View Full Version : TomTom for $73!!
The Bodger
04-03-2011, 20:38
I was looking on Walmart website before I went to Florida [live in UK] and noticed they have a TomTom 335SE with a 4.3 screen, has lane guidence and spoken street names, same model in UK is £140, they selling it for $69 plus tax, making it about $73, or about £47!! I clicked on the 'site to store' logo, picked a store near to where I was going to stay, not expecting to be able to buy it via credit card as I know you can't buy anything off a foreign website with a card registered in UK, but noticed I could pay by Paypal. Bought it day before we left UK, from the time you get confirmation email you have 48hrs to get to the store and pick it up. After arriving in Miami, went and picked it up, taking printed email, or if you can get email on your phone all they need is barcode thats on email, easy. Had older satnav to get me there but after that used new one, much better, dont have to look at screen as much as names of roads etc read out, once you get used to computerized American voice it was great. When you get back to Uk you can buy UK and Europe maps for about £40 I think so its still only cost £87 or so for unit and all the maps.
Bought one some weeks back (friend of mine collected it for me until I go out in June) as my brand new UK Tom Tom didn't have enough memory to hold the US maps.
Certainly looks good at that price.
Did you know you can download the USA speed camera alerts now.
Of course the UK has 'unfortunately' more, but as the US now seems to be adopting them with rapid speesd - certainly in Florida, I shall be downloiading them for my steam driven Garmin!
Not sure I can advertise the web site here though
The Bodger
10-03-2011, 14:40
Did 1,522 miles and the safety camera alert only went off twice and this was at traffic lights,can't remember where but was in Orlando area, think it must have been for red light jumpers.
cook22uk
24-11-2011, 07:04
Certainly better option than paying to rent one at the car rental desk, particularly if you visit more than once. They're so overpriced! I resent fact that even the luxury/prestige cars don't come with them included most of the time, or you need a code to operate them. We bought a Tom Tom years for our US travels years ago which is fine but they've moved on a lot and it is important to download the updates of course.
I agree, buying a cheap TomTom in America is the way to go (bought 3 for other people). Many can hold US maps and also UK maps, but some models don't have enough memory, so you may need to export the US maps to a PC, then download the UK maps (Usually about £29). Once that is done, you can switch maps by connecting the TomTom to your PC. Best to check the memory capacity and the size of the maps you need before buying, but the UK maps are always smaller than the US ones. On some models you can delete (or export) unused voices etc. to increase spare memory.
Looks like a really good price. I tried to buy one off a US seller on ebay at the weekend but paypal said my bank wouldn't authorise the payment to a US seller. No idea why. Very annoying.
jeansusrentals
09-12-2011, 21:57
Bought a new TomTom at BJ's last week (sorry - can't remember the model no as I have left it in the owners cupboard for our return in January). We have had the old shape TomTom for about 6 years and the connection keeps breaking up on us, so thought I would surprise DH and buy a new one (didn't tell him I paid it with his credit card,though :) :) It was on special on Black Friday at $89!
Jean
That sounds like a good deal! ;)
I'm surprised about your comments regarding credit cards and foreign websites though - I do it all the time.
sammibabe
11-12-2011, 21:25
That sounds like a good deal! ;)
I'm surprised about your comments regarding credit cards and foreign websites though - I do it all the time.
Me too. Just waiting for a package from the US now, bought on Ebay paid for with Paypal.
Katys Grandad
12-12-2011, 03:19
That sounds like a good deal! ;)
I'm surprised about your comments regarding credit cards and foreign websites though - I do it all the time.
Me too. Just waiting for a package from the US now, bought on Ebay paid for with Paypal.
I've never had a problem using Paypal for foreign transactions when I'm funding it from a UK credit card but it isn't as straightforward if I try to pay through my linked bank account. I wonder if that's the difference here?
sammibabe
14-12-2011, 21:44
I've never had a problem using Paypal for foreign transactions when I'm funding it from a UK credit card but it isn't as straightforward if I try to pay through my linked bank account. I wonder if that's the difference here?
Possibly as I always use my cc to fund paypal
My PayPal account is a US one but funded from a German cc and bank account. I've never had any issues using it anywhere.
I've never had a problem using Paypal for foreign transactions when I'm funding it from a UK credit card but it isn't as straightforward if I try to pay through my linked bank account. I wonder if that's the difference here?
I've fixed it now. My paypal account is linked to my bank account and the transaction kept getting refused until I had verified it (they send a couple of payments to your account and you need to confirm the amounts). Don't really understand why, as I've bought loads of stuff from USA and other countries before without doing this. However, now sorted, I just don't know if it will arrive before I leave on Wednesday!