services/traffic/#Coverage

You can also have a look at this video, where we explain how we use crowd-sourced data to improve the service for everyone: "

Angelie oops, should probably stop talking about bras and the weather then

@ilovemonstersinc

Its working fine so I might not update it for a bit ive had a play with settings, set home address and ive changed the colour settings then changed it back to normal. The only thing I can say its not all that touch sensitive ive had to touch a few things more than twice for it to go through.

TomTom have said:

"Hello ilovemonsterinc, we read your comment and wanted to share that updating your device is highly recommended. It will ensure not only that you have the latest map data but also the latest software which comes with updated features and performance. As long as you use a stable and fast internet connection the update should go quite smoothly."

@lougle

Ok, I'm just back from my first trip out with it. I think it's good. Serena's very solemn. I found it too quiet - should have sorted that before I went.

I've just looked on the MyDrive site and there's a 5th update, so that's plodding away.

TomTom say:

"Hello lougle, we wanted to come back to your comment. You can edit the voice settings from the bottom of the main menu. After the large initial updates to the map and software, there will be optional daily updates available to you. These updates are connected to MapShare – our map community who submit changes every day. Once those changes are checked and approved they are shared with everyone. It’s up to you whether you want to get those daily or just connect from time to time. "

I love the way it tells you how far the traffic congestion goes on for - really helps you make the decision of whether to turn around or not. You can also "see the light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak.

I wish you could use voice control to navigate to saved locations other than just "Go home".

@dramaqueen

Some good, some not so good feedback. Journey down the M1 and round the M25 to Heathrow today.

The good - clear lanes and good traffic information, but not convinced it updates the traffic that often, as I think it over estimated the length of delay. Clear instructions and took me to the door of my destination, which is not always the case at Heathrow.

The not so good - couldn't make it respond to Hey Tom Tom, so ended up using the touch screen which is not the safest (but I wasn't moving most of the time). It took me a short cut getting to the M1 which I knew would be longer due to traffic so I ignored her and she got a bit insistent.

The most irritating things was the time it gave me to consider an alternative route. All the way round the north west M25 towards Heathrow there was constant traffic queuing due to a broken down car in the middle lane. I lost count of the times it offered me an alternative route but only gave me a few seconds to consider it, by which time it had flicked back onto the main screen. I couldn't look at it for long as I needed my eyes on the road. I wonder if you can program it to keep it on the screen for longer?

TomTom say:

"Hello dramaqueen, thank you for sharing your observations. Since you updated the device the wake up word is now “Hello TomTom” instead of “Hey TomTom”.

TomTom traffic updates every 2 minutes, as traffic is consistently changing hence the delay times updates also adjusting, the device has to re-calculate to ensure the most accurate data at the time. You can learn more about this here: bit.ly/1z3XRqU. I hope this helps.

Regarding the alternative routes, you can check on the device if there are any alternatives available after they have been offered by clicking on the route you are currently on, then select the pop up menu button to open the menu select “Alternative Routes” then “Find Alternative”. The device will give you up to 3 alternatives which show the difference in travel time in a balloon. You can select your chosen route by clicking on the time balloon."

@ChippingInLatteLover

Does anyone know how to set up a route between two 'my places'?

Or to set a 'scenic route'. I don't always want shortest or fastest never likely to want most economic but I would like scenic.

My thoughts so far... (after 2 days of full on use)

Pro's

If you ignore its first 'route' it quickly changes to a new one and doesn't shout at you!

It's a lovely screen.

Con's

Voice activation is not going well. I have to shout at her, but even then she doesn't understand half of what I say & tonight I couldn't get her to go 'Home' 'via' another location. [and as far as I can work out so far, you have to turn the voice activation on each time, sort of defeating the purpose I'd have thought!?).

I'm finding it annoying that it's not more 'intuitive' but maybe I'm expecting too much? I go out of the street the same way every time. It doesn't seem to adapt to that and still insists on sending me the other way. As I say, it's not the end of the world, just a tad annoying.

Even on 'night' setting it's too bright (can I adjust that further? I don't want to lose the brightness in the day, so will have to try again later).

The point where the charger plugs into the holder is difficult (for me anyway) to access when the holder is in place. It would be better on the front of the holder or on the actual unit itself (I can't see why it wasn't better positioned so that it only needs to plug into the unit, not the holder? I don't want the wire there all the time (has to go on top of the steering wheel), but neither do I want to have to take the holder off of the windscreen everytime I need to plug it in.

I can't get the holder to adhere to anything other than glass, and I feel it's too bulky to have on the windscreen really (not helped by the fact that I'm short).

It needs to come with a case, even if it's just a cheap neoprene cover to protect the screen in your bag.

TomTom have said:

"Hello ChippingInLatteLover, thank you for the feedback. We wanted to answer some of your questions and comments. Firstly – to plan a route from one place to another (not from your current location), you need to click on one of your Places (or any point) on the map and click on “Use as Starting Point”. You can then proceed to select your final destination like usual. If you want to add extra stops (or locations to go via) on your route, you can open the menu after you have your destination set up, click on “Current Route” and select “Add Stop to Route”.

