Bought a 'diagnostic' tablet from a trade show that was just a locked-down Android phone

Spent $300 on it about two years ago at a show in Atlanta. The guy selling it swore it had special software to talk to any fridge or washer made after 2010. Got it back to the shop, and it was just a cheap phone with a locked screen and one app that never updated. Couldn't even check a simple error code on a basic GE dishwasher. Ended up back using my old laptop and a USB adapter the next day. Anyone else get burned by a fancy gadget that was basically useless?

4 comments

4 Comments

hayden_king1mo ago

That Atlanta show had a few booths pushing similar junk. They rely on the trade show hype to move overpriced hardware. It's a classic scam in our field.

corastone1mo ago

Yeah, it's a real pattern at those events. They bank on the high energy and FOMO to get you to buy on the spot before you can check reviews. Seen too many people stuck with gear that's obsolete in a year.

olivercraig1mo ago

Ever try to factory reset that thing?

paige16623d ago

Remember buying a "universal" diagnostic dongle from a guy in a hotel lobby. He said it could read every European car code. Plugged it into a 2012 VW and it just blinked a red light, no data at all. Cracked it open later and found a generic Bluetooth board and a single LED wired to a battery.