Spot LLC Customer Service

[James86004]

Hi all,

Has anyone actually been able to contact Spot LLC's customer service?

Two years ago we bought a Spot Trace and used it on our trip through Mexico to Guatemala and back. It was mainly for the piece of mind of our parents. It worked okay, although the web interface and the app were both really clunky, and there was a whole day of our trip where we drove 400 miles and it didn't record. We also never got the $50 rebate we were supposed to get for the purchase of the Spot.

We let the subscription lapse, and now want to reactivate it for a new trip, but are having issues. At the suggestion of the Spot representative at the Overland Expo, we tried calling them on a couple of different weekdays, but were on hold so long we wonder if anyone was answering the phone. We sent them an email telling them we were having trouble reactivating, and got a response two weeks later that said, "Your SPOT services have been deactivated per your request. Your account will no longer automatically renew."

Last Friday, I tried tweeting them. On Monday, a return tweet arrived, apologizing and asking us to DM contact info. I immediately did. Four days later I still have not heard back.

Is the Garmin/Delorme InReach customer service any better? Any other satellite based tracking services available?

 

[mjac]

I can't help you with contacting Spot but if/when you get a device up and running, try out SpotWalla. Its free, but Jason will accept donations.

https://spotwalla.com/

Way better web interface and updates as quick as you set it up to update. SpotWalla has flawlessly followed me around for years, and kept my loved ones and others updated of my location and well being.

Full disclosure, Jason Jonas is a long time endurance motorcycle rider like me and a personal friend.

 

[James86004]

Thanks. I would never have even thought to look for an alternate platform. Looks like it does APRS, too. My wife & daughter are in Banff right now, and I am following them via APRS.

 

[mjac]

Thanks. I would never have even thought to look for an alternate platform. Looks like it does APRS, too. My wife & daughter are in Banff right now, and I am following them via APRS.

Thanks. I haven't been on the SpotWalla site much recently and was not aware of the APRS.
I personally use the Bubbler app these days and the APRS will make a nice addition.
Thank you.


Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[BigGeorge]

I use the Delorme InReach. Absolutely love it. I haven't been too many places where cell phones don't work but every time I have so far the GPS communication works great. A lot of the year the account sits at the lowest level to just keep it active but it is super quick to jump it back up to full functionality and I have done it while as a copilot on the road. Two way communication is the best as you know for sure that your message has been received. I set up a group of addresses which I send to and one of them has an auto reply so I get a message back right away if it goes through.

 

[James86004]

Thanks BigGeorge. We came close to getting InReach, but bought a Globalstar satellite phone instead. It was free with a 12 month contract, $100/month with unlimited talk, text, and data. My wife and daughter used it on their trip to Alaska and back. It worked for the talk every evening, although it dropped calls frequently and didn't always connect the first time. It was good enough for my piece of mind. They would let me know where they were, and occasionally they would ask me to make a reservation for them at a hotel or campground.

 

[James86004]

Update: Today Spot sent us an email asking us to come back, and offering to turn our service back on for a year for $50. This is 1.5 years after letting our service lapse, and two months after we gave up trying to get our Spot Trace reactivated since their customer service never responded.

We went with APRS for tracking and a satellite phone for comms, and have been back from our trip to Alaska for about a week.