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MNHQ

TomTom GO 5000 feedback thread NOW CLOSED

42 replies

AngelieMumsnet · 13/10/2014 17:02

This thread is for the MNers who've been trying out the TomTom GO 5000.

Below are some questions to get you started but please feel free to add other comments too.

In terms of your first impressions...

  • What was your initial impression of the TomTom GO 500?
  • How easy did you find it to set up your TomTom?
  • What journeys have you made so far with your TomTom?

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

Thanks,
MNHQ

Go to post
MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 16/10/2014 16:03

Hi everyone,

TomTom have said:

"Hello Mumsnetters,

It’s been great reading your initial impressions and feedback on the GO 5000. While many of you seem to be quite happy with your device and putting it to good use, we’ve seen some recurring questions, comments and issues we would like to address.

Some of you decided to skip updating and use the device out of the box. While that’s definitely easy to do, we still encourage you to update as that ensures you have the most up-to-date maps and most

optimised software. Additionally, we sometimes introduce completely new functionality only available via software updates. Here is a page that can help you through the process in case you have any trouble: bit.ly/ZDBGrJ It’s important to mention that the first time you update, it might take a few hours as both the map and the software will need to be updated at the same time. To speed up the process, it’s best to do this initial update on the most stable and fast internet connection available to you.

Some of you had difficulty finding the complete product manual. While there’s a quick start booklet in the box, we decided to publish the full manual online only, as the continuous improvements we make to the device require frequent updates to the copy of the manual. It being online ensures we can keep it up-to-date. You can access it through this direct link: bit.ly/1CgkODD

A lot of you seem to be using voice control but still have some issues with it. You can find all the information regarding using it on page 68 – 71 in the manual. Unfortunately, you cannot change the sensitivity of the microphone.

Enjoy the rest of your test! We will make sure to come back to your questions in this thread regularly."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/10/2014 16:53

Hi everyone,

TomTom have said:

"Hello Mumsnetters,

Thank you again for the numerous comments and feedback. We’ve observed a few recurring questions and comments coming through and would like to reply to them.

One of the topics that came up a few times was connected to how the device routes you to your destination. To calculate your route, the device needs to go through quite a complex process. It takes into account historical data, map information and live traffic information to suggest the fastest route. If you believe your device is not routing you well consistently for some reason, please reach out to us via [email protected] with your start location and destination + the time it took you to arrive, so we can look into it further as it should not be a common occurrence.

The other topic that still seems to be causing some issues is updating. We would like to summarise the steps to having a smooth update experience:

  1. Before you connect your device, please install MyDrive, downloadable from the following page: www.tomtom.com/getstarted
  1. The first time you update, your device will need to download map data for all of Europe and also the latest software. We strongly recommend you do this update overnight on the most stable and fast connection you have.
  1. Before you connect your device to the computer – make sure you have at least 6 GB free on your hard drive. During the update, the device needs to temporarily place the map data on your hard drive, before transferring it to the GO 5000.
  1. In case nothing happens when you connect your GO 5000 (with MyDrive already installed), something might not be setup properly on your computer. Refer to the following support page for advice: bit.ly/1DixgFk

If you have issues even after following these steps, please let us know as soon as you can on [email protected] so we can assist you further."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:24

@DoctorGilbertson

Hello,

Do you want to see where I got taken yesterday ...

road [[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6838635,-0.6516799,3a,75y,23.9h,87.8t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdk6yEEgFXMVe0d1QZc0mig!2e0]]

yes, with this right turn at the end

it is a dual carriageway [[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6816193,-0.6557872,3a,75y,253.33h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPRVxRysuKyQN6gse5kBrEw!2e0]]

On the other hand it was very pretty and I kept in low gear and have good brakes on my car, I didn't meet anything coming the other way and it did get me to the right place, so not a disaster.

We like Antonio in Spanish, although DH laughs at his accent. We also like the "mind the seagulls don't steal your chips"

One thing would be for the voice to say "take the fifth exit from the roundabout, yes, this is back the way you came" because when it was taking me round a bit of a loop and I was meant to take the fifth exit at the roundabout I couldn't work out where this was meant to be.

I am not sure I will use it for my commute to work. This kind of needs local knowledge (i.e. this way is OK before 7am, but the turn is too busy after and you should take the other route) and I'm not sure a sat nav will ever help with this.

I also keep losing the cable and don't like being told what to do.

