Hi Ho Silver, I hear you.
I too WAS a loyal LEI/Lowrance customer but no more. I have had issues (fogging, software etc.) with both my LMS-350a and my Global Map 2000. Both seemed to be simple fixes but I was told that Lowrance would not look at the units until I forwarded $249.00! Both units were literally days out of the warantee period and I felt that Lowrance was a bit unfair considering I have over Two grand invested in their gear.
Why did I feel this was unfair? Well, I write the occasional piece for STS and in one of my articals I endorsed Lowrance/Eagle electronics. This was an honest endorsement as I did not ask for, nor did I recieve any compensation whatsoever.
So, now I need a little help with my LEI products and I wrote a letter to Dennis Cole the Lowrance marketing guy...and got no response. So I called Mr. Cole...no response. I asked another source for A LEI contact and was told to call Bill Itner also from marketing...five polite calls later, you guessed it... no response.
Now If my ordeal was an isolated case, so be it but I personally know of three people -including the editor of a fishing magazine- who cannot get Lowrance to stand behind their product even to the extent of returning a phone call...pretty sad and cowardly.
I'm giving away all of my LEI crap and replacing it with JRC Electronics. (jrcamerica.com.) Good people, Great gear (Color fish finders that will blow you away!) and they have the class to return a phone call...