Less than a week old and NO-GO. I purchased the SPOT TRACE unit from West Marine on 27 May 2023. I have been unable to connect to the activation link in the Quick Start Guide in order to initiate service since then. I have tried multiple times per day. I thought it was due to the Memorial Day holiday. However, after reading all the 1-star reviews I plan to return this to West Marine. I get the feeling all the 1-star reviews would be 0-star reviews if there were such a lower rating.

Borderline fraudulent billing practices So, apparently my Spot tracker service got renewed each year for over 6 years (my mistake that I didn't check my credit card bills more thoroughly). I am certain that I tried to cancel the service back in 2014 after using it for a very narrowly defined purpose. No notification via mail, almost impossible to cancel now. I will blacklist them with my CC company and suggest to my outdoor shop to at least warn people when selling that product.

The concept of a Spot device is great, but.... The concept of a Spot device is great. People know where you are, you can send messages and get help if needed. There are several choices available in addition to Spot. I would strongly recommend InReach. From my personal experience there are several reasons. 1. Better messaging 2. Better pricing packages 3. No "ambush" auto renewal billing 4. Better and much more responsive customer service 5. Better user experience (ease of use, set up, reliability).

Not for marine/water based use These Trackers are mandatory for commercial fishermen in Australia, Queensland. The only waterproof part is the cord, we have had to replace numerous trackers due to just rain and dew let alone salt corrosion. This is why it's a 1 star as it's not suited for the field it's been specified for.

Pleased with the Spot X I am now on my second year of using the Spot X unit. I am amazed at the amount of negative reviews on Spot as I have not have issues with customer service, payment, texting, tracking, custom messages, etc. Unit has performed above expectations but yes, their is a steep learning curve and I think that is why it gets bad reviews. When I first bought the unit, I studied the manual and found various instructional videos online and it all came together. I am definitely pleased with the unit.