Cardo Systems Reviews

I purchased the Pack Talk Black with the hopes of better music sound quality than my existing Freecom 4. Both using JBL 45mm speakers. I couldn't detect any difference even when using Standard, Bass Boost, or Speech, on the Pack Talk Black system. That seems to reduce the Treble, not Boost the bass. I thought the sound processor was configurable but after Emails , unanswered, and hours on hold with customer support, I gave up as I was unable to access a sound equalizer. Unfortunately, I'm leaving on an extended trip so I will be returning the Pack Talk Black as I usually only have 1 or 2 other riders to communicate with so the mesh is not really needed. If, at a later date I find that I can configure the sound I will try the unit again. It really came down to non-responsive customer support.

Would have been nice if the freecom 1+ noted that the boom mic wouldn’t work with a full face helmet and I’d need to buy a separate wired mic...will likely be returning since I spent $230 on headsets that won’t work with our helmets.

I really like your products. I have a pack talk slim. It needed replacement a couple of years ago and the service your company gave was outstanding. Quick and correct. I just bought the jbl 45 speakers for it and hope the same thing will happen. I always recommend your company to my friends. Keep up the great job.

My order arrived in a couple of days. It was packaged well. I have not opened it up yet, but its a Cardo product, so it should do a great job.

The process was very smooth, but as a newcomer to your product line, I felt it was hard to compare. The wizard was a good touch, but once I went down one path -- it chose "Packtalk Bold", I was curious about the differences between that and packtalk "Packtalk Black". I ended up viewing YouTube videos and decided to go with the "Black" model because the cost of the 45mm speakers was quite a big jump so I (probably foolishly) equated that with quality given that these are commodity components... "you get what you pay for".
There was also a product information link that went to "Page not found"(I cannot remember what product had this but your web team should be able to see a 404 in your logs).
The checkout process was smooth.
All in all, looking forward to trying your product.

You guys ROCK!!!!

Update:
Original review below for historical record.
Cardo a) refunded my order in full which was incredibly generous, but b) more importantly engaged on the issues I outlined.
The shipping cost was my problem; there is a shipping cost calculator that I overlooked.
The non-action on my cancellation request, Cardo assures me they are improving their processes.
Overall, this is miles better support that most online retailers.
I've upped my rating from 1 star to 4.
And for clarity: I have a Freecom 4+ dual pack that I use with my wife. It's been excellent. I believe the microphone failure to be my fault for placing it in a position where I touch it a lot.
Thanks Cardo.
Original review:
I needed a replacement wired microphone for my Freecom 4+ unit. Looking at Cardo's website, they sell them for $11.00. Great. I put one in my cart and checked out. I was prompted for payment information and shipping information, but then, somewhat unexpectedly, the order was complete!
At no time was I given an option to evaluate the estimated shipping cost (nor chose a shipping option which might result in less shipping cost).
It turns out the shipping cost (to Canada) of that $11.00 part is $25.00+!! That's more than double the cost of the item. I found this out when I received the email confirmation of my order a few minutes after completing the order. Within 10 minutes, I emailed back to Cardo to cancel my order. Paying that much in shipping is ridiculous for the particular part (small, light weght, fits in an envelope).
The ordering and subsequent cancellation email happened on Jan 1, just after midnight.
Late in the day on Jan 4 I received an email reply from Support that said "sorry, already shipped". About an hour after that I received the automated email "your order has shipped".
So my cancellation wasn't processed despite having been submitted 3 days before my order shipped, and, it appears it could have been cancelled basde on the timing of the emails.
If I didn't need the part, I would file a dispute with my credit card and refuse delivery.
Another odd point: the emailed information from Cardo indicates DHL is their shipping partner but Cardo sent me a UPS tracking number. The tracking number was attached to a link to a third party website. The situation looked like a phishing attempt at first glance.

Great service, only comment is that there is no way to call Garmin to talk to customer service.

The first person l spoke with was terrable! I was not going to buy product. However a few days earlier l had spoken to a very nice lady ,lm gussing her name was Stacy? Anyway she was so nice l decided to call back, Ben was very helpful and seemed to be very knowledgeable @ l bought . However l would really check out so.e of your personal. The first person was or seemed to hate working.

I have now received a call from one of the cardo support team worker who was extremely helpful and understanding. We went through the reasons why this problem occurred and I beleive this happened since the recent switch over the company is developing. I went through all the steps verbally with W. and was able to update the packtalk bold straight away using a different email address. What a relief! W. explained to me the current tweaks they are putting in place to allow a smoother updating experience. I sure am very grateful to him for taking the time and going the extra mile in being on standby just in case I would experience another glitch which didn't happened. Thanks W.
Happier customer:))

I was stunned to be presented with a $170 COD bill for customs fees at the time of delivery. I would never have ordered this item if Cardo had made my open-ended responsibility to pay these fees clear at the time of checkout.

Customer service is outstanding. Unit reception is great. Radio to intercom transition is seamless. A must tool for managing large group rides or a music alternative without adding bulky speakers to the motorcycle allowing a no hassle transfer between different bikes.