Whilst I accept that some stuff can be stolen, I just do not buy it that the sheer number of systems & the regularity of supply would point to them all being stolen. The police & trading standards could just pick them off so easily.

I suspect the vast majority are stolen.

As my username implies, I am German by background, speak German and spend a fair amount of time there with occasional trips to Eastern EU countries. There is a massive problem in mainland Europe with theft of ICE from cars. Often stolen in the west (largely by Albanian and Romanian organised crime gangs) and then shipped to countries where there is high demand. I wouldn't be surprised if there are not container-loads of these units being fenced across Europe (the same goes for mobile phones and laptops). This is a very organised business. For example, Albania is the poorest country in Europe (annual income of about £2000) yet it has the highest per-capita Mercedes ownership in the world - 90% of them stolen cars. I have been to a Russian market and see perhaps 15-20 current-model VW, Skoda, SEAT ICE stacked up and offered for sale at very low prices (well under £100) - were these from written off cars or factory re-works - I think not!

Or is it merely waiting for those thefts to be wide-spread in GB before the eyes open up? I wonder what 'right questions' and 'right answers' exist to distinguish legal material and stolen stuff. Or do you simply put your mind to ease that way?

Don't buy this stuff, it's as simple as that!

Well, said!. I am sick of the prevailing attitude in the UK. Perhaps its not until you return to your car and find the window smashed and the interior ripped apart (as I have) that you take the problem seriously. The UK Police now have close to 'Keystone Kops' status and will do nothing other than give a crime number and tell you to contact your insurers.

I have been to a Russian market and see perhaps 15-20 current-model VW, Skoda, SEAT ICE stacked up and offered for sale at very low prices (well under £100)

Where in Russia?

will PM you the email address & phone number I have from when I got mine from him!

Can you do the same for me please?

Well, said!. I am sick of the prevailing attitude in the UK. Perhaps its not until you return to your car and find the window smashed and the interior ripped apart (as I have) that you take the problem seriously. The UK Police now have close to 'Keystone Kops' status and will do nothing other than give a crime number and tell you to contact your insurers.

I wondererd when this would surface !

Mainland Europe with a Holier than thou attitude towards the UK.

I work for a Dutch based company & travel extensively throughout mainland Europe.

We have a saying here, "people in glass houses should not throw stones"

It must be so cold & lonely in your ivory tower.

I posted my response to the OP to make other people aware that the seller on E-Bay was not the most reliable at communicating, you turn it into a UK is a Joke & you say that you are sick of the UK attitude. You will be bringing up the British Empire next !:rotz:

Maybe I will not bother next time.

Aww FFS, another nay-sayer ...not EVERY Columbus sold on eBay is a knock off - where do dealer returns get refurb'd & sold on to?? (check out VRStu's post re Lithuania/Siemens) ...& the guy they're on about here is in the UK, not Eastern Europe. A cuppla people on here have had excellent service from him!

Bandit... maybe his dog's died & he's having time out?! :confused: ...will PM you the email address & phone number I have from when I got mine from him!

Thanks Mate,

At last a voice of reason !

Aww FFS, another nay-sayer ...not EVERY Columbus sold on eBay is a knock off - where do dealer returns get refurb'd & sold on to?? (check out VRStu's post re Lithuania/Siemens) ...& the guy they're on about here is in the UK, not Eastern Europe. A cuppla people on here have had excellent service from him!

I bet 90% offered on ebay are stolen. I reckon the number of refurbs will be very small in proportion to the number offered for sale. The location of a seller and the service offered are irrelevant - this is a Europe-wide problem and any seller on ebay (whether the goods are legitimate or not) will want to offer good service to retain decent feedback. I just hope all those with knock-off units (seals broken etc etc) are on the receiving end of some 'natural justice'.

was not the most reliable at communicating, you turn it into a UK is a Joke & you say that you are sick of the UK attitude.

No, I said UK police are a joke (they seem overwhelmed and reluctant to take action against anything other than very serious crimes). On the day I had my stereo stolen (about 2 years ago) there were 13 other cars in the same area broken into. One policeman dealing with it, just handing out crime number, no fingerprints taken or evidence-gathering going on. The UK is fast becoming the crime capital of western Europe. Moreover the British are always out for a bargain (nothing wrong with that) - but if the price is low they don't ask questions - and that is wrong.

I've been looking at a few but I'm also worried about the fact it might not work, be stolen or just ripped off by yet another dis-honest ebayer.

But this can be said about anything you may buy off ebay or any where else that is second hand.

With everything in life its the little few that gives the broader selection a bad name.

Bandit let us know how you get on with it

maybe his dog's died & he's having time out?! :confused: ..

Maybe his dog is a Lithuanian/Albanian cross who drives a Merc & has gone to steal another conatiner load of Navi's.

(in the world according to Hauptmann of course).

oops sorry for my English attitude !

was tempted to use but that of course would be rude !

Where in Russia?

It was in St Petersberg this summer, but I suspect you'd find the same thing going on in many major cities in Russia.

No, I said UK police are a joke (they seem overwhelmed and reluctant to take action against anything other than very serious crimes). On the day I had my stereo stolen (about 2 years ago) there were 13 other cars in the same area broken into. One policeman dealing with it, just handing out crime number, no fingerprints taken or evidence-gathering going on. The UK is fast becoming the crime capital of western Europe. Moreover the British are always out for a bargain (nothing wrong with that) - but if the price is low they don't ask questions - and that is wrong.

