License revoked - anyone have this happen?

About 2 years ago I bought a genuine ross-tech key-usb cable in the classifieds here. This is rather common, i'm sure dozens and dozens have been sold in the classifieds here...


I used it several times but i don't use it really that often... I tried to use it to monitor boost pressure yesterday, and no dice. wont connect, usb not recognized. The "about" page says my license has been revoked.


I called their tech support line, but i cannot get any help because im not the original purchaser... but not being the original buyer, they can't even tell me why its revoked (citing privacy...) so im told there is no way to resolve it except buy a new one or contact previous owner which we all know is a looooong shot.



ok - i get that tech support isn't offered to second hand owners but i wouldn't have needed any support if my license wasn't revoked remotely, long after i purchased it, and with no explanation. A little more than annoying... but i have to say the guy on the phone tried to help, even though im not the original buyer, and was polite and professional. he could have told me to pound sand and don't call back...



i looked all over on their website for reasons why a dongle can have its license revoked but didn't find anything... google didnt have anything relevant either.



SOOO... THE BOTTOM LINE
Has this happened to anyone else?
If so, why was it revoked and how was it resolved?
What are my other options? i have access to my dad's MODIS but its TDI timing thing sucks...

If/when ross-tech reads this - any chance i can get that upgrade pricing for the HEX-V2???

Any chance you could post a screen shot of the "About" page you are talking about? I have never heard or read about this happening before. Maybe the previous owner reported it stolen or something. Were you on good terms with the previous owner at all times?

I’m at work now, but if you google vcds license revoked, it shows the “about” page with the license status and revoked in red below it. Mine just obviously shows the most recent release whereas that pic is of a much older version.

No issues with seller. I have not had any contact with the person I bought it from. We exchanged money for goods and our contact was done. I sent him a PM after talking to Ross tech support but I don’t really expect an answer.

I bought it in 2017, I’ve used it numerous times in the past to set timing, turn the automatic locks off, turn the chirps off when unlocking, monitors boost etc etc but I had not used it in quite some time before trying to use it this week.

No response from the previous owner in my PMs, but its not really his responsibility - he sold me a perfectly functioning cable that i used several times. Ross-Tech chose to disable it well after i bought it, and offered no explanation and no solution other than buying a new VIN LIMITED cable...


Unless Ross-Tech is willing to reach out and disclose what i could have possibly done to have my property rendered useless by them, I'd rather take my chances with a knock-off than repay this spit in my eye with my hard earned cash.

I wonder if they have updated the software and that disable any unregistered cables? I'd check mine but I don't have a working laptop at home and I can't connect it to make work computer.

Thats a really good reason for those of us who bought used VCDS cable years ago not to download updated versions of the software, plus of course the old cables work on an unlimited number of VINs.

Ketchup, what version of the software are you using???

I think i was originally on 17.something when I first bought it. I know current version doesn’t work and I went back to the old one and it still doesn’t work. You would think I’d learn to just literally never update anything...

Maybe if I went waaaay back to like 11.11 I might be able to get it to work but the old versions are not available through sources that are not rather dubious... Ross Tech doesn’t distribute them.

It may be they are now requiring all those who aren't the first original purchaser from them or an authorized seller to register now. They have always had a policy in the past that you must register ($99) for tech support. They may have changed their policy to now reflect that any cable not purchased from them or an authorized distributor must now register regardless. Just guessing though as mine is directly from them.

From their web site:

https://www.ross-tech.com/vca/

"Out-of-Production Dongle (HEX-, KEY-, KII, or Micro-)

(This applies to the HEX-USB+CAN, HEX-COM+CAN, Micro-CAN, KII-USB,
HEX-USB, HEX-COM, KEY-USB and KEY-COM)


If you're using a current version of VCDS (not VCDS-Lite!) that you bought directly from Ross-Tech:
You do not need to register, we already have you in our customer records and you are eligible for tech support.

If you're using a current version of VCDS (not VCDS-Lite!) and you bought your interface from one of our authorized resellers:

1) Click here to register for technical support

If you're using a current version of VCDS (not VCDS-Lite!) and you are NOT the original purchaser of the genuine Ross-Tech dongle interface:

2) Click here to register for technical support as a 2nd hand owner ($99)

And if that had been offered as a solution to make my dongle functional when I called them, I would have paid $99 to register it to me and get tech support rights transferred to me.

The only solution I was suggested was to contact the registered owner or buy a new one.

Might be worth another call. I can understand them wanting to end of life the cables that are not being used by the original purchaser anymore. I always thought they lost a lot of business by those that have unlimited cables and helping everyone else instead of them buying one. Tough to do to the original purchaser though.

Try setting the date on the PC back 2 years.

BobnOH said:

Try setting the date on the PC back 2 years.

Click to expand...

no dice. this is version 17.8 (also had 18.2 and 19.6) and if i set the date too far back (2016) and vcds says its an implausible date and closes itself. set it to plausible date (a date after the version was released) and the license status is still revoked.


tried VCDS-lite and it doesnt recognize the cable and i cannot test/save config. it shows up in device manager though



still havent stumbled across an old version from a not too dubious source - if anyone has the files for version 11 or 12 or something, please PM me so i can give that a shot...

Are you sure your cable is authenic? There were some cloned cables being sold online a few years back by a "supposed" Ross-Tech distributor.

... back from family vacation... lets see what is going on... uh huh... hmmm... ok....

Only the original purchase of a VCDS kit is a Ross-Tech customer, and we only offer support to our customers. More info found here for customers who purchased a used Ross-Tech device:

https://store.ross-tech.com/shop/VUDOT

Ross-Tech does not have a policy of terminating interfaces that have been resold. We have no issue with this, and said folks are welcome to download the latest release of the VCDS software here:

https://www.ross-tech.com/vcds/download/current.php

Honestly, if Dick sells his [Ross-Tech interface] to Frank, we won't know. Frank can download the software without issue and make use of the product, but Ross-Tech is under no obligation to offer support, unless he purchased the software license (see above).

IMHO, one of two things have happened here... first, the device (KEY-USB) has had some random failure and can no longer be correctly identified as valid, so the software shows it as a revoked license. I've seen this happen from time to time.

The more common thing we've seen happen, other software packages (think china ebay stuff) have aggressive software that will rewrite data on a FTDI chipset (Ross-Tech devices use legit FTDI chipsets) and thus render them invalid. We've see this many times over. I'm not saying that is the case here, I really have no way of knowing.

Just FYI, the KEY-USB was discontinued in late 2008:

https://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/old-interfaces/discontinued_interfaces.php

So the device is +10 years old. We salute you KEY-USB, you served us well. (insert bag pipe music here). or ... not sure.


Regards.

Thank you for clarifying what could have happened. Neither of those things seem to fall under the privacy concerns cited when I called though and I wish that those possibilities would have been brought up when I called. Obviously I knew I’m not entitled to support but simply saying that revoked doesn’t always actually mean that you guys revoked it would have been a short and sweet way to explain the issue.

There’s basically nothing on that laptop, I picked it up used specifically for VCDS so I can’t think of anything weird or malicious program wise on it.

I knew it was old, but didn’t realize it was that old. I can see how maybe it just failed but I would have thought it would come up as unrecognized rather than revoked. If it came up as unrecognizable rather than revoked, and those possibilities had been brought up when I called, I would have just assumed that I broke it.