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Bully Dog Owners and Future Buyers be aware of their new policy

39K views 108 replies 54 participants last post by  scoobyxj 
#1 ·
I just talked to Bully Dog sales and its true, Bully Dog has implemented this new 250$ policy without telling anyone or at least you have to ask, its not indicated on there website, there downloadable manuals still stipulate that your allowed to move it from one vehicle to another by putting that said vehicle back to stock but this new policy is affective now, and check this one out its for Chrysler vehicles only. Tuners by BD for Ford's, GM etc do not have this policy. Also, seems even if you bought it a year ago and sales had stipulated the same info as in the uses manual that you can move it to another vehicle you wont be able to do it. I will be emailing them this tread so any unhappy customers feel free to voice your thoughts.

Bully Dog will be shooting itself in the foot with this new policy, If you like a product you tell a friend about it, but if you get screwed by someone, 100 people will know about it. Not Cool Bully Dog. Not Cool.
 
#32 ·
Don't be surprised to see Diablo and the other makes do the same thing. If they all do it, then nobody has a choice. This way they all get a slice of the 2nd hand market pie. The only thing that could stop them is if you bought your unit prior to this new policy change, then you could have a case against them.

- Just checking, but doesn't the Trinity work on GM and Ford's as well? It pretty much makes the case for buying one that much stronger.
 
#34 ·
I'vs been looking into the hypertech interceptor too, only because it doesn't leave any kind of trace on the computer like all the other tuners do. But I can't find any real info on them like what octane tune does it have or if there's any kind of customization. From what I gather its a factory set, one tune for all, that' s it. If that's the case then it looks like I'm Diablo bound.
 
#36 ·
Linda Kershaw 12:57 PM (4 hours ago)
You can use it on another vehicle as long as you are sure that it is returned...

Greg Majkrzak 3:58 PM (1 hour ago)
I have uninstalled it from my truck but my VIN number is still showing up in ...

Linda Kershaw 3:59 PM (1 hour ago)
Yes this is normal, in show settings does it say uninstalled? _______________...

Greg Majkrzak 4:00 PM (1 hour ago)
Yes, it shows "unistalled.

Linda Kershaw
4:06 PM (1 hour ago)

to me
You are good to go.

From: Greg Majkrzak [mailto:mrpositraction@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 3:01 PM
 
#37 · (Edited)
I just sent an email to BD to have them reiterate what he originally said on the phone, waiting to get an answer.

There is one thing I am wondering, is if this tech support is aware that this new charge policy is for the Chrysler products only and does not affect any other vehicles. I never got them to confirm it on email, but called them and spoke to BD on the phone, I made sure he confirmed the exact procedure and that even if it was put back to stock the tuner could not be moved to another vehicle and that it had to be cleared by bully dog at a cost of $250, he confirmed it more than once after putting me on hold twice to confirm with is manager, hopefully he will come back with an email that says they canceled the policy due to the over whelming customer complaints, will find out soon I hope.
 
#41 · (Edited)
Well Tomorrow I will call BD tech support

I just tried and they just closed, I got a read receipt from BD, but like the last Emails, he has not answered back.

Will call them tomorrow, there mountain time so will be after 11am eastern. Will see what they have to say. I find it strange than more than a few have gotten the New policy shpeel from them and not this lady says "no such thing". Hope they just decided to change there mind and just forget this whole $250 policy for clearing your tuner so you can use it elsewhere or sell it.
 
#42 ·
THE HELL She is the one that charged the 250$ to reset my ****in tuner.

I have a TON of crap from her. SO HELP ME if they rescind the policy im contesting the charge on my credit card.
 
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#43 · (Edited)
Spoke to BD this morning, I explained the policy that was confirmed to me by there sales rep, she was like "hmmm wow" did not know this, only policy she knows about is that" if you did not put your vehicle back to stock and now you need to clear your tuner from that information they will charge you the reset fee"

The new policy that has been apparently installed as per the sales rep at BD sales is "even if you put your Chrysler vehicle back to stock, you cannot move the tuner to another vehicle till you pay 250$ to bully dog to have it cleared" This policy is for Chrysler vehicles and does not affect other makes.

