Xcal 1 Going Offline Discussion

[TURBO4LT]

Time to look at alternate tuning methods, sure SCT has been at the forefront thus far, other suites will only keep improving with time look at VCM as an alternative.

[Buf-Phoon]

I have an xcal-1 for sale if anyone is interested.

mine comes with a free UniChimp and steak knives

I sure there are a few of us that it will cost more than $200 to get the rebate and still have a driveable car

[Full Monty]

bloody pissed off right now. My car often needs to have its tune tweaked at service, due to slight detonation under certain conditions, or Auto shifting / torque tables needing adjustment etc...Now im stuffed, and have to cough up for a new unit because they've deactivated a perfectly working item.

Anyone here a lawyer and know what laws are written to prevent this sort of thing happening?

I.E manufacturers deactivating a working product forcing users to upgrade, before a reasonable life span?

Imagine if your new Plasma or LCD TV was deactivated by the manufacturer, Just because they wanted you to buy their new model? WTF!!!!

Would you buy from them again?

I mean these items were being sold for $900 bucks 2 years ago!!!! FFS they have a duty of care to support it for at least 5-10 years from the last sale date.

Its Just lazy on their behalf to not develop the software to continue to support all of their products. Were not asking for new features (I,E ZF tuning) Just for them to continue to allow us to use / maintain our cars tune, via a product we purchased in good faith.

Or they have another agenda - I.E the same as they did 18 months ago, to get them out of circulation because people were somehow unlocking them and selling them 2nd hand?

What about the people that bought them from a registered SCT tuner like myself? Why don't they just blacklist the ones which are 2nd hand?

It just doesn't sit right with me, morally and ethically wrong.

Edited 18/06/10 01:44 AM by Dagabond

[banddriver]

Question:

Is there an expiry date on the back of these boxes?

Was there any expiry date on the instructions that came with the product.

I smell "class action"

[bluprinturbo]

mine comes with a free UniChimp and steak knives

I sure there are a few of us that it will cost more than $200 to get the rebate and still have a driveable car

ill throw in a $500 gift voucher at F.I.S.T to the first lucky buyer.

Edited 18/06/10 01:19 AM by bluprinturbo

[icer]

just asked my sis who is a solicitor at some law firm and said no class action, and no real case as companies ARE allowed to legally do that. As they gave us a 18 month notice.

She bought the topic of analogue TV. Everyone knows its gonna end soon (but not an exact date). Everyone who hasnt upgraded and then they get cut off wont be happy, but the warnign was sufficient. (etc etc)

ACCC home

She said get a report and submit it there. Might get somewhere.

[Full Monty]

They didnt inform us that there was an expiry date. They tried to shut them down 18 months ago, there was outrage as a result. Then they back tracked, Rob Herrod got on the forums saying all was good and Xcal 1 was safe.

I dont recall at the time that they informed consumers that XCal1 was going to be switched off in a year and a half.

Yet the tuners are stating that we all knew this was coming??? Perhaps they knew, and were told not to sell remaining Xcal1's, but it wasn't public knowledge.

[BA-XR6T]

they are no longer supplying the tuning software for the xcal1s. meaning a tuner cant change the tunes on your xcal1.

I'm not sure how the software licensing for tuning software actually works, but in theory (and correct me please if I am wrong) if the tuner already has the software they can still tune the car as they can still "talk" to the box. as long as they have paid for the software and own the license, then there is no major issue, the issue being that if the xcal-1 or the tuning software screws up then you simply have nowhere to go to get it repaired/unlocked or software upgrades etc etc. no doubt in the next software upgrade the option to program an xcal-1 will be removed but that can be defeated by having a copy of the software on a laptop left at a version that communicates with the xcal-1 and apply no future software updates. surely tuners have multiple laptops with the software and don't rely on a single machine or break out an old one. I'm keen to understand how the licensing for tuning software works.

and as for a class action, doesn't selling the devices within the last 12 months nullify the fact that 18 months ago they warned/wanted to kill them off sales should have ceased there and then. So therefore imo a class action should be possible or they bite it and do a free upgrtade to the x2 or x3 for those who who can provide a receipt for purchase in the last 12 months.... that said I'm no lawyer maybe *Beep*'s sis could add some insight

[Buf-Phoon]

goodluck me finding my receipt , got my Xcal 1 when they first came out

I suppose I've had my money's worth out of it , 3 cars and countless tunes

[tab]

I'm not sure how the software licensing for tuning software actually works, but in theory (and correct me please if I am wrong) if the tuner already has the software they can still tune the car as they can still "talk" to the box.

No, not at all.

Basically they sent an email to all dealers saying that from this point onwards the software used for tuning cannot communicate with a Xcal 1. If you've already got tunes on one you can keep using it, but it can never have the tunes changed or be used for another vehicle as no tuner can communicate with it.

Only way around it is for the tuner to not update their software so that this lock-out isn't applied to their system.