VAG Diagnostics Ltd - legit?

[Wardy]

Spotted this on my travels:

http://www.vag-diagnostics.com/info.html

When they started to refer to 'our VCDS cables' I started to become suspicious.

If it's not above board it's more to warn others really, as I have one of your genuine Ross-Tech cables.

[Waplord]

yep total fakes ....AVOID!

"Our VCDS cables are manufactured for us specifically and are an exact replica of the Ross Tech's cable apart from they can only be used with the supplied versions of VCDS 908, 912, 10.6, & 11 Beta software. Our software is exactly the same as Ross Tech's version apart from our cables are coded specifically to work with our software. Due to this, do not try to use our cables with any other software (even from Ross Tech) as this can permanently damage the cable."

[Kenny R]

Does look dodgy, especially when you download the software as a zip file, from their website.

[Waplord]

Ahem.....

Please note, some virus scanners (F-Secure/AVG) have been known to flag up the VCDS software as having a virus. This is a false positive and is due to the software containing a keygen to register the cable. If this happens, please disable/uninstall your virus scanner

I think that answers it all

[Wardy]

Yep, just highlights how sneaky companies can be, especially in this example as they try quite hard to appear above-board.

Another one for Ross-Tech to take action against. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and all that.... :wonder:

[bearthebruce]

We've been trying to get this company for 2 years now. Our lawyers can't find them. Seems their web stuff is hosted from Sweden while they make it look like they are a UK company. Very sophisticated rip off artists. If we can find them, we hope to stop them from selling illegal copies of our product and making themselves look like they are Ross-Tech official distributor. THEY ARE NOT OFFICIAL ROSS-TECH! THEY ARE THIEVES!

[Dean-]

It would appear they sell these on eBay so why not take it up with eBay. At least your stopping them selling on there

[bearthebruce]

Yes, we know. We do go after them on eBay. We have some success there. We're trying to get their stuff banned on eBay. Not an easy task.

[Eddie-NL]

surely if they sell on ebay they must have an address?

If they have an address, then you should be able to trace where they are and take legal action against them.

I still can't understand why people want to buy that rubbish, the genuine article is good value for money.

Apart from VCDS I have Genuine Vag-Commander which is much more expensive

[bearthebruce]

Thanks Eddie - but the truth is we go through this most every business day. We have one member of our staff who searches for eBay sales and all clone sales around the world. We also have our distributing partners doing the same thing. There is a process one must go through to take down each and every sale. We have some success taking down a vendor who is reported enough times to warrant such action. But remember, eBay needs sellers and so their priority is to allow sellers..... Need I say more?

Edited 6 November, 2012 by bearthebruce

[Dean-]

Why not buy one on eBay - Then ask to return it - In turn getting the sellers address!

[rwbaldwin]

Have you gone down the Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) route with eBay? A mate of mine was very successful in getting fake copies of his company's software removed using this approach.

[bearthebruce]

Because they ship from an address in the UK but their corporate offices are elsewhere...... been there, done that a number of times. Thanks for your suggestions.

[bearthebruce]

rwbaldwin, yes, we VeRO them... and they find a way back.... we're on it and we do as much as we can to stop them.

The real issue is that people keep wanting their "product". If people would only stop buying, they'd go away. But, when they offer the stolen product for less than half the price of the real product .... some will always opt for the "cheap" goods thinking they have a good deal. It's a reality with which we live all around the world.

Try as we may, we will not succeed in stopping all sales.

Edited 6 November, 2012 by bearthebruce

[Wardy]

Glad you're on the case anyway Bruce. Shame this sort of thing takes up so much of your time.

Does sound a bad one this. It was just the way the wording and advertising on the site came across, and I can see why many would be fooled into legitimately thinking they were getting a proper product.

[Dean-]

They are using this

https://www.domainsbyproxy.com/Default.aspx

click "Report"

[Wardy]

We should all report I think

[David 8]

So if we reported any clones too Ebay it would help you in getting stuff removed ???

[Wardy]

:yes:

[bearthebruce]

Anything each can do to stop this helps us in our fight. Our man who works this everyday is Santos and I asked him to comment on this thread. Obviously, he has not done so as yet. He and the owner of Ross-Tech have been chasing this outfit for 2 years using our lawyers in the UK. Time and money spent and still they operate. Can you understand our frustration?

Now take what they do, and multiple that by nearliy every country in the world. If we had unlimited time and money, perhaps we could succeed. But, when Chinese copy their own company products undercutting their own country and their government looks the other way, how can outsiders expect results?

We are left to trying to stop the sales channels. We have some success. However, many illegal products are sold because so many choose to only look at price. I understand. I want cheap prices too.

When we release new software, each time we implement new ways to stop the theft. Sadly, our new ways get broken pretty quickly. At one point we estimated nearly 30% of our efforts to develop product are dedicated to fighting/preventing the illegal theft. Imagine what our product could be if our efforts just went to product development! Ahh the joys of designing and delivering products in this world. Our government does not seem to care. They give us lip service since China is now our banker and will continue to lend more money to us now that the election results are in. Spend, spend, spend.... $20 Trillion in debt, here we come!

[Waplord]

The fact they are pirating Ross Tech's software is FTL, if they made their own cable and own software then i'd say good for them but the fact that they are blatantly pirating what Ross Tech has developed irrespective of their prices isn't an excuse for people to steal their hard work.

I find the fact that people are willing to connect their car costing several thousand pounds up to a computer using a dodgy cable and cracked software mind boggling.

I'm sure it wont take long before someone having a laugh releases a cracked version of the VCDS software that automatically sets the value in channel 18 to 5mph when you plug it in or something equally horrific.

[ksr]

(you,ve probabaly spent the best part of £500 on research etc,so quit bitching)

FTW

For this to be your first post on this forum - first that is, using this name - I really feel you could have had something more constructive. I really don't think you have any idea about software R&D costs, or you wouldn't have posted this comment.

VCDS is quite unlike any other 'user-orientated' diagnostic package. For £250, you are not only buying a quality tool, but you are supporting an exceptionally service-focused company. Try getting that from eBay!

[Jabozuma]

Knowledge costs money. If it was so easy to do develop an alternative then plenty others would crop up and usual market forces would manifest itself - lowering of prices. I am really surprised e-bay is not doing anything to shut it down as being an obvious counterfeit product...

[Wardy]

The argument given is farcical. My usual response applies to such people: don't feed the troll.

To say it's too expensive is fine, you don't have to buy the product. To give this as a logical and justifiable reason to pirate/clone/copy a product is laughable and quite clearly morally and legally wrong.

Oh, and welcome to the forum '....cable' - your username describes the eBay copies very well.

[Jabozuma]

I think this argument is bandied about extremely often during music, films, computer games piracy discussions. The argument is that if the stuff was more affordable pirates would have no right of existence. There is some right in it partially but on the other hand there is plenty of people who will keep stealing no matter how low the prices drop. Paying nothing compared to paying 1 pence comes trumps up in their heads.

I recon it was one of those accounts created from a local internet cafe solely for the purpose of stirring the $hite here...

I suppose Briskie has automatic proxy filters