Now she is checking with the upper management and will be calling me back to confirm which policy is in place. Will know soon.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Here is the real information, I just got off the phone with BD, she call the powers that be and check the information that I have given her.

Any Hemi GT + tuner that is installed and linked to some 2011-2012-2013 truck ECU's that when you look at the Bully Dog tuner information in the tuner that gives the ECU info and you see under the VIN# line there is another line that says

"VIN H"

This Tuner is Locked with the ECU, and requires to be Hacked by Bully Dog to get it removed and un-linked to the ECU of your Vehicle. Even if you put the vehicle back to stock the tuner is still linked to that ECU, this has something to do with the encryption of the ECU.

If you want to move it to another Vehicle or sell it, and you have under the VIN# that line that says "VIN H" you will need to pay a hacking fee (not a reset fee) but a hacking fee to hack the tuner clear of the ECU data of the vehicle it was on.

This is only Tuners that have this "VIN H" there, any other Tuner synced to a Vehicle that does not have this "VIN H" or is not a 2012-2013 Chrysler product Does not have this Issue and you can move it to another Chrysler Vehicle or sell it after putting the current vehicle back to stock.

To locate if your tuner is linked to a vehicle and its a "VIN H" unit, go into menu, got to show settings and then scroll down to see the VIN# info. If Under your VIN# there is not another Line that says "VIN H" you are ok to put to stock and move it over to another vehicle or sell it.

If you do Have the "VIN H" your stuck and will need to fight this one

I am lucky, I just checked my unit and I do not have the "VIN H"

Here is a confirmation email from BD about this that just came in.

Hey Al,

This is the response I got when asking about it.

Under the vehicle info on show settings there is a spot for a Vin, and a Vin H. The vin H is the vin number that this tuner has “HACKED”, or unlocked. If there is a Vin in the Vin H on show settings, it needs the $250 transfer fee. If the Vin H is blank, there is no fee required. This mostly applies to the 2012+ Chrysler vehicles. Some 11’s, and not all 12’s, just depends on the ecm.

She is new so she may not be %100 familiar with the policy or heard incorrect info. The above is %100 correct though.



Bully Dog
Major Accounts Manager

 
#47 · (Edited)
Here is the real information, I just got off the phone with BD, she called the powers that be and check the information that I have given her.

Any Hemi GT + tuner that is installed and linked to some 2011-2012-2013 truck ECU's that when you look at the Bully Dog tuner information in the tuner that gives the ECU info and you see under the VIN# line there is another line that says

"VIN H"

This Tuner is Locked with the ECU, and requires to be Hacked by Bully Dog to get it removed and un-linked to the ECU of your Vehicle. Even if you put the vehicle back to stock the tuner is still linked to that ECU, this has something to do with the encryption of the ECU.

If you want to move it to another Vehicle or sell it, and you have under the VIN# that line that says "VIN H" you will need to pay a hacking fee (not a reset fee) but a hacking fee to hack the tuner clear of the ECU data of the vehicle it was on.

This is only Tuners that have this "VIN H" there, any other Tuner synced to a Vehicle that does not have this "VIN H" or is not a 2012-2013 Chrysler product Does not have this Issue and you can move it to another Chrysler Vehicle or sell it after putting the current vehicle back to stock.

To locate if your tuner is linked to a vehicle and its a "VIN H" unit, go into menu, got to show settings and then scroll down to see the VIN# info. If Under your VIN# there is not another Line that says "VIN H" you are ok to put to stock and move it over to another vehicle or sell it.

If you do Have the "VIN H" your stuck and will need to fight this one

I am lucky, I just checked my unit and I do not have the "VIN H"

Here is a confirmation email from BD about this that just came in.

Hey Al,

This is the response I got when asking about it.

