WARNING: FAKE Garmin BlueChart g2 Vision Charts

[goat]

Originally Posted by Sailor647

When was the last time you updated it? That seems to make quite a difference.

A fellow cruiser updated his authentic Garmin chart and was amazed at the new improved level of accuracy. Apparently his chart was several years old and he didn't know about the free updates for marine charts.

If our new authentic chart is not as good or better than our old fake chart, I will be sure to follow up on this post when we get back to Mexico - and let everyone know.

Cheers.

I'll try that. It means I have to find someone who still uses windows. Wouldn't it have been easier to just plot it accurately in the first place? These islands haven't moved in years I'll bet.

[nautical62]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I read sometime ago that as Amazon has expanded the vendors it deals with, knock off products are becoming a bigger and bigger problem. I suppose it was only a matter of time until marine products would be included.

While I enjoy ordering through Amazon, this is a great reminder that there are times when it's better to order directly from the manufacturer or in person from a retail outlet you trust has ordered directly from the manufacturer.

[goat]

Updated the chart. We'll see about accuracy, heading North tomorrow morning. Probably won't have internet for a month or two.
At least I've got navionics on my android tablet that is actually accurate and much cheaper.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by goat

Updated the chart. We'll see about accuracy, heading North tomorrow morning. Probably won't have internet for a month or two.
At least I've got navionics on my android tablet that is actually accurate and much cheaper.

Never put your faith in one set of chart datum. On this section you can trust Navionics and on he next section you can trust Garmin. You can usually trust both but when they differ you want to have the separate set running.

IMO part of giving up paper charts means running 2 GPS units - and at least one unit with an internal battery. It can be your phone or tablet but you need that backup unit.

Paper never locks up or reboots. Devices do so that's why one reason I advocate distinct & redundant GPS if you are out of home waters.

[DeepFrz]

Off topic maybe but why in the world would you have to be in the US in order to update the charts?

[skipmac]

Hi 647,

I've found similar scams for "Garmin" SD cards on eBay. Thanks for posting your experience but it does bring up a couple of questions for me (and I see a couple of others).

Originally Posted by Sailor647

Hi Everyone,

We have a Garmin GPSMAP 740S chartplotter. Before we left the US in August 2015, we purchased a Garmin BlueChart g2Vision SD card for California-Mexico from Amazon.com.

Because of licensing restrictions (I think?), I was not able to update the SD card (which is free by using Garmin Express) while in Mexico for the last two years. So, while we are back in the US visiting the family, I took the opportunity to get our card updated.

After two phone calls and several emails to Garmin, we learned that we purchased a FRAUDULENT copy from vendor "WorldShop" on Amazon. Apparently, not all sellers on Amazon are legit and ethical. (Imagine that.)

The fake 2015 SD card appeared to work in our chart plotter just fine. The electronic charts were spot on in most areas - matching shorelines, depth, and warnings. There were two anchorages (Bahia San Evaristo and Punta Chivato) that the google maps overlay didn't match the chart. But, there is no way to update it and get the latest changes, effectively making the charts obsolete.

I have read that even the best of charts and plotters can be off in places in Mexico.

Looking at the packaging, there was no way to tell it wasn't an authentic product. But the price was obviously too good to be true. (See attached photo.) Garmin said that if the price is lower than the MSRP (in this case about $320 USD) that it's fake. But that also doesn't stop someone from selling a fake at that price.

Garmin claims any chip selling for less than MSRP is not authentic??? Maybe they better contact West Marine, Defender and most other vendors I've checked over the years. That sounds like pure marketing hooey to me.

You can tell an authentic SD card from a fake SD card by viewing the files on the SD card with your computer. See "Comparison" attached. Some file(s) are missing on the fake cards.

Garmin recommended buy from authorized Garmin dealers (a list of brick and mortar retailers is on Garmin.com) or directly through Garmin's website. They do NOT have a list of authorized ONLINE retailers at this point.

We don't have any recourse through Amazon because the SD card was purchased two years ago.

And, according to Garmin, we still won't be able to update the new, real SD card while in Mexico unless we sent it back to the US. So there's that...

This is a point I really don't understand and does not make sense to me. What do people do that buy a chip and go sailing for a few years?

