Bad Experience w/ DiabloSport

[jjnada]

I posted the following on LS1Tech and just wanted to let everyone here know as well: DiabloSport refuses to reset Predators now.

Here's a direct copy-paste from my post at LS1Tech:

I looked to see if DiabloSport was a sponsor and didn't see their logo (otherwise I would have posted this thread in the Sponsor Feedback section), but I might be wrong...

So I traded an XBox for fivepointseven's DiabloSport Predator knowing that others had gotten DiabloSport to reset their Predators. I even got the following from DiabloSport before going through with the trade.
The cost for unlock and update is $99. You can contact us for an RMA# at 561-908-0040 to send your unit in. Perfect.

So imagine my suprise when I called tech support after receiving my Predator only to find out that "you can only get it reset if you return the owners car to a stock tune." :think: My question is: well then why would I need a reset in the first place?

In any case, the guy then started talking about "well if you hadnt gone to someone off the INTERNET..." like I had been cheated by fivepointseven. He even told me "You essentially bought an empty box. We cant get you a new tune because once its taken out of the Predator theres nothing in there. Its like buying an exhaust you need to have the exhaust to return, not just the box." :hmm:

I'm a computer programmer, and I understand not wanting to offer others discounted software, but a Predator is two products: 1) an OBD2 scanner/writer (hardware) and 2) a tune (software). So by providing me just the software, they dont incur the cost for materials.

Thats what really pisses me off: the $400 price tag isn't just a tune! Its for both the software and the HARDWARE. I was providing the hardware...

In any case, telling me that I bought an empty box just to get me off the phone was rude. The fact that he would try to dummy everything down to the point of actually lying to me really ticked me off.

By the way, who here has gotten a reset from DiabloSport in the past? I'm sure there's more than one person...

Oh, and any chance this could be made a sticky :yup:

[Sarge]

It is their business plan....and SuperChips/HyperTech....all of them....read the warranty and instructions.....I have SuperChips for My Dodge R/T....have to be blind to miss how many times they tell you the only way to transfer it is to put your car/truck back to the original tune.....If they did it any other way...they would have sold 1 box....and the Post Office would have a made all the money with folks sending it back and forth:)
Your beef isnt with Diablo man...it is with the fella that sold you the box....

[jjnada]

Yeah I understand what you're saying. But my point is they could charge less than full price for just the software part. I'm not asking for a free reflash.

I guess my analogy would be:
Say you buy a computer with Windows XP from Best Buy. If you sell the computer after erasing the hard drive, Windows wont be on there. The person I sell the computer to needs to go to Best Buy to pick up a copy of XP, but Best Buy doesnt refuse to give them the software just because they bought the computer from a third party, right?

[rotwiler]

Only problem with that senario is if they send you the software to flash into the Predator, then you could make copies and sell them and nobody would ever need one. Kinda like Microsoft giving out the source code. Once you load the tune after buying the Predator it loads the vin and is mated to the car.
I'm not happy with Diablosport though and it is due to they promised a updated version to come out awhile back and then decided they had too many other cars to make new tuners for and threw out the updates.
To get it reflashed the guy who sold it to you should have loaded his original pcm file back into the car to return it to stock, then you could send it back to get it flashed. The Predator is designed to hold 2 files, the 1 from your original pcm file for taking the car back to stock and a performance file that you can modify if needed. Once you buy the Predator new, it flashes the original pcm file into the Predator and the only way they will reflash it is if the original file was put back into the car. Is a way to make money and protect the user, if you could put the Predator tune into your car, then sell it and the person sends the unit back and has it reflashed to new. The original owner has no way of getting the stock tune back if there is a problem. But that should be the original owners problem. Another way to look at it is Diablosport is about $ and if a group buys one and gets all the cars tuned using it and sends it back for a $99 reflash between each tune, then they lose money on each one if the the people were going to pay the full amount . They make alot of them, so they probably make a 75% profit off each one.

[c1823a]

I have to agree with "jjnada" on this one. I had a "97" t/a that caught fire and burnt to the ground due to a defect in a fuel line strap. Now, "if" my car had been programmed with a handheld such as this, what would I do with it now? Eat a $300 programmer since I can't retrieve the original program? I think all these companies could make the same money and maybe more just by reflashing a unit for a resonable fee. If someone wants to put their car back to original programming, well, then that is a problem for the car owner to deal with. just my 2 cents........

[GatorSS]

I am not a fan of DiabloSport either.

[Orange SS]

i had one reset last year...i think it was $75.......

[Saving41]

Is there any way to tell if the Predator tune has been reinstalled back onto the programmer? I am looking at some used ones where the owner states that the OEM tune was returned back to the car, but is there a way to verify on the progrmmer itself?
TIA

[2001NBMZ28]

Yes, there's a way to tell if it's been returned to stock - saw a post on this at another site but can't find it - I'll keep looking. If I remember correctly it's in the "Options" section of the programmer under "Performance Type" (performance tune information) or "Car Tune" (last tune written to vehicle).

[BIG D's SS]

Hand held tuners aren't worth the money that they cost.

[Saving41]

Yes, there's a way to tell if it's been returned to stock - saw a post on this at another site but can't find it - I'll keep looking. If I remember correctly it's in the "Options" section of the programmer under "Performance Type" (performance tune information) or "Car Tune" (last tune written to vehicle).


Thanks!

[2001NBMZ28]

Finally found the post. In Car Tune if it's been returned to stock it should say "Original Backup" and NOT "Diablo Tune"

[roughneck427]

This guy used to unlock hypertec power programmers maybe try him over at akmcables.com