TomTom say:
"Hello DoctorGilbertson, the live traffic is most useful during traffic peak hours as it can tell you where the delays are, what is causing them and how long they will be. Thus the device can help you with planning your travel schedule and provide you alternative routes if they are available."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:26

@IAmAPaleontologist

I can't get the voice recognition to work. If I select it from the menu then it works in that I can tell it to display places and select one or I can say "drive home" but once it is driving somewhere then it stops listening to me again so I can't do anything else. I can't just hop in the car and use "Hello TomTom" and tell it where to go. Doesn't work. If anyone can help me out with that then that would be great. I don't turn it off, just sleep mode and all that gubbins.

TomTon have said: "Hello IAmAPaleontologist, what you are describing is an unusual occurrence that we would like to look into further. Please send us an email on [email protected] so we can investigate. In the email include the serial number of your device that you can find in the “System” menu of your “Settings”. It is the number that begins with QE."
MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:27

@VeryStressedMum

My first impression of the TomTom 5000 is that it looked sleek and the screen was a good size. I would have liked a case included especially considering the price of the TomTom (you can buy a suitable case from Amazon for little over a fiver so it wouldn't be that dear to include it), no plug to charge it in the house but you can charge it in the car whilst it's in use so it won't run out of battery power mid journey.

Set up was very easy. When you switch the Sat nav on it takes you through a set up which was very straight forward.
An instruction booklet would have been handy but from the bit of paper with the drawings I gathered that I should connect the Sat nav to my computer. The computer recognised the device straightaway and it set up within a few minutes although on the computer I tried to create a new account not realising I had already created an account on the actual device when setting it up.

The updates took ages, the time flicked from 2 hours to 8 hours to 12 hours...but in the end it updated in just over 3 hours. I went out and left it updating so it was fine.

The touch control buttons are easy to use and its quite clear what they are for. I set 'home' to my home address and its great when using the voice control that I can just say 'go home' and it will direct me to my house.

I have used it on my usual journeys to school, the shops, to friends houses etc and it does what it says on the tin and directs me to where I want to go.
I'm not sure how the live traffic feature is supposed to work but it didn't seem to notice the traffic I hit and didn't offer an alternate route.
The petrol station feature is good and will be very handy when I am somewhere I am not familiar with.
However I don't seem to have anything on the screen that is in 3D which I'm quite disappointed about as I was looking forward to seeing it. Not sure if it only works in big cities like London or if it should work anywhere...I had sort of hoped it would it would show in 3D my exact surroundings, but it probably doesn't work like that.

Also I was under the impression it should tell me what lane I should be in which it doesn't, even when I was on a 3 lane road. It did tell me to turn right so maybe it assumed I should know I should be in the right lane.

The holder however is fab, it stays on the window and I love how the charger goes into the back of the holder rather than the device itself So it can be left in there and you just need to click the device in and out (I didn't realise this initially and thought it was a massive design flaw and it wouldn't charge whilst in the holder..).

I'm need to take one of the children somewhere I have never been before this week and I'm glad I have the TomTom but I'm nervous and I hope that it gets me there. I have never driven somewhere unfamiliar using only the directions of a Sat nav. I hope I can get the lane recognition feature working as that's one of the things I get most nervous about, that I'm not in the right lane.

It's a great little Sat nav but, apart from the voice control, none of the special features seem to work, so at the moment I can't see how it justifies the price or why I should buy this one over one that is half the price, but hopefully I can sort those niggles out.

TomTom say:

"Hello VeryStressedMum, you can check whether you are connected to traffic on your device by selecting Connected Services in the main menu. Offline means that your device is not connected to TomTom. If you are connected please ensure that you activated traffic. Traffic can be activated in the Traffic and Speed Cameras menu, select “Activate Now” then “Yes” when prompted to send information to TomTom. You can read more on how the information is safe guarded and used here: www.tomtom.com/en_gb/safeguarding-your-data/. Then login to your TomTom account. Regarding the petrol stations, you have to prompt the device to show them on your route if you wish for that to occur. It is quite easy, once you have your route planned, open the main menu and select petrol station, the GO will show you all the stations in your route. "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:29

@Sparklingbrook

I am old fashioned. A proper volume control button would be great.

TomTom have said:

"Hello, you can adjust the volume by clicking the menu button and then sliding it to your desired loudness. Additionally, it can be adjusted through voice control with the commands “Volume Up, “Volume down” and “Volume 70 %”( for example)."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:30

@VeryStressedMum

It's supposed to have 3 maps and I should see (according to the tomtom website) buildings and landmarks in 'stunning' 3D. There's a picture on the back of the box which shows buildings around you in 3D. Mine doesn't do this. It does show the arrow moving along the route but the surroundings are just flat like a map..no 3D buildings.

