Zoombak ZMBK200 Advanced GPS Car & Family Locator Reviews

• Disappointed so far...

  
  By A1NRYWIAGW8N9I on 2008-03-28
  It has been a real challenge dealing with Zoombak. I was initially excited when I learned of their product. I am currently using TomTomWork for GPS tracking of our personal vehicles, which runs $500 per tracking unit, plus installation and $50.00 per month tracking fee, per unit, which adds up quickly.
  
  Zoombak's "claimed" capabilities along with lower month tracking fee prices ($14.99), seemed to be more cost effective then TomTomWork's program.
  
  I attempted to order from Zoombak directly via their website ( $249 per unit). Their web site declined two (2) different credit cards. I called Zoombak directly (Daniel), they weren't able to authorize them either. I called my credit card companies, they never received any authorization request from Zoombak, they said that there should be no problem. I called Zoombak back, Anna the first agent that I spoke to did not speak English very well. I asked to speak to her supervisor, the supervisor's English was worse than Anna's! She basically said the it was my problem not Zoombak's.
  
  So being discouraged but still wanting the device as any "early adapter" would, I searched the internet and found it on Amazon for $60.00 cheaper, I bought it, there was no problem with my credit card! It was delivered yesterday.
  
  I went to Zoombak's website, created my account, paid the activation fee.
  
  I charged up the device for 6 hours and turned it on. Zoombak's system was not able to connect to the device, after about 10 attempts of trying to connect to the device (the unit was placed out in the yard of my metropolitan city). I called Zoombak's tech support, Felipe (limited English) told me that new units are sometimes difficult the 1st time connecting. He suggested that I turn it off and back on and wait 30 minutes for the "Que" to clear out and try it again. If that doesn't work to call back. Well, it didn't work!
  
  I called Tech support again, I didn't get the girls name (limited English also). She told me that her supervisor would contact me within 24-48 hours! I tried to ask her some direct questions, she didn't understand me, she was defiantly reading from a script.
  
  Pros - nice looking unit, not sure if it works or not.
  
  Cons - their customer service leaves a lot to be desired, 5 phone calls, 1 person spoke English. 24 hours later and numerous attempts to connect and the unit still will not connect to their system.
  
  Hopefully Zoombak will get their bugs worked out and consider hiring a better talent pool of customer service agents that speak English.
  
  

• Great Experience

  
  By A1YEQ9HVFRRAO4 on 2008-03-30
  I have had a great experience with Zoombak. I have a special needs son that has started school, and wanted a way to keep track of where he is especially since he rides the bus. His school is about 15 miles away and during that time, if for whatever reason we would need to find him I wanted to be able to track him. He is non-verbal and non-ambulatory so in his wheelchair, if there ever were an issue he would not be able to call for help or walk anywhere.
  
  I contacted Zoombak and exchanged emails with their director of customer service who assured me that given our circumstance they would work with us regarding their trial period and our satisfaction. So far I have been using it for over a month and I am extremely pleased. My credit card was accepted immediately online and I received my unit 2 days after purchase. When activated my unit connected immediately, and after setting up my zones and parameters, I get text messages when I am in class or working in the hospital that my son has "arrived at school" or "left home", along with the time and cross streets.
  
  I understand that everyone has different experiences but given this is a startup company I felt compelled to share my very positive one.
  
  Joe
  
  

• Tremendous product. Highly recommended

  
  By A3TK8K9R8EYUX on 2008-05-05
  I have been using my Zoombak for about 3 months now. At first, there were a few minor quirks with the online tracking but downtime was only for a few minutes. You can get instant online status of the auto. I especially like the feature to set up zones for tracking. When the car enters or leaves one of these zones, I get an email update. Great product. Now that the daughter is going to college, it will be a wonderful sense of security for us.
  
  

• Zoombak GPS Car Locator

  
  By A1D3WF1V9UZFU7 on 2008-07-30
  I originally purchased the Zoombak GPS Locator as a more cost effective alternative to LoJack. My car was stolen about 6 months ago and never recovered. When I purchased my new car I did some research and found the Zoombak. I liked the idea of being able to receive text alerts if my car is moved from an area vs learning hours or days later. After using the Zoombak for about 3 months now and understanding how it works, I think the service is great! I have found myself using the Zoombak for things I had never intended on using it for before purchasing. I like to take long bike rides on the weekends and I take the Zoombak with me so my wife can check on my location. I have also set up some zones so when I arrive at certain destinations, she gets a text message letting her know I arrived safely and where I am located. I read some other comments about the battery life. Overall my experience with the battery life has been good. I find I get about 3-5 days before I need to recharge it depending on how often I use the service, which is a lot better then my cell phone. When I leave the Zoombak in my car, I have it plugged into a 12V charger, so I don't have to worry about recharging frequently. When I first purchased the Zoombak I was disappointed the text message locate feature was not available, so in order to check on the location of my car or bike, we had to use the web site or Customer Care. The feature is now available and works great (just make sure you have a text message plan with your cell phone). I only had to contact customer care once to ask a question and I found the rep very polite and helpful. I am considering purchasing another Zoombak to keep in my wife's car. We both like the Zoombak service, its easy to use, the price is very reasonable and it provides us with a little peace of mind.
  
