[synth_fg]

If you look in the store the price of a 1 year licence for Maps 3.01 has dropped to approx 9eur

the price of the traffic alerts has also dropped to something very small

It's not free but its a huge reduction on what it used to be

[575EUR4MYN96]

I was checking with Italian customer care support today, which is indeed an outsource support and they told me, in a very bad Italian but a clear strong Spanish accent,  that they have no idea if free navigation will be never implemented for N96..They suggest me to check on daily basis on NOKIA/OVI websites...

The kind of suggestion I was waiting for... Thanks.

I asked if possible to open a complaint regarding this..Line dropped was the answer.

[autumnautist]

must say that if Nokia decides not implement ovi maps on n96 I will never buy another nokia product... N96 is a great deception to me as a mobile phone...

[xentaur]

Hi all

I post this to-and-fro between myself and Nokia Care(?) to highlight my mutual frustration.  Final response indicates that N96 will be made available but by that time I can't be sure if they're just telling me that to stop me asking questions.  The final response from Nokia was received 08jun10. Cheers

_____

To Nokia

There are countless discussions on the web about free navigation for the 
N96.

Customer Service fobbed me off with a 'We don't know what's planned."

Presumably you have contact details for the maps development team.

Please, as a customer service officer, if you don't know the answer then show some initiative and service this customer by calling the development team and asking them this simple question:

"Will free navigation be extended to the N96, yes or no?"

When you have received the answer, please respond to my query and provide the same answer that you receive from the development team.

If you are unclear as to how to follow this procedure then please provide me with the contact details of the maps development team so that I may get the answer I and many other N96 users have been asking since the free navigation offer was announced.

It is unacceptable that a definitive response has not yet been provided regarding navigation support for these users when the question has been repeatedly asked by users for over 6 months now.

Regards

_____

From Nokia

Thank you for contacting the Nokia Careline.

I understand that you would like to know if you can avail the free maps navigation for your Nokia N96 device.

Please note that Nokia have decided to offer free navigation for the existing devices (available from the website only) and all future Nokia smartphones. Kindly refer to the link provided below for the list of Nokia devices compatible with free navigation.

http://www.nokia.com.au/maps

At this point in time there are no plans to further extend free navigation to other legacy Symbian 3.1 devices. However, in response to the overwhelmingly positive consumer feedback to Ovi Maps, we are offering the navigation license for a substantially reduced cost to all owners of a GPS-enabled Nokia phone. This cost takes the technical limitations and 
administrative costs for legacy devices into account.

Should you have any questions regarding our product or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives at 1-300 366 733 between the hours of 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia

Regards,

Abraham V.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

_____

To Nokia

Hi Abraham

My question has not been satisfactorily addressed.

The N96, according to the specs provided on various sites, is a Symbian S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2.  This is the identical spec for the E72, yet E72 users can get free navigation.

In your next response kindly do not cut and paste from your website - I have already read the non-committal talk spouted on the nokia website.

Please respond and advise:
1.  Technical reasons why two phones with identical OS's - N96 and E72 - cannot support the same application, apart from deliberately coded programming to check the handset to determine if it is an older model and abort installation if it is?
2.  Why the licencing can't be zero cost to effect free navigation for the N96 (programmatically the easiest option in my experience)?
3.  If all this is wasted breath and I'm stuck with having to pay, why it is necessary that a 1 year licence at ~$15.00 AUD cannot be charged to my phone bill?  I can understand when it was over $100.00 the logic behind this but as a 1-year licence now costs as much as it used to do for a 1-month licence I'd like the option at least - as still exists for the 1-month licence at 
~$5.00 AUD - to charge my phone bill, as it can count toward my monthly cap.

Your prompt attention to these issues would be appreciated.

Regards

_____

From Nokia

Thank you for contacting Nokia Careline.

I understand that you would like to clarify information about Maps Free navigation.

Please be advised that currently, there are only limited devices that has a Free Navigation. Please click the link below for the complete list of Nokia devices that has a free in-car accessories and free navigation.

http://www.nokia.com.au/find-a-store/maps-free-navigation-selection?intc=nokiacom-fw-ilc-hero-con-na...

Please be advised that the other phones will have the free navigation soon as Nokia is developing it for the satisfaction of the customers.

