Garmin changes inReach plans and fees

[JoeCedar]

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?f...v1y7pmGkhBKiwEzdqg_aem_YU6GjDEyWvqwLaVIZ2CNng

 

[Salty]

Bummer. I have the Freedom plan which I only use when I go solo backpacking (which usually includes bushwhacking), which is only once a year. I'm usually deep into the Pemi so cell service is out of the question.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Lone Stranger]

Thanks for posting that. I'm sure I have an email somewhere telling me about it that I've ignored. There are some good things from my perspective as an annual account user like more messages included. Since it isn't an annual contract I can move service levels and downgrade for months I don't have long trips planned.

I have a second device my wife uses once or twice a year on her solo trips which has a Freedom account. Looking at the details on that page I'm wondering if we can just leave it Enabled. It looks like you can still use the device, just paying per message with a 10 cent fee for check ins rather than free. If I am reading that right there doesn't seem to be much reason to upgrade to Essential for her trips. Am I missing something there?

 

[Rhody Seth]

I wonder if the increase in messages is a response to the new satellite capabilities of the iPhone. I just got the latest ios update on my iPhone 14. I was in the Pemi this weekend and wasn't surprised I didn't have service. I was surprised when my phone asked if I wanted to text my wife via satellite instead. The phone showed me the direction in the sky to point the phone and soon enough I was sending texts to my wife despite not having service. Pretty cool feature even if it doesn't replace my inReach.

 

[DayTrip]

They just came out with a new model that supports photos and audio messages so they're probably getting out in front of the increased data traffic.

 

[Ear Drum]

I've been using the cheap plan, the Safety plan at $11.95 / month. It's going up to $14.99. Everything costs more these days!

Edit: I read it again, and actually it looks like you can stay with your annual plan at the old price. Plans were either annual or "freedom". "All Existing Freedom plan users will be able to suspend and reactivate their service until their next annual renewal date unless they change to one of our newer plan options or cancel their subscription. All existing Annual plan users can remain in their current plan until they change to one of our newer plan options or cancel their subscription."

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I wonder if the increase in messages is a response to the new satellite capabilities of the iPhone. I just got the latest ios update on my iPhone 14. I was in the Pemi this weekend and wasn't surprised I didn't have service. I was surprised when my phone asked if I wanted to text my wife via satellite instead. The phone showed me the direction in the sky to point the phone and soon enough I was sending texts to my wife despite not having service. Pretty cool feature even if it doesn't replace my inReach.

This would have been a decisive factor for me had I known when I recently bought a new android phone. But now I'm all set for another 10 years I hope.

 

[Ear Drum]

I'm not quite ready to give up the InReach Mini for just my iPhone. Eventually, probably. But at the moment I feel safer with a robust, dedicated device for satellite messages.

 

[Yury]

Yeap.
Garmin jacked up inReach subscription fee in Canada as well.
My "Suspended" fee started with $2.95/month in December 2016 and now it's $7.85/month that constitute 21% annual inflation rate (166% increase over 8 years).
These are numbers through Roadpost that was original reseller of DeLorme inReach back there.

 

[Rhody Seth]

So Garmin really sneaks in this big change to how the monthly service works in their FAQ. They don't even mention what this new low monthly cost would be. (I heard $8)

Can I Still Suspend My Service on the New Plans?​

Essential, Standard, and Premium plans no longer have the option to suspend service. However, if you start to change or cancel your subscription an Enabled state of operation will be presented. The Enabled state provides a way of keeping the inReach device active and ready for use in an emergency situation at a low monthly cost. Enabled includes unlimited SOS and pay-as-you-go pricing for other features like messaging and tracking.

Alternatively, some users may benefit from cancelling their service during the off season. For example, if you only need inReach satellite communication features for one or two months out of the year, it will be more cost effective to cancel your service and then reactivate it again the following year.

You can no longer suspend your subscription. Well, rather you can but then you would need to pay the $39.99 activation fee if you wanted to use it again. Instead you can put your inReach into Enabled mode for (I heard) $8 which allows you to still send SOS. So now instead of just cancelling for the months you don't need it, you have to pay $8.

While shitty, this could work for me. I'll pay the $8 to have SOS on the inReach (with the ability to pay for texts if need be) and then I can use the iPhone for messaging purposes. Until Apple starts charging for satellite message but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.