We’ve been made aware that Volkswagen, via their instructed solicitors dealing with the ongoing Volkswagen Emission Scandal (“dieselgate”), is refusing to cover dealers who may be losing millions as a result of the scandal.
It’s easy to see that the dealers could lose a fortune from unsold vehicles and being forced to lower prices as a result of any impact caused by the emissions scandal. It only seems fair that dealers – whether they’re general or independent dealers, or dealers who specifically only sell Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, and Skoda vehicles – be compensated for their costs and losses.
Sadly, they’re in the same boat as the rest here in the UK, as it appears that Volkswagen UK are intent on not only refusing compensation to vehicle owners, but also to dealerships across the country too.
Volkswagen and their ongoing refusal to pay compensation
Lawyers acting for Volkswagen say they will “robustly” defend claims made against them, and this reportedly includes compensation for dealers who have been hit financially by the scandal.
At the end of the day, it’s not the dealers’ fault that they’ve been dragged in to this scandal! Unless they knew they were selling vehicles fitted with the software at the centre of this scandal, they’re as innocent as the vehicle owners are!
We’ve received thousands of enquiries, and our phones have been ringing ‘off the hook’ as our busy team continue to take on new claims every single day. We know the impact this has had on owners, and we are able to help dealers making claims who have been hit financially as a result of the scandal.
VW dealers abandoned?
It’s bad enough that the owners are being refused compensation. Now, it appears Volkswagen will abandon the dealers who have been selling their vehicles on a basis of trust that the vehicles had nothing to hide; which is just as bad!
Reports from our own clients have shown the impact on vehicles, as some values have plummeted, and people have genuinely struggled to sell their affected cars. If the dealers are not prepared to buy them, then it’s obvious why – they probably know they’ll have problems selling them on!
Unsold vehicles on forecourts?
Dealers may have forecourts worth of unsold Volkswagen Group vehicles fitted with the so-called “defeat devices”.
Who on earth is going to want to pay full price for a vehicle fitted with software that can be deemed as illegal? Who will want to buy a car that, post-recall, may have serious issues, and may run worse than what it did prior to the fix? Who is going to want to purchase a vehicle knowing its value could be balanced on the edge of a knife as a result of this worldwide scandal?
Who is going to want to buy a vehicle that is emitting way more toxic pollutants that have been responsible for thousands of deaths for several years?
I certainly wouldn’t want to buy one! And a lot of clients have shared this view and told us they will never buy another Volkswagen Group vehicle ever again. In fact, I myself had been planning to get a new vehicle later this year, and for a long time now I have been wanting to buy an Audi A6! But I’ve genuinely been put off the idea as a result of the scandal. I’m not happy with the idea that I may lose so much value if I were to go ahead with getting one, and ‘’m not at all confident I will be driving something that isn’t damaging the environment and the public’s health.
So, I’m back to square one in terms of getting a new vehicle!
So – No deal for dealers!
With no deal for dealerships on the table, we’re happy to extend our legal hand – and offer any dealership who has lost out as a result of the scandal – advice and representation, where appropriate, for compensation.
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