If you are currently looking at buying or selling your Garmin GPS unit please be aware of ownership/registration issues with Garmin.  If the current owner has registered his GPS with Garmin then the new owner will have restrictions on upgrades until the registration has been changed.  Once a unit is registered with Garmin it is associated with the owner.  That owner can then upgrade the internal firmware and the maps whenever he likes.  If he then sells the unit the new owner will not be able to do those upgrades until the registration with Garmin has been changed to the new owner.  This is particularly important for those units that are supplied with the Map Source software.  If the last owner has unlocked the software that means it has been registered with Garmin.  The new owner can load the software but can not unlock it even with the unlock code because it is tied to a particular Garmin account of the last owner.  Now, if none of this is important then you can use the GPS unit as your received it and it will get you from place to place just fine.

How to Transfer Ownership

The last owner must call Garmin Customer Service at 800-800-1020, Monday-Friday, 8AM - 5PM CST.  The last owner must have the new owners contact information and I recommend that the new owner set up a Garmin account in advance at My Garmin    This will allow Garmin to automatically place the registration into the new owners account.  The last owner should have the name, address and the My Garmin user name of the new owner before calling.  He should also have the unit serial number and all unlock codes for the software that had been registered including any map update disks.  The last owner can then tell the Garmin customer support who the registration should be changed to.  I don't not know if it is possible for the seller to call Garmin in advance and have the registration cleared so the new owner can go through the registration process as if it was purchased new once the unit is received.  (if anyone has input on this let me know)

Loading The Map Source Software

Once the new owner has verified the registration has been put into thier name, they can load and unlock the software.  When you go to unlock the software do not select the I have the code and enter it manually.  Select the retrieve unlock code from Garmin.  This is because the old owner has already transfered the registration to you and it is in your My Garmin account  (This is only true if you created the My Garmin account and the old owner notified Garmin of that account.).  If you did not have a My Garmin account before the last owner released the registration you will probably have to enter the full 25 digit unlock code.

BE AWARE

I suggest you contact the seller before you bid to make sure they are the current registered owner.  If this registration process has been completed by another owner and they are not contactable then you will not be able to move the registration into your name.  If they do not have the unlock codes for the Map Source software ( a little yellow piece of paper for the 27xx and 28xx units) they can not change the registration.  If you can not register the unit in your name you will be able to use it.  You will not be able to update the firmware or maps.