If you have question or concerns please do not hesitate to email us back and we will be happy to assist you.

Should you have any questions regarding our product or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives on 1-300 366 733 between the hours of 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia



Regards,

Clarize M.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

_____

To Nokia

Hello Nokia Customer Care(?)

My questions are a simple and none of your customer service officers will give me anything but a standard response that does not answer my original enquiry.
 
If you do not understand my question please pass it on to someone who does understand or has the capacity to confirm with Nokia technical/development team.

My questions appear in-line and all relate to the availability of free navigation for N96 users.  The primary question is:

Q: Will free turn-by-turn navigation be offered to N96 users - yes or no?

Please respond with specific - not generic -answers that directly address the questions I have asked.

Regards

_____
From Nokia

Thank you for contacting the Nokia Careline.

I care about your concern and I am glad to be of assistance to you on this issue.

I appreciate your interest in Nokia Applications. Please be advised that the free turn-by-turn navigation for Nokia N96 will be offerred soon. Our dedicated team is under the process of consolidating all the necessary programs for this application. This is to ensure that customers will have a great experience using this application. N96 and also other Nokia devices have different variants even they have the same unit model and operating system. Phone variants are designed to meet specific requirements fitted to specific country or region.

Your patience on this matter is highly valued.

Should you have any questions regarding our products or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives at 1-300 366 733 from 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia.

Regards,

Peter D.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

[jafaruddinlie]

That's good news I suppose

Thanks for that piece of vaiuable information.

---

xentaur wrote:

Hi all

I post this to-and-fro between myself and Nokia Care(?) to highlight my mutual frustration.  Final response indicates that N96 will be made available but by that time I can't be sure if they're just telling me that to stop me asking questions.  The final response from Nokia was received 08jun10. Cheers

_____

To Nokia

There are countless discussions on the web about free navigation for the 
N96.

Customer Service fobbed me off with a 'We don't know what's planned."

Presumably you have contact details for the maps development team.

Please, as a customer service officer, if you don't know the answer then show some initiative and service this customer by calling the development team and asking them this simple question:

"Will free navigation be extended to the N96, yes or no?"

When you have received the answer, please respond to my query and provide the same answer that you receive from the development team.

If you are unclear as to how to follow this procedure then please provide me with the contact details of the maps development team so that I may get the answer I and many other N96 users have been asking since the free navigation offer was announced.

It is unacceptable that a definitive response has not yet been provided regarding navigation support for these users when the question has been repeatedly asked by users for over 6 months now.

Regards

_____

From Nokia

Thank you for contacting the Nokia Careline.

I understand that you would like to know if you can avail the free maps navigation for your Nokia N96 device.

Please note that Nokia have decided to offer free navigation for the existing devices (available from the website only) and all future Nokia smartphones. Kindly refer to the link provided below for the list of Nokia devices compatible with free navigation.

http://www.nokia.com.au/maps

At this point in time there are no plans to further extend free navigation to other legacy Symbian 3.1 devices. However, in response to the overwhelmingly positive consumer feedback to Ovi Maps, we are offering the navigation license for a substantially reduced cost to all owners of a GPS-enabled Nokia phone. This cost takes the technical limitations and 
administrative costs for legacy devices into account.

Should you have any questions regarding our product or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives at 1-300 366 733 between the hours of 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia

Regards,

Abraham V.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

_____

To Nokia

Hi Abraham

My question has not been satisfactorily addressed.

The N96, according to the specs provided on various sites, is a Symbian S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2.  This is the identical spec for the E72, yet E72 users can get free navigation.

In your next response kindly do not cut and paste from your website - I have already read the non-committal talk spouted on the nokia website.

Please respond and advise:
1.  Technical reasons why two phones with identical OS's - N96 and E72 - cannot support the same application, apart from deliberately coded programming to check the handset to determine if it is an older model and abort installation if it is?
2.  Why the licencing can't be zero cost to effect free navigation for the N96 (programmatically the easiest option in my experience)?
3.  If all this is wasted breath and I'm stuck with having to pay, why it is necessary that a 1 year licence at ~$15.00 AUD cannot be charged to my phone bill?  I can understand when it was over $100.00 the logic behind this but as a 1-year licence now costs as much as it used to do for a 1-month licence I'd like the option at least - as still exists for the 1-month licence at 
~$5.00 AUD - to charge my phone bill, as it can count toward my monthly cap.