It's supposed to have advanced lane guidance where it should clearly show in 'realistic' 3D which lane to take at key junctions. Mine hasn't done thus but maybe I haven't been at a key junction.

A long my routes it doesn't show me any points of interest either. Ok there's not a great deal of interest along my route but it doesn't even tell me where the petrol stations are, which it is supposed to I think...

TomTom say:

"Hello again, it is possible that you have the GO on 2D mode. To change it and default to 3D, go to the “Appearance Menu” in the settings and select switch map view so that your device will automatically switch to the appropriate view based on what you are doing i.e. 2D when looking for alternative routes and 3D when navigating. The advanced lane guidance might not be appearing because you have 2D mode only. If it continues not to provide lane guidance after changing the view, go into the “Appearance” menu in the setting and ensure that “Show previews of motorway exits is “On” "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:32

@asuwere

- What was your initial impression of the TomTom GO 500? Looks nice; large screen and very clear. Not a lot in the box though for the money - like others have said, I expected a case to be included.
  • How easy did you find it to set up your TomTom?
Initially, I set it up without the computer and it was very easy. Quite straight forward when switching it on the first time and it just walked me through it - liked that there was a quick tutorial as well. I'm not used to using a touch screen but it is quite intuitive and very simple for even me to use!

Unfortunately, not quite so impressed with the simplicity when I tried to to connect it to computer! I attached it to my netbook at first - to be fair, my netbook is a little old and very slow. Had a problem downloading the drivers at first as it was so slow so I tried on DH's PC. Drivers installed easily and had MyDrive set up but PC could not recognise that the TomTom was plugged in. Tried several USB ports, restarting, uninstalling drivers etc. Followed all the help sections but it wouldn't work. Eventually, after several google searches, DH discovered that it won't work as he has 64 bit Windows and it will only work with 32 bit Windows (not 100% sure what this means but basically, it his PC using something which TomTom doesn't like!)
So, went back to my netbook, finally got drivers installed, have MyDrive set up but again, will not recognise when I plug in the TomTom - have followed all the guidance, checked everything and cannot get it to work. The USB is working as the TomTom is charging but MyDrive keeps asking me to connect the device. And now every time I put my Netbook on, it again pops up and asks me to connect a device which is slightly annoying.

So, I have not been able to update the device properly and sadly, I can't download Stephen Fry - although I did purchase him and the process for purchasing was very straight forward.

TomTom say:

"Hello asuwere, the GO 5000 is compatible with 64 bit Windows. We would like to help you update the device and the best way to achieve that would be for you to provide us with your contact details (phone and/or email) on [email protected] so that we can get an experienced agent to reach out to you and help with setting up everything properly. "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:34

@ChippingInLatteLover

TomTom

I am finding it very frustrating that you need to have the postcode for wherever you are going. It doesn't recognise places that have been here for a long time (over 10 years).

It's not showing much along the route here, it makes it look like I'm driving through fields when I'm actually driving in a city - most odd.

TomTom say:

"Hello ChippingInLatteLover, what you have described is a strange occurrence. Can you please ensure that your device is set to search the “Whole Map” (top right in the “Search” menu)? We would also be interested to find out how you have been entering your destinations on the search bar. Additionally, an example of the places you have searched but could not find unless using post code would be helpful for us to look into the matter then we can provide you with tips on how best to get results. Lastly, be aware that when you search for an address or a place the GO will give you suggestions of those on the left and on the right Points of Interest while you are typing in the values. You can put away the keyboard by pressing the button with 3 lines on the bottom right of the search menu so that you can see the rest of the suggestions."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 20/10/2014 17:35

@CMP69

Just to stick my tuppence worth in again. When finding places have you checked you are on full map. I realised today I was on "near me" which only searches for 6 miles Blush

TomTom say:

"Hello CMP69, you are correct that you can change the parameter of your search on the top right of the “Search” menu, however, when you are using the “Near me” search parameter, the radius is 50 miles not 6 miles."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:39

Thank you for your comments so far :) TomTom have some responses for some of your queries/comments over the past couple of weeks, and I'll be posting these shortly!

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:41

@noisytoys

My code for the Stephen Fry voice doesn't work. I keep getting an error message Sad

TomTom have said "Hello noisytoys, in case you still haven’t been able to get your voice please reach out to us via [email protected] so we can look into why you can’t download it."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:48

@CMP69

Oh and I forgot my reason for posting Blush It died this afternoon I switched it on and it came up with some system message gubbins. Took about 3 or 4 off/on reboots to get it to work Angry

TomTom say: "Sorry to read you experienced this. If the problem persists please reach out to us via [email protected] so we can help further."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:49

@BiscuitsAreMyDownfall

So I finally remembered to download Stephen. I got it fine and it downloaded onto my Tomtom, but Ive gone into settings and voices and he is not there? Ive tried to buy it again just in case I did something wrong, but the website is saying Ive already bought it. I have no updates according to My TomTom either, so where is Stephen hiding?

