TomTom might be on the decline due to the rise of free services such as Google Maps and Nokia Drive, but it is still being used by many. Hence, the reason why there are so many complaints of what is being called the leap year bug.

The bug that gimps TomTom into failing to find a user location is running rampant on TomTom supported devices. According to a TomTom statement, the bug is a problem found in the GPS receiver, and has been a problem for TomTom users since March 31. Since then, the company has been hard at work on getting a fix out to the public in a chronological manner.

The company said in a statement, "We are working hard on a permanent solution that we will make available on our website as a downloadable software fix." The problem is a big one for TomTom users, as devices with the bug are showing black or grey displays with nothing much to look at on screen.

The planned fix which will be put up for download, requires users to connect their TomTom device to their PCs to conduct the update.

If you are in a special situation where TomTom is essentially required, you can reset your device, this should fix the problem temporarily. This method can be used until you can find the time to get your device to the nearest computer for the purpose of updating your Satnav.

In the last quarter, TomTom saw its sales fall by 40% along with a 75% slash in profit. This is due to free services on smartphones and tablet devices that for the most part, are better than what TomTom is offering its users. This is forcing the company to cut jobs to save millions of dollars. Whether this will work is left to be seen.

It is likely TomTom will have no choice but to offer its services for free along with a premium subscription to stay afloat in what has turned out to be a truculent environment.

(reported by Vamien MacKalin, edited by Dave Clark)