A TOURIST bought a global positioning system (GPS) device in April, thinking that it would help her get around the country with ease.

Instead, Joy Baker, from London, faced so much problem with the device that she filed a complaint for a refund of RM1,741 at the Consumer Claims Tribunal in Johor Baru on Tuesday.

The GPS personal travel assistant device was supposed to be equipped with preloaded maps of Malaysia and Singapore but Baker was unable to download new routes for her travel around the country. Some other features of the device were also defective.

Baker said following the problems she had emailed and called the company but was ignored.

She told tribunal president Leong May Chan that she was here to visit her husband who was working in Johor.

"My husband and I had as a last resort fixed an appointment to meet a marketing manager of the Selangor-based company, Entertop Network, on April 28.

"We waited for 21/2 hours at the designated place but the marketing manager fai-led to turn up. His excuse was that he could not find us. It is most ironic that someone who sells GPS would say that he could not find us in Kuala Lumpur."

Baker said later on she refused the company's offer to replace the device as she had lost confidence in its professional ability and product.

In defence of the company, its marketing manager Sam Chung said the company had sold many Garmin GPS devices, and many users found the product useful. He said the company had asked Baker to return the GPS for inspection, but Baker had failed to do so.

Before delivering her decision, Leong said this was a case of two people who have two different ideas and intentions.

She ordered Entertop Network to replace the GPS Niivi 310 with another set of the same model with preloaded maps of Malaysia and Singapore while Baker is to return her defective device to the company.