What is a grey import?
A grey import is genuine equipment sold outside the territory or channel the manufacturer intended for it. It is not the same as a fake. The hardware can be exactly what it says on the box.
The catch with diagnostic tools is not the hardware. It is the software, and what happens to it after you buy.
Why territory matters for LAUNCH tools
LAUNCH restricts software updates by sales territory. A tool is intended for a particular territory, and a unit bought outside that territory may never receive updates.
On the day you buy it, a grey-import unit can look identical to a local one and cost less. The difference shows up months later, when the tool can’t update and the vehicles coming into your workshop keep changing.
What updates actually do for your workshop
A diagnostic tool is only as good as its coverage. Every model year brings new vehicles, new systems and new variants of old ones. Updates are how a tool keeps up.
Without updates, coverage stays frozen at the day the software stopped. The tool still works on what it already knew, but each new vehicle that arrives is a little more likely to be one it can’t fully diagnose. That is how a cheap tool slowly becomes an expensive paperweight.
The two units side by side
| Unit sold for its territory | Grey-import unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Software updates | Receives updates for its territory | May never receive updates |
| Coverage over time | Keeps up as vehicles change | Falls behind as new vehicles arrive |
| Renewals after the free period | Roughly US$350 a year (12V) or US$499 a year (truck and diesel) | Depends on whether the unit can update at all |
| Value over time | Holds its usefulness | Declines as coverage ages |
Five questions to ask any seller
Whoever you buy from, these questions protect you:
- Which sales territory is this unit intended for?
- How will it receive updates, and how long is the free update period?
- What will renewals cost after the free period?
- Who do I call when it won’t connect or update?
- Can I see or test the tool before I pay?
A seller who can answer all five clearly is a seller who expects to support the tool after the sale.
Plan for renewals from day one
Updates are an ongoing cost, not a one-off. After the free update period, renewals run at roughly US$350 a year for 12V car software and US$499 a year for truck and diesel software.
How we approach it
We are LAUNCH specialists with a showroom in Midrand, not a general catalogue. We would rather explain updates and renewals before you buy than after. You can test the tools in person, and our technicians answer the phone and WhatsApp before and after the sale.
Already own a LAUNCH tool and not sure where it stands? Send us the model and serial number and we’ll check its update status with you. More detail is on our software updates and warranty page.
Choosing a new tool? Start with our buyer’s guide to the LAUNCH range.
Questions we get asked
Are grey-import diagnostic scanners fake?
Not necessarily. The hardware can be genuine. The problem is the sales territory: LAUNCH restricts software updates by territory, so a unit sold outside its intended territory may never receive updates.
Will a grey-import LAUNCH tool still work?
It works with the software it already has, but it may never receive updates, so its coverage falls behind as new vehicles and systems arrive.
How much do LAUNCH software updates cost after the free period?
Roughly US$350 a year for 12V car software and US$499 a year for truck and diesel software.
Can you check a LAUNCH tool I already own?
Yes. Send Launch Dealer SA the model and serial number on WhatsApp and we will check its update status with you.