To change the settings of the type of route you take go to “Settings” in the menu, select “Route Planning”, and then you can choose from the different options. Unfortunately “Scenic Routes” is not one of those options, it would be an interesting option to have and we will present the idea to our product developers. You can also adjust the appearance within the settings menu to your preference.

The route chosen is dependent on a number of factors including the type of route chosen i.e. fastest route or shortest route in addition to the traffic conditions based on the latest information available. If you choose a different route than the one suggested by the device, as you pointed out, it will quickly re-route. You can adjust the appearance on the settings menu by simply clicking “Appearance” and choosing your preferred view.

Regarding Voice Control – if you’ve updated your device and activated Voice Control once in the menu, it should be enough to say “Hello TomTom” to wake your device up. For complete information on how Voice Control works please refer to page 67 of the product manual available here: bit.ly/1fXjOuq "

@Pikkewyn

I say hey Tom Tom or Hello TomTom and it says - turning off voice control, every bloody time! I know I have a slight south african accent but it is just pointless.

On a better note I figured out how to a a place to my list by touching the arrow when I am stopped.

TomTom say:

"Hello Pikkewyn, if the device is up to date, the wake up word is “Hello TomTom”. If you continue experiencing the issue with the voice control please contact us on [email protected], alternatively our Customer Care Department on 020 79490132 or via the following link:bit.ly/1DsGNuH. Our agents will assist you. "

Regarding the alternative routes, you can check on the device if there are any alternatives available after they have been offered by clicking on the route you are currently on, then select the pop up menu button to open the menu select “Alternative Routes” then “Find Alternative”. The device will give you up to 3 alternatives which show the difference in travel time in a balloon. You can select your chosen route by clicking on the time balloon."

^^ Brilliant, thank you:)

@EddieVeddersfoxymop

I have an ancient and dead tomtom one. I nicked its charger plug and am giving it a go, as I refuse to sit in my car for three hours to charge a satnav! So far, no drama, I think it's charging but there's no indication/light/secret handshake to tell me when it's done.

The traffic thingy is ace - I can see where all the jams are but I've not had to drive to any of them yet.....how does the avoidance work? Do I need to tell it to choose another route, or does it work automatically?

TomTom has said:

"Hello EddieVedderfoxymop, the TomTom Go comes with its own cigarette lighter charger and the cord can be used to charge the device on your computer and update it as well. As long as it is plugged in your car it will not run out of battery.

Depending on your route planning settings (e.g. fastest, shortest), the device gives you routes that will automatically avoid any delays. In some instances even if there is traffic on your route that does not necessarily mean that changing your route will save you time – the TomTom GO 5000 does a number of complex calculations to check whether it can save you time. If it calculates a faster route you will get a message in your route bar suggesting the alternative and letting you choose whether you want to take it. If you would personally like to take a different route you can choose an alternative. Simply click on the current route you are on, then the pop up menu to open it. Click “Alternative Routes” then “Find Alternative”, the device will give you up to 3 alternatives which show the difference in travel time in a balloon. You can select your chosen route by clicking on the time balloon. "

@Allisgood1

Not impressed. Damn thing doesn't charge if you are having it on the holder, so Serena very helpfully died mid journey and I had to plug her in, hit a curb, and made dd carsick. That in itself is reason why I prefer the free Waze app (which is better) to the tomtom now.

TomTom say:

"Hello Allisgood1, please connect the supplied USB cable to the mount so that your device can charge while in use. Ensure that the USB car charger and the USB cable are connected as well."

@IAmAPaleontologist

Well I have had a play with mine this morning (just at home not been in the car yet) and I seem to have successfully put a few destinations in but when I have tried to plug it in to the computer it doesn't come up. Nothing happens. At all. I think the USB is working as when I unplug it warns me that I've unplugged the power source but I can't get it to connect to the computer .

I have downloaded/installed that mydrive thing so I hav the little icon but it just says "connect a navigation device" Same when I go on the website. But nothing happens when I do connect my bloody navigation device!

Any suggestions? I have e-mailed customer service too.

My computer is a bit on the old side but I have checked against the specs and it is a version of windows that supports it.

TomTom say:

"Hello again IAmAPaleontologist - I’m sorry that you device has not been recognized and thus you cannot update. There are various reasons this can happen. Could you try using Google Chrome as the browser to update the device? Chrome usually comes pre-loaded with the relevant plug-ins for MyDrive so it should be easier to use it with that. If you still have issues, could you please send us an email at [email protected] so we can help you further? Additionally you can read the following page on possible solutions to the issue: bit.ly/1to9VRv."

@DurhamDurham

I'm having the same problem, nothing happens when I plug it into the computer. Tried my computer at work and at home.

TomTom say:

"Hello DurhamDurham, it is unfortunate your device has not been recognized and thus you cannot update it. There are various reasons this can happen. Could you try using Google Chrome as the browser to update the device? Chrome usually comes pre-loaded with the relevant plug-ins for MyDrive so it should be easier to use it with that. If you still have issues, could you please send us an email at [email protected] so we can help you further? Additionally you can read the following page on possible solutions to the issue: bit.ly/1to9VRv."