Yes our police are a joke but its not that they dont care or what to, its just even if they do what will the lil scum get, a small telling off and please dont do that again.

I dont really think that this is just a UK problem, people anywhere will not ask questions if it cheap....................maybe things should not be so over priced in the first place?

So to repeat the question, is there anywhere where you can buy a legitimate OEM aftermarket Columbus system other than a Skoda dealership?

The Dealer

The Dealer

I was told that is costs alot more than the original spec price if you wish to add it later. I'm sure the amount was in the area of about £2000!! :eek:

Though if that is totally true or just a sale bluff to get me to buy I dont know?

£1,399.50 from theskodashop.co.uk (Hortons)...

Skoda UK Skoda 'Columbus' Sat Nav System - AAN800001

hmmm my dealer offered it to me fitted from factory for £1340 maybe I should have taken the offer up lol

I would say that it IS possible to buy a legit unit fairly cheaply if you take a few precautions...

If its a genuine 'refurbished' unit then I'd expect it to come in some sort of proper box with moulded polystyrene packaging to protect it. They'd probably include a copy of the instruction book with it too. I don't think the refurb factory would send out units wrapped in a bit of bubble-wrap and polystyrene beads. Oh, and I'd expect a refurb unit to be more-or-less cosmetically perfect, since I'm sure they'd replace scratched or marked screens and buttons.

If its a UK-source unit from either a write-off or an upgrade jobbie then I'd ask the registration number of the vehicle it came from. I'm sure most legit dealers would keep this info just as a precaution in case the police make enquiries. Once you have the reg of the donor vehicle then you can make your own enquires (at least find out via the web if the reg belongs to an Octavia).

If the seller says that its a used unit 'come in from abroad' then I'd run a mile!

Also look at the seller profile. If they've been on ebay for years and sold the odd unit now and again then its probably a legit dealer sourcing used units from write-offs. If they've only been on ebay a few months and are selling large numbers of units every week, then surely you have to query the source of supply?

I wondererd when this would surface !

Mainland Europe with a Holier than thou attitude towards the UK.

I work for a Dutch based company & travel extensively throughout mainland Europe.

We have a saying here, "people in glass houses should not throw stones"

It must be so cold & lonely in your ivory tower.

I posted my response to the OP to make other people aware that the seller on E-Bay was not the most reliable at communicating, you turn it into a UK is a Joke & you say that you are sick of the UK attitude. You will be bringing up the British Empire next !:rotz:

Maybe I will not bother next time.

I'm afraid you are mixing things up. No one told you that 'we' in 'Europe' are living in 'our' ivory tower. The fact that these organised groups of thieves operate 'here' and try to sell stolen stuff in 'your' country, is our and your problem. A possible bargain shouldn't close your eyes. That is living in an ivory tower, IMHO.

The world is a glass house, and any one throwing stones is ... well, you name it!

And the ones no longer bothering put their heads in the sand. No problem here!

Thefts of Columbus have reached massive proportions in the Netherlands, we are a small country with only a low proportion of Skoda's fitted with Columbuses, howerver on the Dutch Skoda forum there is a theft report nearly every day. At my dealer they know about 15 cases in a few months. Gangs have been arrested with dozens of stolen Columbus in their cars, usually the suspects originate from Eastern Europe (e.g. Letland).

Any cheap Columbus from mainland Europe should be scrutinised for its background. If you dont know if the origination is honest, please dont buy otherwise the thefts will never stop. If you buy something below normal value, please be aware that there must be a special background since most build-in systems will stay for a lifetime in the original car.

So to repeat the question, is there anywhere where you can buy a legitimate OEM aftermarket Columbus system other than a Skoda dealership?

No, unrealistic, why would they create a second market that undercuts the prices of their dealers?

My code card looks pretty genuine to me and I'm well aware that these things can be faked but this one looks like a "factory" jobbie

The people that make them, dont provide code cards new or refurbished.

All codes are added to the VAG database. VAG stopped issuing codes 2+ years ago. All now done via diag link up with the factory. It's to try and stop thefts and why the codes are now done direct to the car - so no one ever knows them.

Which also suggests that VAG *could* block all stolen units (as they know which vehicles they were fitted to) at next diag hookup.

Why they dont currently......

VAG stopped issuing codes 2+ years ago. All now done via diag link up with the factory. It's to try and stop thefts and why the codes are now done direct to the car - so no one ever knows them.

I don't understand how that stops thefts. It just means they get stolen from cars and have the code extracted by grey market tools rather than from dealerships or other factories. Stealing from cars causes a lot more hassle for people.

but it does beg the question why do away with codes and use the diag/ECU route unless this was the end goal?

Yeah, there was a point to this thread originally wasn't there?

Dunno how legit this place is:

Autotronics | Car audio, car navigation, car alarms. All your vehicle needs!

Eeek! £950 for a Columbus though... still, £500 cheaper than a dealer!

I have been there & based upon what I saw, I would not personally part with my cash.

Looking at the latest images on their site, they are selling units that are remarkably similar in appearance to others, but for £350 more.

Looks like the cheapest Guaranteed not stolen unit is £1399 from Hortons.

Hopefully this thread can return to being a helpful resource to members.

Stoofa used update a very popular thread with all the latest Columbus eBay bargains - died a death after wega3k found out his eBay unit had been butchered prior to purchase! :(

Well if my E-Bay purchase stalls, I may talk to my dealer about a deal with my new car....