Buying Vag com?

[Pornstarr]

Can somebody please explain to me why I should buy Vag-com from Rosstech, or from the uk place that wants like £298 for a 'premium' package.

When there's the cables avail on ebay for 5 odd quid. And the software can be downloaded?

I'm sure there's a fantastic reason. But...not knowing it, leaves me thinking repeatedly about the cheapest possible option.

Tia

Ben

[h5djr]

Because if you buy the cable from Ross-Tech it will work and you will be able to use the latest version of the software. When you buy a geniune cable it acts as a dongle for the software, so part of the cost of the cable is for the 'free' software.

The cheap cables will on work, if at all, with the very restricted shareware versions of the cable which don't allow many of the modules etc to be changed.

[bugOlugs]

Can somebody please explain to me why I should buy Vag-com from Rosstech, or from the uk place that wants like £298 for a 'premium' package.

When there's the cables avail on ebay for 5 odd quid. And the software can be downloaded?

I'm sure there's a fantastic reason. But...not knowing it, leaves me thinking repeatedly about the cheapest possible option.

Tia

Ben

Depends how you view piracy I suppose.

Ross-Tech aren't exactly Microsoft, are they? By buying the genuine version you're supporting the guys who are trying to make a living.

[bahnstorm.net]

you get what you pay for,best place for the cheap ones is the bin

[A4Quattro]

think of it this way, would you risk the management systems on your £20k+ car with a cheapo lead?

[Pornstarr]

Point taken.
Ross tech Vag.Com bought and paid for.

Next question then. How come the UK suppliers charge £250 odd quid for it, when you can buy it direct for what is £150 at the current exchange rate?

[h5djr]

The overall total will probably work out nearer £200 by the time you've paid for shiiping and VAT.

But it's like most things. They are often cheaper in The US. UK suppliers charge what they think they can get away with and that people will still pay. Sad but true.

[Pornstarr]

Inc postage, at the current exchange rate, it was something like £154.
If the govt add VAT at 17.5% it'll come to £180.
They can't charge more than that, can they?

Plus, being as It's labelled as a gift (I think), and more importantly, being sent to someone other than myself at an address other than the billing one. Potentially, they shouldn't be able to charge at all?

[h5djr]

The actual price depends on the cable. I puchased a Micro-CAN cable for £129.00 + £42.45 shipping. The invoice from FedEx was £19.10 VAT plus the £6.80 admin charge. Grand total £197.35

The HEX-USB+CAN type cable is approx $100 ($349 as oppsoed to $249)more than the Micro-CAN.

FedEx will invoice you for the VAT + a £6.80 admin fee. The value limit for a gift is £36.00. Anything costing more than that and VAT is payable.

[A4Quattro]

you'll pay VAT and Import duty.
I got a ski jacket and trousers from the US (because you can't get them in the UK) and they stung me nearly 100 quid in fees and taxes. They'll get you in some way.
Its best to get them sent to an American friend if you have one, they can get around it if they have a US address.

[Pornstarr]

What does the 'import duty' cover?

They're just ****s aren't they.?

[Uwe@Ross-Tech]

Just to ensure that everyone reading this now an in the future understands: We (Ross-Tech) do not charge anyone any taxes (except shipments to residents of our home state Pennsylvania where we are forced to collect 6% "Sales Tax").

Our experience with shipments to the UK (and to the EU in general) is that our customers will have to pay VAT, but not import duties. However, we have no control over what your government decides to charge you.

-Uwe-

[Red Head]

I got a crappy ebay lead and it works well, but the software that came with it is in German, just meant that fault codes had to be translated.

However, I just took delivery of a genuine Ross-Tech lead yeaterday, ordered from the Ross-Tech website, and it is fantastic for piece of mind, especially when we may take arrival of another audi in the household, soon. Rather costly though but wouldn't use anything else on a new car.

Have yet to try the new lead on my 2002 seat ibiza, apparently it works on older vag com cars as well, despite being a CAN lead.

[h5djr]

At lot can depend on what your trying to do and on which model.

I have a one year old A3 (8P) and one of the reason I purchased a genuine lead was to be able to use the latest version of the software to access some of the control modules, in particular the Bi-Xenon control module.

When you've paid £24k for a car, to worry about a couple of hundred dollars seems silly.

[bearthebruce]

I don't understand how my version of VAG-COM 409.1 is fully registered with no restrictions, I only paid £15 quid for the lead and I did not purchase the 200+ $ activation code.

Ever heard of software piracy?

Many who offer no restriction products are offering you a copy that was stolen from Ross-Tech. Enjoy your tool.

[Uwe@Ross-Tech]

If you use your ebay lead again don't use the German software use VAG-COM 409.1 which is good for all the VAG range 1996 - 2004, all the DTC's are in English, I don't understand how my version of VAG-COM 409.1 is fully registered with no restrictions, I only paid £15 quid for the lead and I did not purchase the 200+ $ activation code.

Really? I've never seen a properly working hack for version 409.1. The ones I've seen only make it appear to be fully registered, but when you try to do the things that are restricted in the shareware, they don't work.

Another question: Do you really think it's a good idea to brag about using a pirated version of a product on a public forum where the company that makes said product provides support to users? I wonder how the forum owners will react?

-Uwe-

PS: A license costs $99, not $200.

[Pornstarr]

Awesome service from Ross tech.
Recieved the lead this morning at like 10am. That's super quick time from the U.S.

It works a treat.

Thanks very much guys!

[h5djr]

pirate? I paid for this I have not pirated anything

Perhaps the person you purchased it from on eBay 'pirated' it. You were obviously 'diddled'.

"There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey."
- John Ruskin

[alijames]

My 2p worth. I've just bought an Ebay cable, and downloaded the Shareware version, and it seems to work OK so far.

My intention is to try it for a while, and see if I really use it and if the later version features would be useful to me, which I am pretty sure they will be. I will then decide whether to buy the all-singing-all-dancing genuine Ross-Tech one.

That is to a certain extent what Shareware is about. Try before buy!!

I'll have spent <£20 on something I never use, or I'll crash while looking at the laptop as I check my 0-60!!

Cheers,

[PetrolDave]

it's worked fine for me

Trying using it to read or modify the settings of the Audi phone module at address #77 ...

The phone module is notoriously "difficult" to code, and only VAG-COM versions 600 or above can do it reliably - and you can't run VAG-COM versions that new with most cheap cables.