TomTom have said: "Hello, could you please give us a call on 02079 490 132 or contact us through the following page: bit.ly/1umhfvm ? Our agents can quickly check what went wrong in case you still don’t see your voice in the menu."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:54

@SarahSnail

I found my first niggle with the Tom Tom yesterday! Driving around a unfamiliar area, I needed petrol. So using the VR mr Tom Tom picked up immediately a long list of petrol stations near by which I found pretty impressive. However when It came to my selecting one I had to read out the number it was in the list..... taking my eyes off the road to read the list and then no matter what I tried it just could not understand any number I was saying at all??? in the end I had to pull over and do it without using the voice as I wasn't getting anywhere with telling it numbers.

TomTom say: "Hello SarahSnail, sorry to read you had some trouble with the voice control. You actually need to say “Number 1” or “Number 2” for the device to understand you – not just “one” or “two”. Hope this helps in the future!"

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 15:57

@AlfieandAnnieRose

Hi, my only problem with the TomTom so far is that the mains cable to charge the device makes it difficult to fit it into the stand. First time I did this I spent about 10 minutes trying to slot it in but the wire was in the way so I gave up otherwise I would be late. Made the 2 hour journey to London with the sat nav on my lap instead! I think I read a comment on the other thread that there is a slot at the BACK of the stand for the charging cable to go through? If this is correct then it is not very clear. Actually I must be quite thick as I seem to be the only who had this problem!

TomTom have said: "Hello AlfieandAnnieRose, there is indeed a dedicated slot for the charger cable on the back of the mount. If you’re still having trouble finding it please send us a short note on [email protected]. "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:00

@iwantavuvezela

I have posted earlier but just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed using this new TomTom (bigger screen, clear graphics, I even enjoy switching it on - unlike our old tom tom which would show a dreadful picture for ages). I am really impressed how quickly it finds the satellite (a major bug bear of mine with our old one) I still have to download maps etc, I have an ipad, my Dh has a laptop but he uses it at work so have not found time to do this yet - the length some have spoken it takes has put me off! I know I need to do this. Do I just go to the Tom Tom site to do this? Sorry, but the lack of information (even a printed getting started pamphlet makes this difficult)

However despite all of this, thank you for letting me try this updated piece of kit. I am really enjoying it and am very pleased ....

TomTom say: "Hello Iwantavuvezela, we strongly recommend you update your device – as long as you have a stable connection it should not take that long. However, updating is only possible on a personal computer or laptop and you need to follow the steps listed here: www.tomtom.com/getstarted There should have been a booklet in the box directing you to this site. Apologies if that was not the case!"

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:01

@stealthsquiggle

I had lost the thread for a while there.

Ok, so I am about to download Stephen Fry because DS thinks it will be really cool, but in the meantime, a couple of "challenges"

VR stopped working! It just didn't listen, and when I went to voice control on the menu it said something along the lines of "voice control is not possible with your screen language" - except that the screen language was as it always had been, set to UK English Confused. I have brought it inside to charge (see next point) and it has now randomly started working again, but DD was most disappointed not to be able to show VR off to Granny and I am not sure she is going to forgive that one any time soon.

The other is a general gripe. It is plugged in all the time in the car. Admittedly my power socket shuts down when the ignition is turned off but I have done some pretty long trips in the last week (>3 hours a day for 3 days in a row) and yet the battery is completely empty and I have had to bring it in for a top up charge. Surely the power is gets in the car should be enough - it is asleep the rest of the time, so the implication is that it is using power faster than it can charge, which would be a fairly fundamental design flaw IMHO.

I do love the accuracy though and the traffic mapping is awesomely accurate, on the whole - the only downside is that when it says I am going to be late, I know it is right (unlike my old sat nav, when I could kid myself that I could improve in the time it gave me....)