Under the vehicle info on show settings there is a spot for a Vin, and a Vin H. The vin H is the vin number that this tuner has “HACKED”, or unlocked. If there is a Vin in the Vin H on show settings, it needs the $250 transfer fee. If the Vin H is blank, there is no fee required. This mostly applies to the 2012+ Chrysler vehicles. Some 11’s, and not all 12’s, just depends on the ecm.

She is new so she may not be %100 familiar with the policy or heard incorrect info. The above is %100 correct though.



Bully Dog
Major Accounts Manager


Also for those who wish to know when this was implemented I got this email from BD a few minutes ago.


"This transfer fee was in place in February 2013."



Bully Dog | Technical Support Manager
 
#45 ·
This is total crap too because the hack is just them throwing you a pair of codes to "clear" the vin h. They charged the 250$ and it took them a whole 5 minutes on the phone with me to clear it.

They did this on their own this is not something that a change from Chrysler caused. This is something in THEIR software manipulation that I am willing to be they are TRYING to see if it works to generate money off the secondary market.

The real kick in the azz here is they will charge you 250$ for that....but when we have to call 35 times to get the unit to work they are using all the information you give them to create a bigger data base for their tuning system. IE they are getting all the rolling part numbers and locks that chrysler is doing thorugh us. So we get to do free R and D and get the frustration of their "plug and play" tuner taking hours to install...and then they get to stick it to us again if we wanna use it on another vehicle.

I hadnt though about it but this means if i wanna run this on the wifes car I also cant move it over like was stated in the frakin owners manual.....

What a crock of shit to change the specs and rules mid game AFTER someone has already made the inital purchase.

I almost can deal with paying it ONCE but if I wanna clear it out again that should be free after the first time

I WOULD SUGGEST

Anyone that pays the 250 write down the codes they give you and we can test them out to see if it will clear EVERYONES tuner. This way we can have a set of on hand codes for AO19...because I would bet the numbers are universal to clear the "vin H"
 
#46 ·
FYI I sent this email. I have contacts for a class action if need be. Changing the policy AFTER the fact is not right and illegal. There should have been an update to the user agreement before AO19 existed. The lock has to be programmed in through Bully Dog its not a chrysler change that all the sudden locked and manipulated BD's software interface. This is something that came with the firmware upgrade and thus is something Bully Dog controls.

I did send this email....

Linda,

I was just informed that I am not going to be able to switch this tuner to my wifes car if I want to. This is totally unacceptable as it is NOT stated in the owners manual ANYWHERE that you cannot simply take the tuner back to stock and move it over. IT IN FACT says that you can swap from one vehicle to another and sell the tuner etc at will as long as the tune is placed back onto the vehicle. There is a clear explanation as to if a tune is left on a vehicle that there will be a fee incurred to take and place the tunes back on the tuner. This one I can understand but the other is a blatant violation of what your company states in the owners manual.

It took me three more times to get the tune to load to my truck and it again has a VIN H so I cannot ever swap it over to my other vehicle. Just what kind of deal is going on here. This was a non-existant issue until AO19 was born. This tells me that your company encrypted VIN H to lock your tuners and force marry them to ONE vehicle only. This to me is a pretty gross violation of what is stated in your companies owners manual.

Id let the powers that be know that there is A LOT of chatter about this policy and the treatment of current customers.

I almost can deal with paying the 250$ the one time I did IF I were able to use this tuner as stated in the manual on BOTH of my vehicles. I feel that owners who have paid the fee should be given a code to clear the VIN H for multiple applications. This is what was SOLD TO US when we bought the product, and it should be WHAT WE GET.

Had I known that after clearing this issue I would have a tuner that is only useable on my truck and not my other vehicle too as stated in your companies manual I would not have paid the 250 and not bought the tuner.

I would sure like an explanation as to how the product specs can change AFTER the purchase. It sure seems pretty lousy to me to stick it to a paying customer.

Chris Dombkowski
719-510-5555

I do hope to get some sort of reply; because if not we may look into contacting a product lawyer that specializes in class action suits for just this kind of situation. I paid for a tuner that I expect to be able to be used as your company stated. I EXPECT some sort of reasonable response to this situation. The fact that we get to the the R and D for the part numbers for your company and deal with the inconveniences we have is annoying enough. But after dealing with these issues to change the PROMISES of what we were able to do with your products are totally unacceptable.