Your prompt attention to these issues would be appreciated.

Regards

_____

From Nokia

Thank you for contacting Nokia Careline.

I understand that you would like to clarify information about Maps Free navigation.

Please be advised that currently, there are only limited devices that has a Free Navigation. Please click the link below for the complete list of Nokia devices that has a free in-car accessories and free navigation.

http://www.nokia.com.au/find-a-store/maps-free-navigation-selection?intc=nokiacom-fw-ilc-hero-con-na...

Please be advised that the other phones will have the free navigation soon as Nokia is developing it for the satisfaction of the customers.

If you have question or concerns please do not hesitate to email us back and we will be happy to assist you.

Should you have any questions regarding our product or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives on 1-300 366 733 between the hours of 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia



Regards,

Clarize M.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

_____

To Nokia

Hello Nokia Customer Care(?)

My questions are a simple and none of your customer service officers will give me anything but a standard response that does not answer my original enquiry.
 
If you do not understand my question please pass it on to someone who does understand or has the capacity to confirm with Nokia technical/development team.

My questions appear in-line and all relate to the availability of free navigation for N96 users.  The primary question is:

Q: Will free turn-by-turn navigation be offered to N96 users - yes or no?

Please respond with specific - not generic -answers that directly address the questions I have asked.

Regards

_____
From Nokia

Thank you for contacting the Nokia Careline.

I care about your concern and I am glad to be of assistance to you on this issue.

I appreciate your interest in Nokia Applications. Please be advised that the free turn-by-turn navigation for Nokia N96 will be offerred soon. Our dedicated team is under the process of consolidating all the necessary programs for this application. This is to ensure that customers will have a great experience using this application. N96 and also other Nokia devices have different variants even they have the same unit model and operating system. Phone variants are designed to meet specific requirements fitted to specific country or region.

Your patience on this matter is highly valued.

Should you have any questions regarding our products or if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact one of our friendly Technical Support Executives at 1-300 366 733 from 8am to 8pm, AEST, seven days a week. For online assistance, please visit ‘ASK Nokia’ at our website www.nokia.com.au/asknokia.

Regards,

Peter D.
Email Support Executive
Nokia Careline

---

[Niquele]

I can't use words to express how mad I am at Nokia.

We N96 users have been completely ignored.

I've spent a lot of money on this so-called "state-of-the-art" N96 smartphone.

I've been fooled. 16 months later I can't get the only cool and useful update for it.

Bye bye Nokia.

[Niquele]

I've emailed and phoned the Nokia Customer Service in Brazil. Same experience described by fellow n96 fooled owners.

[synth_fg]

How was anybody fooled,

neither 16 months ago when you bought your N96 or what nearly 2 years ago when I got mine were we promised free nav

In fact a years nav liscence for a region was something like £150

You did not buy your N96 with the prommise of free nav, nor did you pay a subsidy on the handset for it,

You got exactly what was advertised when it was sold to you, and then Nokia genarously dropped the price of nav for a region to around £9 when they bought out the free nav for the newer handsets

[bluering]

If you think your are mad, imagine how I feel.  Number one, Nokia has created a two tier customers, one group offered free voice navigation and the other being charged for the same service.  That’s very bad customer service. If they can’t make the Maps 3.3 version for N96, how easy would it be just to give their N96 users a free licence?  It even got worse on my side, because I decided to buy the newest Nokia N900 and to find out that voice navigation is not offered yet, their response, they are working on it.  Well that was 4 months ago when I bought that phone. Guess what?  I have just sold the N900 and Good Bye Nokia, though I still have my N96 but this would be my last Nokia phone.

[autumnautist]

I can't understand why some of the Nokia clients don't deserve the same treatment than other. N96 will be the last Nokia product that I will buy.

[575EUR4MYN96]

i took the answer that the aussie user shared in this forum and i sent a new email to Italian customer care (that is outsourcing....in Spain....) they answered for another model (Nokia N86) with a pre-compiled template in a sort of mixed italian-spanish language saying that they have still no idea about free navigation for N86 (????) and of course they completely ignored attached message from Australian customer care that i attached to my request.

