[k_ajay]

After having read the initial post and some other comments, it IS apparent that this thread doesn't bring anything substantial in terms of value to the reader, other than a whole lot of assumptions and hypothetical beliefs.

And well said, Condor. If it takes 82 other members to explain what they liked or thought was useful, then the opening & other posts do not offer direct sense or value to someone reading, to understand easily. And I don't have any reasons to dish out personal attacks here (least on a forum).

[D'Artagnan]

I had been to VW service center to change my H4 bulbs to Philips X-treme Vision for my Vento. The service advisor opened a job card for the same and charged me Rs 280/- for changing the bulbs!. For a two minute job Rs 280/- shocked I cursed myself for not doing it on my own, next shocker on the bill there was a statement written "CUSTOMER HAS REPLACED NON GENUINE BULBS". When I asked him what is the statement meant to convey, he said "Sir, your warranty is no longer applicable as you've changed the bulbs with non genuine bulbs". I argued that the wattage is the same hence it should not matter but he just went on to say VW has great cars with great electronics and replacing them with non genuine parts will void the warranty. I argued but it was of no avail, lastly unable to bear his statements of warranty I asked him to give it to me in writing that the warranty is void because I am using Philips X-Treme Vision bulbs and I will post it to the respective heads of VW and ask their thoughts on this matter, this is when he started hesitating and started giving excuses, I was in no mood to let this matter go lightly as I was infuriated with his previous statement of voiding the warranty. I insisted on the paper or produce a new bill without this statement, he finally ceded to giving me a bill without the statement, I walked out furious never to come back.

To me this sounds like the people at the service center are just waiting for an excuse to nullify the warranty contract.

I also saw a Jetta and a Passat coming to the service station via the infamous towing vehicle, remembered reading bhpian Ajmat's experience with VW when his Jetta went wrong, as soon as I left the service center I went to VW Palace cross cancelled my Jetta CL booking and made a promise to self "VW cars, never ever!"

Their attitude of holier than thou is appalling and outright ridiculous. Being an owner of Corolla, Innova and Fortuner(I love the T badge ) never did I face such in the face dont care attitude. Heck even when the service personnel scratched my car they promptly repaired it and gave it back. My Fortuner has done 75k kms it has gone through various services but no major repairs same goes for the Corolla and Innova.

New prospective owners of VW good luck, hope you dont get a lemon car and hope your experience with the car is good.

I only mention VW because that's the only company from the German side I've experienced.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

I had been to VW service center to change my H4 bulbs to Philips X-treme Vision for my Vento. The service advisor opened a job card for the same and charged me Rs 280/- for changing the bulbs!. For a two minute job Rs 280/- shocked I cursed myself for not doing it on my own, next shocker on the bill there was a statement written "CUSTOMER HAS REPLACED NON GENUINE BULBS". When I asked him what is the statement meant to convey, he said "Sir, your warranty is no longer applicable as you've changed the bulbs with non genuine bulbs". I argued that the wattage is the same hence it should not matter but he just went on to say VW has great cars with great electronics and replacing them with non genuine parts will void the warranty. I argued but it was of no avail, lastly unable to bear his statements of warranty I asked him to give it to me in writing that the warranty is void because I am using Philips X-Treme Vision bulbs and I will post it to the respective heads of VW and ask their thoughts on this matter, this is when he started hesitating and started giving excuses, I was in no mood to let this matter go lightly as I was infuriated with his previous statement of voiding the warranty. I insisted on the paper or produce a new bill without this statement, he finally ceded to giving me a bill without the statement, I walked out furious never to come back.

To me this sounds like the people at the service center are just waiting for an excuse to nullify the warranty contract.

I also saw a Jetta and a Passat coming to the service station via the infamous towing vehicle, remembered reading bhpian Ajmat's experience with VW when his Jetta went wrong, as soon as I left the service center I went to VW Palace cross cancelled my Jetta CL booking and made a promise to self "VW cars, never ever!"

Their attitude of holier than thou is appalling and outright ridiculous. Being an owner of Corolla, Innova and Fortuner(I love the T badge ) never did I face such in the face dont care attitude. Heck even when the service personnel scratched my car they promptly repaired it and gave it back. My Fortuner has done 75k kms it has gone through various services but no major repairs same goes for the Corolla and Innova.

New prospective owners of VW good luck, hope you dont get a lemon car and hope your experience with the car is good.

I only mention VW because that's the only company from the German side I've experienced.

You own 3 Toyota cars and a Vento and found Rs.280 to be too much? I am surprised. Coming to 280 being too much, I think it is reasonable. Even a small roadside garage would charge you 50 to 100. The task may be small but if it is a car dealership, they have minimum rates.

You said you wanted to change bulb yourself and save 280. Really? Such DIY guys are rare in India. I have generally seen that people in India are too lazy to even change a flat tyre themselves. They would rather walk or hitchhike miles to get help than do it themselves.

[D'Artagnan]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

You own 3 Toyota cars and a Vento and found Rs.280 to be too much? I am surprised. Coming to 280 being too much, I think it is reasonable. Even a small roadside garage would charge you 50 to 100. The task may be small but if it is a car dealership, they have minimum rates. You said you wanted to change bulb yourself and save 280.

It's not about 280 rs being too much, it's about what services was rendered to me for the money I would have got this done for free at Toyota. Some may find it okay to spend 280 rs, some may not. I wanted to change the bulbs myself but I couldn't do it as I was unable to remove the headlamp assembly properly. Coming to having three Toyota cars, I'm no miser nor am I a spendthrift I just want value for services rendered. If I met you in a social gathering I would buy you coffee without any qualms, now that's money well spent.

[honeybee]

Well, the thread did seem interesting initially on the hypothesis that the German manufacturers were seemingly not interestd in providing quality service because their products were not reliable beacause they used the latest technology and one of the reasons could also be that it is dofficult in India to train a large workforce in dealing with such complex designs.

That's about it. Once you are past the initial few pages the thread has transformed into a slugfest.

[lurker]

Is Skoda/VW dumping OEM spares that have not passed QC in Europe to countries like India instead of doing away with them altogether. Or even doubts arise that the engines and attendent sensors themselves have not satisfied QC checks and instead of being dismantled and sent back to vendors, they pass these on to turd world countries to 'watch the fun'. The reason I write this is because unlike Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Maruti & even Hyundai and Fiat these days who are blessed with 'innate integerity' (God bless them), it seems the VW group behaves like a virus (in absence of other appropriate words) and once it enters a country, they try to leech off the goodwill and good name of other manufacturers to carry off their scam. Because this is at many levels. Right from their assembling cars which are to be sold in India, to providing critical spares to keep these machines running, to promoting unethical dealer practices through omission and commission and then subsequently showing the thumb to the customer if he ceases to keep his wallet open. This seem like an elaborate scam from some newly empowered east european mafia and not a supposedly 'world-renowned' manufacturer who is bound by integrity and fairplay.

As a contrast, these two companies sell much better products in Europe, maintain much better service and technical staff and have much more leeway in what is categorized under goodwill warranty and are genuinely afraid of the strict laws in various countries to try any of their hokery pokery scams that they do not think twice before launching it here.

Where we Indians lose out big time is that the govt which is as such embroiled in various scams does not have the will power to take these guys to task.

[benbsb29]

Moderator Note :

Since we have put across our points and with the discussion beginning to get personal, and in the absence of absolute statistics to prove this beyond doubt, this thread has reached the end of its discussion.

This thread is hereby closed.