How to deal with pirates via PM

   #1  

iichel

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Hi guys,

I wanted to share and ask for advice concerning the following:
Every once in a while, people ask me here to assist with whatever problem they have with their car, mostly PQ25.
That's sort of my comfort zone. This ranges from retrofits to ABS codings and assistance in other mods.

Usually these are pirates, genuine Jack Sparrows and usually on 11.11 or 12.12.
It's kind of obvious why they don't make a forum post asking for help.

I'm a bit unsure how to handle them.
Part of me wants to help out, since it's fun and sharing is caring.
Part of me wants to tell them to get a genuine VCDS and come back. But they won't.
And part of me wants to plainly ignore them.

Any advice and tips?
For now I'm simply asking 'is your vcds completely legal' and usually that's an end of the conversation.

Thanks!
 
   #2  

Jack@European_Parts

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Give them the Axe!

Not verified, no help!
If found to post a pirate in forum Uwe or Satan will get them!

Were is Satan I miss him is he still on vacation in Covid fire swamps?
 
   #3  

Bruce

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Iichel, thank you for your thoughtful question. It is quite the dilemma.

While the clones do promote the name VCDS and what we do, they also steal the livelihood of those who make the effort to create and support this tool. Is it right to enable the clone user - who clearly knows they have an illegal product - to use that device to solve their problem on their vehicle? In enabling them, are we not promoting the clone device and its creators? Are we not adding to the problem?

As you well know, our position is to not support any who have a clone. We cannot tell you what you should do. We can only ask that you consider what the ramifications are to doing so.
 
   #4  

Jack@European_Parts

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He could try and persuade the clone user to get a genuine unit and support the community that makes such a fabulous tool affordable in the first place couldn't he?
:rolleyes:
 
   #6  

Bruce

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He could try and persuade the clone user to get a genuine unit and support the community that makes such a fabulous tool affordable in the first place couldn't he?
:rolleyes:
Indeed and I would guess Iichel does as do we...
 
   #7  

iichel

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As you well know, our position is to not support any who have a clone. We cannot tell you what you should do. We can only ask that you consider what the ramifications are to doing so.

I completely agree, my loyalty completely lies with Ross Tech in this matter. There is no question about that.
It's not a dilemma in any way, if you come here to the Ross Tech forum, you're expected to have or plan to buy a genuine interface.

I'm a moderator myself on one of the international forums for the VW Polo and I think 90% of the VCDS interfaces is cloned.
It saddens me that this number is so high. I really want to help out these people but I'm not willing to reinforce or support non geinuine interfaces (and their users).
I've even been asked to share my clb and ROD files so clone users could stay up to date. Let's say nope.
 
   #8  

Bruce

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I completely agree, my loyalty completely lies with Ross Tech in this matter. There is no question about that.
It's not a dilemma in any way, if you come here to the Ross Tech forum, you're expected to have or plan to buy a genuine interface.

The dilemma is the one of wanting to help because of your love of the cars.. but knowing that help hurts others... Thanks for supporting us in the manner you do.

I'm a moderator myself on one of the international forums for the VW Polo and I think 90% of the VCDS interfaces is cloned.
It saddens me that this number is so high. I really want to help out these people but I'm not willing to reinforce or support non geinuine interfaces (and their users).
I've even been asked to share my clb and ROD files so clone users could stay up to date. Let's say nope.

Yes, please do nothing to help the cloners.. and frankly, as a mod, could you not make a policy that help is only given to those who have legit interfaces? On the Skoda forum in the UK, they made that rule. Some other forums have also...

The forums could be helpful in this way... but I also know the forums do not wish to promote advantage of one tool mfg over another. But are cloners really tool mfg? I'd say not.. but I am severely biased on this subject.
 
   #10  

PetrolDave

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On the Skoda forum in the UK, they made that rule. Some other forums have also...

The forums could be helpful in this way... but I also know the forums do not wish to promote advantage of one tool mfg over another. But are cloners really tool mfg? I'd say not.. but I am severely biased on this subject.
On the UK Skoda forum anyone who posts with a VCDS clone doesn't get any help, only advice that if they want help they should buy a genuine VCDS cable from Ross-Tech or a distributor. People who post with another tool (I won't mention the names here ;)) will get help - so we don't promote any one tool over another but we do refuse to help pirates.
 
   #11  

Uwe

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I'm a bit unsure how to handle them.
Everyone that asks me for help via PM gets the same answer:

Please post you question in the forum. Asking via PM defeats the very purpose of having a forum, which is to make the question and any answers that are given accessible via internet searches.

-Uwe-
 
   #12  

Uwe

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Could also setup forum to not permit unverified users to PM members & only allow a pm of an admin, moderator or RT directly?
As far as I can see, a user-type either has the ability to send PMs or they don't. I don't think the forum software provides a method to restrict who New (or Unverified) users can send PMs to.

-Uwe-
 
   #13  

downtime

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But I’m pretty sure you can restrict PM functionality completely from users having less a certain amount of posts or with certain status. I think that was the point Jack was having?
 
   #14  

Uwe

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But I’m pretty sure you can restrict PM functionality completely from users having less a certain amount of posts or with certain status. I think that was the point Jack was having?
I set Santos to do some digging. What he found was:

We can turn off the ability for non-verified users to send PMs at all.

We can also create additional user groups and auto-promote users after a certain number of posts, with the first usergroup they're in not having the ability to send PMs and the one they automatically get promoted to having that ability. This would also clutter things up with at least two more usergroups than we have now.

But we have found no way to restrict who a usergroup can send PMs to.

I'm not sure I want to block PMs from New Users. Quite a few do PM me with serial numbers and requests to get Verified.

So for now, I think it stays as it has been. None of you guys are under any obligation to answer PMs if you don't want to.

-Uwe-
 
   #17  

iichel

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Maybe I just talked someone into getting an original interface :)

u71nfQ1.png
 
   #18  

Jack@European_Parts

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Maybe I just talked someone into getting an original interface :)



Send them the link to store below......... :p

Hear that Pirates......go here below, and stop engaging in purported VCDS violations or the Regulations set by decree of his Eminence in the Church of RT?


https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/cat/VCDS
 
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