I replied that awful "answer-template" saying that i was asking for N96 and to read the attached email sent from Australian support...they ignored completely my email.

Today i received an Invitation for customer satisfaction standard form and ....was in Spanish.

I will never buy a Nokia no more.

[Niquele]

Not buying another Nokia smartphone is the best we can do.

I gave up on my N96, which I did like, a couple of weeks ago.

Still dreamt about having free navigation for my 96 after our angry complaints.

Them guys didn't give a damn. Whatever folks.

I even considered buying the new N8, but this Ovi Maps imbroglio did discourage me.

Fact is that the new N8 has just been released here and it's doomed to be a complete failure.

Symbian has proven to be an ineffective OS. Just don't get why the Nokia people insist on it.

And with this kind of support, Nokia wackphonies will always be cause of laughter (for other brand owners) and contempt for us, former users.

[Niquele]

On a final note, I must say that I always loved having an European gadget in my pocket.

All my previous 4 cell phones were Nokia. Never had any other brand.

It is hard for me to be here ranting against a company I used to respect.

Nokia has a passionate and loyal customer base, and sure I was one of them.

But when those guys simply ignored n96 owners - the phone has the same hardware/software as other models that have been granted free navigation - I just gave up on them.

Guys, I live in a developing country, where a phone like n96 costs more than a thousand dollars. It's a lot of money. When you decide to spend so much dough on a phone, you expect a little respect back from the manufacturer.

It seems to me that the n95 and n96 phones would become irreplaceable if this cool OVI free navigation was extended to them. They are cool phones. I loved having the Nokia Internet Radio and I loved having a non-American device.

Apparently Nokia wants us to change our phones every year.

And I am not going out like that.

[mayurh]

guys im sorry to say but yes i think its time to move on

the n96 doesnt seem like it will get any more updates

ive moved on to android and im happy

but oneday i might move back to nokia.mayb after the n8.the next top end fone

[bluering]

Over 6 months ago, my son got the phone 3 and told me I should try iphone. My answer was never, I don't think I will ever become an apple fan. Then I acquired the N900, I was so disappointed to have been let down so much that I decided to jump ship and acquire the iphone 4, four weeks ago. I could not be happier with the myriad of apps available which are not expensive. My son's response is: It is all about apps. Though I can't see myself becoming an Apple fan boy, but the iphone 4 is a very efficient, responsive and easy to use device. I have look at the specs of the N8, I can't see that winning me back.

Nevertheless, I still have my N96 which I treasure as I have Garmin Mobile on it.

[Niquele]

I love the Nokia Internet Radio App.

But you're right.

It's all about appz.

There's a video on YouTube showing some "cool" appz for Symbian.

Believe me, they put as one as the best symbian appz a flashlight application.

I'm not kidding.

[Niquele]

Open letter to Nokia

by edcracknell

Can we talk? This isn't easy. We've been together now for over ten years and, well, it's not working out. It's not me, it's you.

I still remember when we first met. It was at university, some 13 years ago. Do you remember? We were inseparable! I took you everywhere I went: we used to spend hours talking and texting.

Texting was new back then, do you remember? You were really good at it. 

Sure I flirted with a Sony Ericsson for a bit but it didn't last. I came back to you and we renewed our relationship every year or 18 months...

You changed a lot over the years but I loved you more and more. Do you remember some of the clothes you used to wear: 6185 (looks so dated now!), 7210 (so colourful), 8210 (you lost a lot of weight back then), 6230 (business-like)...

You were cutting edge. You used to keep me up to date with news and football results, you helped me stay in touch with my friends, you used to wake me up in the mornings and you always reminded me if there was somewhere important I had to be. You even had time to play games!

But in recent years, you have to admit, things haven't been great between us. 

It all started with what I like to call the N80 years. You were basically ok then but what was with that headphone socket? And the PC Suite? We never seemed to... connect. Visual Radio? That just didn't really... work, did it.

Then we progressed into the N95 era. Sure, I didn't say anything at the time but I was never too pleased with you sliding both ways... And although you made bold promises about being able to help me find my way around using satellites you, well, didn't. In fact, you made a lot of promises and just never delivered. You tried to do so much and ended up not being able to do any of it.

