while looking into VAGCOM i came across <REMOVED>

now it seems too good to be true - so i am guessing it is

has anyone come across these before? has a search but came up with nothing.

i am struggling to believe that i can get a fully registered working VAGCOM and interface for £80

It's basically a cloned cable, read through the support page for the truth.

For £80 your buying a lead with one version of software. When you plug the lead in it automatically wants to check rosstech website. If it does get an Internet connection it will dissable the lead for good.

The website is buying cloned leads from china for £20 and selling to unsuspecting customers.

Yes that is a counterfeit cable. I've removed the link from your post to avoid giving them free advertising.

It's basically a cloned cable, read through the support page for the truth.

For £80 your buying a lead with one version of software. When you plug the lead in it automatically wants to check rosstech website. If it does get an Internet connection it will dissable the lead for good.

The website is buying cloned leads from china for £20 and selling to unsuspecting customers.

hmmm thought it sounded a bit off.

surprised that they have not been challenged and shut down on copyright though if its using a cracked version of the software

Companies come, get shut down and reopen again under a different name. A number of these have cropped up recently all using different URLs that then disappear, only to reappear on a website with simillar name and layout. Ross-Tech take this seriously, hence Nick removing the link.

The software is genuine it's just the lead has been cloned so it gets on RossTech's hitlist of leads to dissable.

It's the leads which are cheap.

Companies come, get shut down and reopen again under a different name. A number of these have cropped up recently all using different URLs that then disappear, only to reappear on a website with simillar name and layout. Ross-Tech take this seriously, hence Nick removing the link.

no issue here, thought it was a scam which is why i asked, since it is glad the link is out

thanks for the clarification

Found the same sort of thing on ebay UK and was wondering the same thing. Not worth bothering with.

I got mine from ebay, it works just fine, the cable seems genuine and no problems with my laptop on the web, I think the software is copied or something but it still works fine.

It will never be updateable, and I would still never trust it.

Reminds me, I'd better upgrade my GENUINE :p 10.6.3 to the next level soon!

The software is genuine it's just the lead has been cloned so it gets on RossTech's hitlist of leads to dissable.

It's the leads which are cheap.

The "leads" as you call it, must have the license for the software built into them. Our reason to go after these illegal copies of the "lead" is that the "lead" cloner is violating our protected software rights by cloning our hardware and firmware allowing them to unlock a specific version of our software.

Remember, the cloners do no work. They simply steal from those who provide the best, most affordable tool in the market for the vdub users.

And before this post gets bashed by those that will write that all Ross-Tech does is steal the information from VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda - "ie clone VAGs work" - I invite those who say such things to come see how we do all the work we do. We spend countless hours reverse engineering the dialogue between cars and the factory scan tool. We do not copy official documents nor do we release product that is a direct copy of the VAG group's own work. We make our tool with our own sweat and hard work, custom designed to meet the needs of our users. If we were "stealing" information from VAG, they would have put us out of business a long time ago. After eleven successful years of supplying a top level tool for VAG cars, we know that the OEs have accepted that we are not stealing from them. That said, they would like us to go away so that users would have to take their cars to their service facilities.

To those who defend Ross-Tech by buying genuine product, who choose to talk about the reasons to buy genuine, we sincerely thank you and appreciate your wide spread support. It is your efforts that continue to make VCDS a viable option to the factory service facilities world wide. Your help and support is immeasurable. Thank you from all of us at Ross-Tech.

We've had a genuine lead at work since 2006, I didn't even know that such a comprehensive VW diagnostics system existed outside the dealer network until I heard about it on here. For the price, if you've purchased a new VW £250 is a drop in the ocean to the enthusiast to learn about the inner workings of their car.

You also take the risk of Malware, as you have to use the supplied software, so the software version matches the cable.

A customer showed me a Chinese cloned lead/CD he had bought. The installer was about 1MB bigger than the genuine software. I wonder what 'bonus software' would have been installed.

Told him to contact eBay and get his money back, but the seller had gone and so had his money.