Garmin GPS: rent it by the month, or try it for free offer

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

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http://www.factorygps.com

Got an email from AirPower today with this offer. Thought it was unique. I've seen people post on here before that they want to borrow or rent a 496 with weather for a long cross-country... looks like that option is now available. Pricing is at the link above. No connection to me, just passing it along.
 
The XM subscription is $50/month, but these guys are suggesting that they'll rent you a 496 for $45/month...

Note the asterisk: "First 3 payments apply towards purchase".
-harry
 
i wonder how many times you can try it for 30 days and return it at no cost.

its a cool idea. my boss just bought a VistaNav tablet PC GPS thing which has the XM downlink. I havent gotten enough time with it to learn it well, and what I have done with it has not impressed me, but I do like the fact that it frees up one of the 396's so I can take it with me when the weather is looking iffy. They are a great resource for flying cross country in nearly any type of airplane.
 
mantakos said:
The XM subscription is $50/month, but these guys are suggesting that they'll rent you a 496 for $45/month...

Note the asterisk: "First 3 payments apply towards purchase".
-harry
Click to expand...

I take it the asterisk note is "if you rent it for three months and decide to buy it, what you've spent so far isn't forfeited, but is credited towards the purchase".

Not sure about the XM subscription... is it even included, or enabled? And, if enabled, at what service level? Maybe they worked out a "deal" with XM.

On the try-it-free-for-30-days, you still have to pass a credit check... i suppose that's so they can charge you for it if you fail to return it.
 
I bet it DOESN'T include the XM WX subscription.

And I wonder if there's a max rental time - the 540/yr doesn't seem to generate enough revenue to cover the purchase price of the unit.

I've thought about buying a couple of units and renting them, but I was going to price in such a way that the unit would pay for itself in no more than two years. That worked out to $200 a month and then something like 60 per week or 10 per day.
 
A local airport allowed one for rent for $15 per day but it didn't make sense given every plane has GPS onboard. All you'd get extra is NEXRAD. Now, that's on the G1000 birds.
 
Personally, if I was flying anything other than a glass cockpit on a cross country lasting more than a couple of hours, I'd pay the $10-15 per day for the XM WX products and have the GPS functions for backup. XM WX is worth the bucks in my opinion.

Hmm... Think I'll take a local poll and see if there'd be interest in renting the unit.
 
mantakos said:
The XM subscription is $50/month, but these guys are suggesting that they'll rent you a 496 for $45/month...

Note the asterisk: "First 3 payments apply towards purchase".
-harry
Click to expand...


Xm's Aviator Lite package is only $29.95/month. It doesn't include Echo tops, lightning, Airmets and Sigmets, though. It gvies you radar, metars, TAFs, etc etc...

From their website, it doesn't look like they include weather onthe rented units.
 
Well, I just ordered a rental 496. Here's the deal:

* Max rental period is 6 months. (Collective "awwww" from the crowd...)

* First 3 months apply towards purchase - So, 3 months from now if I want to buy it, the money I've already paid ($135 by that point) is applied to the purchase price which would then be $2260.

* All rental units are BRAND NEW. :)eek:) I think they're trying to stimulate sales...

* XM WX is not included. You are responsible for the $75 activation fee and the $30 or $50 per month (Aviator LT or Aviator package from XM).

* When you are done renting, if you want to buy a unit you have the choice of just keeping the unit you have, or buying another brand-new one. If you choose another new one though, you'll have to pay XM another 75 bucks.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Well, I just ordered a rental 496. Here's the deal:

* Max rental period is 6 months. (Collective "awwww" from the crowd...)

* First 3 months apply towards purchase - So, 3 months from now if I want to buy it, the money I've already paid ($135 by that point) is applied to the purchase price which would then be $2260.

* All rental units are BRAND NEW. :)eek:) I think they're trying to stimulate sales...

* XM WX is not included. You are responsible for the $75 activation fee and the $30 or $50 per month (Aviator LT or Aviator package from XM).

* When you are done renting, if you want to buy a unit you have the choice of just keeping the unit you have, or buying another brand-new one. If you choose another new one though, you'll have to pay XM another 75 bucks.
Click to expand...
XM was waiving the activation fee at AirVenture last year. Wonder if you could work that into this? (And why would anyone want the 496 and not the weather? There are much cheaper routes to go if you're not interested in Wx, right?)
 
An update -

I had a very interesting conversation with the guy at Air Power. He said that they've reduced the limit to 3 months, BUT... You can rent them for 3 months, send them back, and rent another brand new one for 3 months, and keep going like that! They'll even let you keep the XM puck so that your subscription remains intact and you don't need to pay another activation fee!

I asked what the business model was, and was somewhat shocked to find out that this all makes sense. Garmin, of course, forces them to sell new units for $2395 and no less. But, they can sell used units for whatever price they want. Their idea is to sell a much larger number of slightly-used units for a lower price, and the rental program not only brings in potential new customers, it also helps supply them with these slightly-used units. Crazy, but cool!

So, rent away. :yes:

OBTW, one bad thing: The price has gone up to $59/mo (from $45/mo). Still a bargain.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
An update -

I had a very interesting conversation with the guy at Air Power. He said that they've reduced the limit to 3 months, BUT... You can rent them for 3 months, send them back, and rent another brand new one for 3 months, and keep going like that! They'll even let you keep the XM puck so that your subscription remains intact and you don't need to pay another activation fee!

I asked what the business model was, and was somewhat shocked to find out that this all makes sense. Garmin, of course, forces them to sell new units for $2395 and no less. But, they can sell used units for whatever price they want. Their idea is to sell a much larger number of slightly-used units for a lower price, and the rental program not only brings in potential new customers, it also helps supply them with these slightly-used units. Crazy, but cool!

So, rent away. :yes:

OBTW, one bad thing: The price has gone up to $59/mo (from $45/mo). Still a bargain.
Click to expand...
I agree - very clever.
 
Interesting.

One question though. I don't see anything about the purchase price for used units. The only mention of "buy it" appears to be for brand new ones. Is there a separate site where they sell the used units? Or maybe they're building their inventory of used units.
 
Nav8tor said:
Interesting.

One question though. I don't see anything about the purchase price for used units. The only mention of "buy it" appears to be for brand new ones. Is there a separate site where they sell the used units? Or maybe they're building their inventory of used units.
Click to expand...

Oh, they're happy to sell you a new one at full price too. The used ones go on eBay.
 
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