I expect a way to clear the Vin H code to use my tuner on ANY HEMI I own or am in use of. This is what your company sold us....following through would be best I think.
 
#50 ·
Today I was told that there is no transfer fee but you have to call in to have the vin H removed...This is direct from Linda Kershaw now......

So I asked here then WHY was I charged this fee just last week....awaiting an answer.
 
#59 ·
here's hoping, don't see why you shouldn't get your $ back since you paid for something that is apparently a non-issue
 
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#52 ·
OK everyone check this out, after spending hours on the phone with Bully dog and telling them that they would be shooting themselves in the foot for implementing this new policy, this is the email I got tonight.

Hey Al,

Good news!

Transfer unlock fee is now known as void to switch applications. The Gt for Hemi will be transferable between trucks from today on. If you could do me a personal favor please spread the good news throughout the forums. I have always felt customer service is our best aspect and hope this proves we are committed to keeping a happy customer base :)

Thanks and have a good night!

Bully Dog Technical Support


So everything is back to normal, and you can now move the BD Hemi GT+ from one vehicle to another. Hope this helps.
 
#60 · (Edited)
I wrote this:(3:00pm CST)

Hey (name removed), thanks for calling me back.

I just traded in my Ram. I returned it to stock and have pictures to show all the screens that say it is "uninstalled"

I am now being told that some 2012+ models and the Bully Dog tuner will need to have Bully Dog "hack" to release the tuner from the vehicle before it can be used on another vehicle. Was calling to see what we can do about this. When I bought, like any other tuner, it said once you uninstall it from a vehicle you can use it on another. I am contacting you to see what we can do about this. I am very unhappy that I bought this bully dog (have bought others and have had no problem) and now I can't sell it without paying $250.

What is the deal? How can Bully Dog get away with this?

Anyways, what I requested from Linda Kershaw (who hasn't responded to me since then) is that Bully Dog either unlock this tuner so it can be used on other vehicles or buy it back from me. The instruction, website and technical help that I asked for help said it could be used on other vehicles as long as it is returned to stock/un-installed, now that is not the case.

I was told this: (3:55pm CST)

Hey Greg,
Sorry about the problem you’re having. Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do. Policy wise, this is way over my head.
With the newer Hemi’s we had to break into them in a very specific way, and because of the way we hack in, a competitor could quite easily figure out how we’re doing it through multiple transfers and downloads.
It’s a pretty new policy that only applies to a few specific vehicles. It hasn’t been purposely avoided on our website, and papers, it’s just pretty new and so it hasn’t been to verbal yet. I know Linda was talking to the engineer about this earlier today, so maybe wait a bit to see if she gets back to you.
If not, let me know and I’ll try to get something done. No promises, cause as I said it’s way above me, but I will try.
Thanks

Then, not 3 minutes later this:(3:58pm CST)

Greg,
WAIT.
I had talked to the engineer earlier today about it and he said he was going to talk to one of the owners, and he just got back with me.
They’re removing the transfer fee, altogether.
Just call in and it can get unlocked for free. If you call in today the techs might not be informed yet, so just tell them I told you it was just removed and that they should go ask someone about it.
Sorry to give you a stressful situation, but it’s gone now! Enjoy your tuner!
Thanks

GREAT NEWS! Good job everyone for bringing this up. I would be pissed if I bought a tuner and had to pay to use it (a second time) and would have felt awful having sold a tuner that someone had to "unlock" after I "uninstalled" it.

This is a good forum!
 
#61 ·
They seem to be working on taking care of me as well. Lyle and now Linda are working on taking care of the situation. If this gets resolved amicablly I will be a happy camper. Time will tell.

It baffles me why they implimented this in the first place; its not us as consumers that did this deal so I dont see why we were punished if we have a "vin h" tuner. IT seems kind of random that some have the VIN H and some dont.
 
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