@MimsyBorogroves

Should the voice recognition work from the main (map?) screen if you say 'hey/hello/whatever Tomtom?" Or do you have to go to the voice control bit on the main menu? I'd assumed it was from the map screen but she completely ignores me. The function is definitely activated, and she vaguely understands me unlike Siri when I go into it from the menu and talk to her there, but I had expected that it would just work from the map. Or have i made a tit of myself as usual?

TomTom say:

"Hello MimsyBorogroves, voice recognition is supposed to work from map view by using the wake up word “Hello TomTom”. Simply ensure that the wake up phrase in on in the settings menu in order to be able to use it in map view. "

@ilovemonstersinc

How can I turn thr volume up on it??

TomTom have said:

"Hello ilovemonstersinc, click the main menu button and you will able to see the volume control, simply slide to adjust. "

TomTom

Thank your for your comments. I must be doing something wrong. I can set the starting point, but how do I then proceed to select your final destination like usual because when I try to do this, it uses that as the starting point? When you say 'as usual' can you be more specific please :)

@lynniep

I'm currently failing to understand why its so much better than the one we have, which is a mio spirit 485 and which costs about £75. The screen is a bit clearer. The interface a bit nicer. It sticks to the windscreen better. And yes there's voice control which I'm pretty sure I haven't figured out yet as I actually have to touch the screen to find the voice control button before i can use that function which must defeat the purpose.

However using it for the purpose its intended, I have become really frustrated. I typed in the name of the clinic we were going to the other day. Didn't recognise that. Why not? Its been there for at least a decade. It doesn't recognise the street name of where I work, or the name of the business park its on either - had to use the postcode.

It didn't highlight the massive queue of traffic on the street I drive through every morning (which I luckily can avoid but I drive into it to start with) It tried to take me a bizarre route to work this morning, multiple times (although yes it recalculates quickly as I just ignored any suggestions it made)
It didn't recognise a wood we wanted to go to either. Which frankly should have been in the points of interest box if nothing else. I need to test whether it 'remembers' previous routes taken like my Mio does as well. ( I don't mean previous routes searched for, but actual routes driven on a frequent journey - as the Mio adjusts to your most frequent route)

The boys wanted a different voice, so I changed it to James the Aussie, but he repeats the same annoying 'sunnies' sentence over and over and the kids told me to turn it off. Which I did. Why just the one sentence - can TomTom not add in about 20 of them and generate randomly at the end of a journey? Sheesh.

I will keep testing. We will be going on longer journeys to places we don't know in half term, so I'm hoping it gets us to our destination reliably.

TomTom have said:

"Hello lynniep, thank you for sharing your observations. Voice control is off by default and to switch on the wake up phrase you need to go into the Settings menu. Once it is on and you have not restarted your device, you can get voice control started by saying the wake up phrase (“Hello TomTom”) while in map view or the guidance view.

It is rather strange that the device does not recognize the street you work on and the clinic. We would like to look into the matter in detail; can you please email us the location and the names of these places on [email protected]? This will allow us to investigate and provide additional tips were possible.

Regarding traffic, it’s important to mention that the traffic situation can change extremely quickly so we can never ensure we have absolutely every single jam recorded. However, there are other factors that might contribute the device not indicating the traffic delays such as the sporadic mobile coverage dead zones in the UK that can indeed disable TomTom Traffic temporarily. You should not encounter these often but if you suspect there might be traffic on your route and your device is showing no traffic at all, you can quickly check your connection by entering the main menu and looking for an icon with two cars. If the icon is white you are connected, if it's grey and with an X next to it - you are currently not connected.

The device should reconnect to TomTom Traffic automatically when able. You can save routes that you prefer to use by clicking on the route itself. Select the pop up menu button to open the menu, and then select “Add to My Routes”. You can edit the name of the route to you preferred name. "

Useless today. Wouldn't hold a connection to the traffic server, so no traffic updates. I'm in Oxfordshire, so not exactly rural... How do I get it to reconnect? This is recurring problem and VERY annoying.

When it is connected, it seems pretty accurate, got me to work this morning through heavy traffic in a decent time. But it only stays connected for the whole journey about 20% of the time.

TomTom are there any settings we can adjust wrt the voice control? Many of us are struggling with the fact that you have to shout at it to activate it. Even sitting here, with it in my hand I am having to shout.

Also, why does VR go off when you turn it off? Why do you have to go into settings each and every time to turn it on?

voice commands not working
i said ' go to nicks house'; - couldnt be clearer

i cant work out how to make it 'drive' to a saved fave place either
i need instructions/

were there some in the box?

Quick question ,(because I'm too lazy to look it up) what do you do if you get somewhere that is according to the Tomtom a roundabout but is actually now a 4 way set of traffic lights - is there some way of telling Tom Tom Central so that the maps can be updated ? TIA .