TomTom say: "Hello stealthsquiggle, your device should never run out of battery as long as it’s connected to the power socket in your car. However if not connected anywhere and just in sleep (not completely turned off), the device still consumes a bit of battery. If that stacks up over several hours it might explain what you’re experiencing. In case the battery loses charge too quickly, even when connected – that is definitely a malfunction and you should reach out to us on [email protected] so we can help further. "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:05

@MyNameIsInigoMontoya

I have a question. If TomTom says it has found a faster route and asks if you want to take it, are you meant to be able to say "Yes" using the VR? I noticed there was a microphone icon showing, but it didn't seem to react if I said yes and also didn't show the alternatives for long, so I often missed them before I could manually do it safely.

Also - in the manual, it looks like you can only use VR with a computer voice that does street names (i.e. Serena) - though it did seem to work when I selected other built-in voices, by just switching back to Serena when I used VR.

But since downloading Stephen, I couldn't get VR to work well for me today so I'm wondering whether that is because of using that voice?

Thanks.

TomTom have said: "Hello, we wanted to come back to your question. You should not need to go back and select Serena to use voice control. You should just need to have at least one computer voice installed on the device. Best way to test is to simply test the “Hello TomTom” command when you have a different voice than Serena selected. If this problem persists could you please reach out to us on [email protected] so we can look into it further?"

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:07

@sharontrefusis44

The only thing I have struggled with a little is finding petrol stations, so I guess I might need to figure this out whilst at home stationary rather than driving along almost out of diesel. When I see symbols on the right hand side of my satnav with distances I keep thinking I can just press them and my satnav will take me to them, but I am pretty certain this isn't the case.

TomTom say: "Hello sharontrefusis44, we wanted to come back to you on the petrol stations question you had. It is actually exactly as you imagined – you can press the petrol station in the route bar. The device will then zoom into it on the map to show you exactly where it is and give you the option to add it as a stop on your route! Hope this helps!"

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:19

@chickensandbees

Used it again today on the M5, it thoughtthere were road works where they weren't any but apart from that worked well.

Would be good if the speed recognised temprary speed changes on motorways when they are reduced to 60 etc.

Can anyone put postcodes in or is it just street names?

TomTom have said: "Hello chickensandbees, you can use both postcodes and street names when you search."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:21

@Erdelyi

Does anyone know how to make it tell you the journey time? I would rather have a clock for the actual time and a counting down journey time rather than just the eta. My old TomTom, which was a good 10 years old, did it this way and I much preferred it. I have looked in the online manual but can't find anything to help. Have to say as time passes I am becoming increasingly disenamoured by this version and would be very unhappy if I had paid around £250 for it.

TomTom have said: "Hello Erdelyi, regarding the remaining travel time question, you can go to Settings from the main menu and then select Appearance and Arrival Information. There you select “Show remaining time” and it will then be displayed during navigation."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:23

@EddieVeddersfoxymop

Wondering why I got an email the other day from tomtom asking me to activate tomtom traffic? I thought the particular model we were testing had a lifetime connection and I can see traffic hotspots on my device.......???

TomTom say: "Hello, your GO 5000 does indeed have a lifetime subscription to TomTom Traffic. However, you do still need to go through a one-time registration process so your services could be linked to your account. In case you have not done that yet, please open the menu and select Traffic and Speed Cameras."

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:27

@IAmASkeletonLover

TomTom accurately got me out of a traffic jam the other day. First time I've had effective route re-planning rather than seemingly random decisions so that was good.

A criticism. I got 30 seconds down the road yesterday and TomTom said battery low and switched off. A battery indicator would be good so you can see how much charge there is. Or am I missing something?

"Hi IAmASkeletonLover, Sorry that wasn’t clear, but there actually is a battery indicator. You can find it in the main menu. Additionally the device warns you when the battery level is too low or critical. We advise our users to connect the GO 5000 to the car charger whilst driving to ensure the battery level won’t ever get low. "

MNHQ

AngelieMumsnet · 17/11/2014 16:29

@lynniep

So having used it over half term, I have come to the conclusion that

: once its en-route, its very good. Always flags up the traffic cameras (DH likes this) and quickly recalculates.
: voice recognition is more trouble than its worth. Massive fail for me.
: it hardly ever knows what I'm looking for if its not a standard street address. In fact even if it is (e.g. my work address) it doesn't always work. Sometimes that fact that you have not used capital letters is the difference between finding something and not finding it. Sometimes its just spelling (there should be a 'sounds like' function) Sometimes it knows the postcode but not the street that matches and vice versa. This is incredibly annoying.
: I would be gutted if I spent £250.
: it is pretty to look at and sticks to the windscreen way better than any other.

TomTom have said: "Hi lynniep, you are right – you do have to enter the address accurately in order for the GO 5000 to find it. The reason for that is that there are many street names and places that are spelled similarly and sometimes one letter can make a big difference."

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