Hema Customer Care

Itchyfeet Pete · Member

Hema Customer Care

dieseltojo · Senior Member

Yep, My Hema 5, kept getting the screen go a green or blue shade, and you could just see some mapping in the back ground. I phoned them and then sent it back to HQ.They reckoned it was something I must be doing, as they couldn't find the fault.

Got it back and two weeks later it started to do the same thing. Sent it back and asked that if it is stuffed, can I pay the difference and buy the then new model Hema six. I was sick of the mucking around.

Nope....they sent me another hema 5 said it was new but I doubt it as it had some marks on it. I was disappointing but it has worked ok since then and that was years ago.
It proved that I had been doing nothing wrong, and also that Hema would not go the extra mile for a customer.

I still have it and will never buy another hema. The garmin that I have as back up is far Superior and the screen easier to see. The thing I liked about the hema was the desert mapping which is why I bought it. City mapping is a dysfunctional mess.

Itchyfeet Pete · Member

Overall I'm not unhappy with my HN6, just very annoyed that my mounting cradle broke and I can't buy a new one. To me a manufacturer has an ethical obligation to support a high cost device with consumables for the life of the product or at least a reasonable time (in my opinion, more than 5 years). They still sell the mounting cradle for the older HN5, why not the HN6? To me this also says something about the poor quality of the HN6 part and makes it even more important that Hema continue to supply it.

Nevd · Senior Member

Have you thought about going to a plastic repair business if one is available locally? We have one here locally (Hervey Bay) who claim they can fix almost anything plastic. Minimum charge is $20. Used them twice and happy with results. Better than not having a cradle at all.

-- Edited by Nevd on Wednesday 20th of June 2018 07:18:58 PM

fwdoz · Guru

Our HN7 developed a glitch, like the screen was twitchy occasionally. Rang them as it was just out of warranty & nope, gonna cost you $X just to look at it, then whatever $ for repair, plus $X for freight each way.

Or you can pay $XXX and get the new one. I told them to get stu%%ed.

Sarco Harris · Senior Member

Replacement holders are readily available from a variety of sources for the HN6

www.ja-gps.com.au/Hema/hema-navigator-6-cradle/ - $49

The windscreen mount is also readily available as it is the same as other models (eg. the HN7)

Cheers

Sarco

Itchyfeet Pete · Member

Thanks Nevd, I'll see if I can find anything locally.

Pete

Itchyfeet Pete · Member

Had a similar experience with Hema when the program was corrupted during an update download. Cost us $99 plus shipping to have the software reloaded.

Pete

Itchyfeet Pete · Member

Thanks Sarco, yes Id seen that Johnny Appleseed site but I was a bit taken aback by the $49 price tag (+ $14.20 shipping) when Hema still sell the even older HN5 cradle and the HN7 cradle for $9.95. It seems to me that JA are cashing in on the fact that customers cant buy the part from Hema anymore.

Pete

Mike Harding · Guru

Itchyfeet Pete wrote:
Had a similar experience with Hema when the program was corrupted during an update download. Cost us $99 plus shipping to have the software reloaded.

*Do not* pay for a fix if any Flash upgradeable piece of electronics
fails to perform that upgrade correctly. Instead *insist* the product
is repaired free of charge to, at least, its state before the
attempted upgrade.

It is *entirely* in the hands of the design engineers to ensure a
product does not become a "brick" during an upgrade and especially so
when the product intended market is the general public.

Having said the above; I strongly suggest you do not routinely
Flash update equipment simply because new software has been released.
Read the "Release note" and take note of the changes and fixes in
the new version and only update if you really need them.