  

• Works OK, but needs improvement!

  
  By A1TDHAKEDTJL2J on 2008-05-09
  This device seems to work fine when using Zoombak's web site to do a location search. The device can not be placed somewhere that heavily shields it from the outside, or it will not get a good cellular and/or GPS signal.
  
  The zone feature is the area where it's just not delivering as advertised. Once you've set up a zone, it is supposed to alert you when the device enters or exits the zone. Sometimes it doesn't alert you at all. When it does alert you, the alerts are sent 15 to 20 minutes after the device has entered/exited the zone, instead of sending it within a minute or two. If you enter and exit the zone within that 15 to 20 minute window you don't get an alert at all.
  
  This is not how it is portrayed on their little advertisement video.
  
  Lastly, good luck on reaching a level 1 tech support staffer who speaks understandable English. This part is extremely frustrating. Why companies who provide tech support to English-speaking countries don't make mastery of the English language a requirement is beyond comprehension. I guess political correctness is more important than a satisfactory customer experience.
  
  
• Excellent Product! "Zoomed" right in!
  By A15ZGT17XSM948 on 2008-07-29
  I really like the Zoombak product. I used it during a recent trip to Gettysburg. My grandfather is 87 years old. I put a Zoombak in his camper so I would know when he left home and when he arrived at the campsite. Zoombak is great - it gives you an email alert, or, if you are away from your computer, you get a text message to your cell phone. Zoombak really gives me the extra peace of mind for my grandfather. He now puts his Zoombak in his car. When he is going out I feel safe knowing where he is and that I can find him if he needs me.
  
  
• Zoombak a dissapointment
  By A2U741B40TV0O0 on 2008-06-05
  I purchased the Zoombak to allow people to track me when I'm out riding on my own. I found that the coverage was spotty at best. I was comparing it some software on a cheap boost mobile phone with free tracking software, and the tracking ability of the boost phone was significantly better than the more expensive Zoombak device. The techincal support department was less than knowledgeable of how the devices actually worked, so were ineffective at finding a resolution. I was told I would get a refund on the service. (I guess that I should check and make sure that happened.) I would not recommend this device.
  
  
• A Great Product!
  By A3124ZJIF9W1L0 on 2008-08-01
  I bought the Zoombak Car & Family locator to keep track of our car when my 17-year old niece comes with my wife and I to our summer home. My sister (the niece's mom) and I both can access the car's whereabouts on an online map whenever we'd like, and we both get text messages on our cell phones when my niece leaves and arrives back at our beach house in the car.
  
  It's great, because my sister is no longer reluctant to let my niece come visit without her, and my niece loves this independence, especially in the summer. My sister feels a lot better knowing where her daughter is driving and when she is returning home. One thing: I wish we could see the car's location on a map on my cell phone in addition to the computer - that is the only reason why I am giving Zoombak 4 stars vs. 5 - but I think that might be a limitation of my phone, not the Zoombak. Overall - very cool product.
  
  
• Could be much better. Needs more batter life and better software.
  By A3VXMHV2MH43L7 on 2008-07-17
  Pros: Small, inexpensive compared to competition
  Cons: Short battery life, poor software and customer service.
  
  "They claim 'up to 5 days battery life.' Expect 2 days at best. I have charged it through 4 cycles already. It is a pain to take it off the dog every 2 days to charge. The good news is that it will page your cell phone telling you when to do it.
  The T-mobile network it uses does not have great coverage, but it might work where you are.
  I have spoke to five of their CS people, and none could speak good enough English to communicate easily. My first unit was DOA and they did send another.
  Their tracking only seems to update about every 30 minutes. It would be nice if it at least stored up samples every 5 minutes and then burst them through the network once per 30 minutes. Also they should send the speed and heading along with the location. There is a 'realtime mode' where it will update about once a minute or faster. Still, it should burst through intermediate positions, speed, and heading.
  Their service is NOT $10 as they claim. It is only that for the first few months. Expect at least $12.50 per month for service.
  Still, there are limited competitive options so you might want to get it. I am keeping mine."
  
  
• Zoombak Great for Scent-Driven, Curious Dogs
  By A18KSAC37D92K6 on 2008-08-02
  Cissy is our English Cocker female, 16 months old.
  While her territorial range is only about 1/4 mile, we have been challenged with her tendency to scamper away to explore known fields and areas around our Dallas home.
  The trouble is, when it's dark, or we don't see her leave, we have no idea which way to go to track her down.
  The Zoombak has been successful in pinpointing and quickly finding her on several occasions while she's been "growing up."
  I had one problem with the lithium ion batter's life. The specs said five days average. The unit I received was struggling to hold a charge for even two days. Upon notification, Zoombak promptly and cheerfully replaced my unit and even paid the return shipping. The new one now averages 4-6 days per charge.
  Pros: competitive cost of both unit and monthly service. Design and electronics - reliable and sturdy. Combo of GPS and Cellular gives superior coverage. Strong features and accurate pinpointing of pet's location.
  Cons: Needs to be waterproof for sporting breeds. Would buy a more compact unit if offered, since Cissy only weighs 20 lbs. Wish the tracking software and mapping worked with Blackberry, specifically Google Maps.
  
  
  

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