Other than this hiccup, we really like our Garmin products. They have been really reliable and are very user friendly. And the accuracy of the charts is truly amazing. We can't imagine cruising in unknown (to us) waters without it.

Hope this helps someone else.

Cheers.

[SecondBase]

Deep Freeze

Most likely this is the Chart Manufacturer restricting by IP address - Country of Origin for the web request. This would usually be in order to try to reduce fraud.

Perhaps not working out that well for them in this case.

Misguided. Pun intended.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by goat

I wonder if the fake charts are more accurate than the chip I got directly from Garmin.......Attachment 154356

No. The pirated cards are copies of Garmin cards. Nobody would go to the trouble of creating chart cards from scratch and then put someone else's name on them. There's no profit in that.

[DeepFrz]

Having to travel to the US in order to update a Garmin chart card would be a real deal breaker for me.

[goat]

Originally Posted by rwidman

No. The pirated cards are copies of Garmin cards. Nobody would go to the trouble of creating chart cards from scratch and then put someone else's name on them. There's no profit in that.

Sorry, had my sarcasm hat on. Guess it's hard to see?
Anyway garmin (after making me use windows, and download a proprietary program) has updated my chip. I'm not sure if that's just the world wide base map or if it's the mexico map I paid extra for. I'm definitely not in the us. Time will tell. Internet out in 5....4....3....

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Having to travel to the US in order to update a Garmin chart card would be a real deal breaker for me.

Yeah exactly. Makes no sense. They haven't thought through their goal of reducing software piracy.

Vendor approach: using crayon, draw a circle around US on map. I've seen cereal box giveaways with more thought applied.

What they need to do is have the IP restriction but also have an authorization code you can get from them for one-off overseas updates "with proof of purchase".

Internet is a brave new world and they are still figuring out how to operate.

[hellosailor]

There are a lot of small minds and simple folk out there. Sometimes you can make a phone call or an email and someone will just find a way to deal with the problem. Sometimes...you wonder how they survive.

With software that "needs" to be in the US these days? No problem, there are free and cheap VPNs that you can use (the Opera browser comes with one) and you can pick the country that your computer appears to be "in". The TOR browser will also allow you to do that, although a number of web sites block users of TOR in particular.

Garmin is one of those companies that sometimes seems real sharp. And sometimes, just more like "He who runs with scissors".

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by goat

Sorry, had my sarcasm hat on. Guess it's hard to see?
Anyway garmin (after making me use windows, and download a proprietary program) has updated my chip. I'm not sure if that's just the world wide base map or if it's the mexico map I paid extra for. I'm definitely not in the us. Time will tell. Internet out in 5....4....3....

Or, you could have asked them to send you the chip.

[rallyman1122]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

+100 -- thanks indeed !!

Under the wrong circumstances this could lead to a product liability tragedy.

If Amazon has multiple occurrences of these transactions in the USA there may be grounds for a class action.

I suspect Amazon has a duty to inform everyone who received a fraudulent chip before someone gets injured or worse.

Amazon's general counsel should clean up this preventable mess.

My God, is everything about a lawsuit with Americans?

Yes, it sucks that he has been ripped off by an unscrupulous Amazon vendor

Yes, Amazon may have some moral responsibility..some

But the OP has enjoyed, by his own admission, two years of accurate and safe usage of the charts, He admitted the price was too good to be true and so bares some responsibility as well

[Rusty123]

With Garmin's shift from Bluechart Mobile to ActiveCaptain App, I tried to upload my Vision HD charts to Garmin Express, so that I could then download to the AC App (I couldn't transfer the files directly from the MFD to the AC App, because it's an older model MFD (741xs) not fully supported by AC App).

Anyway, I was unable to get Garmin Express to recognize the chart card, even after exchanging emails with Garmin technical support. When I asked whether my problems might be related to a counterfeit card, the Garmin guy basically said that could certainly be the problem, and that the best way to know if I had a counterfeit chart card was if I paid less than MSRP (which I did).

Makes me wonder if any of the Vision HD charts for sale on eBay are legitimate. Unless you buy direct from Garmin (or perhaps one of their approved vendors, who probably all charge MSRP), it seems risky.