Others tried to turn my head, but I stayed loyal to you. I won't lie to you, I looked at HTC and Apple but you are my first and only love and I couldn't bear to be apart from you. And so it was that I entered the final phase of our relationship, the N97 period.

How did it get this bad? I don't really remember exactly when I fell out of love with you. Was it when the bluetooth stopped working or when the wifi stopped working? Was it when the screen lock button fell off or perhaps months before when it didn't really work anyway? Perhaps it was when you offered me free turn by turn navigation but refused to install the maps anywhere other than the pitifully small C: drive despite having tonnes of memory elsewhere, and then told me I had insufficient memory if I, you know, wanted to access the internet or receive emails. Perhaps it was when you had crashed for the 1000th time after I had done nothing more sinister than tried to make a phone call. And you promised me apps but delivered the Ovi Store! What a joke that was. 

The list goes on but I respect you too much to **bleep** about you any further. 

So, whilst I am being honest, I have to tell you something. I've been cheating on you with Apple for the last few months.There I said it. I've been seeing an iPod Touch. Its intuitive user interface, the simplicity of itunes, and its huge ranges of high quality cheap apps have pushed me over the edge. I'm taking our relationship to the next level. That's right, I've ordered an iPhone 4. I'm so sorry. I can't even see us ever getting back together in the future, no matter what you promise. 

Take care, I'll never forget the good times. xxx

Original post here.

[Niquele]

by edcracknell

Can we talk? This isn't easy. We've been together now for over ten years and, well, it's not working out. It's not me, it's you.

I still remember when we first met. It was at university, some 13 years ago. Do you remember? We were inseparable! I took you everywhere I went: we used to spend hours talking and texting.

Texting was new back then, do you remember? You were really good at it. 

Sure I flirted with a Sony Ericsson for a bit but it didn't last. I came back to you and we renewed our relationship every year or 18 months...

You changed a lot over the years but I loved you more and more. Do you remember some of the clothes you used to wear: 6185 (looks so dated now!), 7210 (so colourful), 8210 (you lost a lot of weight back then), 6230 (business-like)...

You were cutting edge. You used to keep me up to date with news and football results, you helped me stay in touch with my friends, you used to wake me up in the mornings and you always reminded me if there was somewhere important I had to be. You even had time to play games!

But in recent years, you have to admit, things haven't been great between us. 

It all started with what I like to call the N80 years. You were basically ok then but what was with that headphone socket? And the PC Suite? We never seemed to... connect. Visual Radio? That just didn't really... work, did it.

Then we progressed into the N95 era. Sure, I didn't say anything at the time but I was never too pleased with you sliding both ways... And although you made bold promises about being able to help me find my way around using satellites you, well, didn't. In fact, you made a lot of promises and just never delivered. You tried to do so much and ended up not being able to do any of it.

Others tried to turn my head, but I stayed loyal to you. I won't lie to you, I looked at HTC and Apple but you are my first and only love and I couldn't bear to be apart from you. And so it was that I entered the final phase of our relationship, the N97 period.

How did it get this bad? I don't really remember exactly when I fell out of love with you. Was it when the bluetooth stopped working or when the wifi stopped working? Was it when the screen lock button fell off or perhaps months before when it didn't really work anyway? Perhaps it was when you offered me free turn by turn navigation but refused to install the maps anywhere other than the pitifully small C: drive despite having tonnes of memory elsewhere, and then told me I had insufficient memory if I, you know, wanted to access the internet or receive emails. Perhaps it was when you had crashed for the 1000th time after I had done nothing more sinister than tried to make a phone call. And you promised me apps but delivered the Ovi Store! What a joke that was. 

The list goes on but I respect you too much to **bleep** about you any further. 

So, whilst I am being honest, I have to tell you something. I've been cheating on you with Apple for the last few months.There I said it. I've been seeing an iPod Touch. Its intuitive user interface, the simplicity of itunes, and its huge ranges of high quality cheap apps have pushed me over the edge. I'm taking our relationship to the next level. That's right, I've ordered an iPhone 4. I'm so sorry. I can't even see us ever getting back together in the future, no matter what you promise. 

Take care, I'll never forget the good times. xxx

Original post here.