[blackwasp]

Skoda India and its dealer JMD Auto have been ordered by the Thane District Commission to pay a Dahanu resident Rs. 6,10,078 along with 9% interest and Rs. 10,000 towards the cost of the complaint.

Dhanesh Mothe had approached the commission after he purchased the car in 2014. The complaint said that Mr. Mothe encountered problems like brake failure and malfunctioning suspension & power window.

The commission observed that the carmaker failed in eliminating the defects in the vehicle and providing a fault-free vehicle as per warranty. In response, the company stated that the vehicle was driven for over 60,000 km, hence it was not possible to offer a full replacement or refund the entire cost of the vehicle. Hence, the commission ordered to pay 75% of the vehicle's cost along with 9% interest.



Link to the Team-BHP News

[Shreyans_Jain]

A welcome judgment, but another indictment of our glacially slow judicial system. 6 years to pass a judgment on a product that has a life of 10 years is wayy too long. Justice delayed is justice denied and it is for the owner to wonder if the compensation is enough for the years of trouble.

[NPV]

While this is a good judgement in favour of the customer, I still believe in the old adage "Justice delayed is justice denied". We simply need to find a way to fast track these consumer complaint cases to closure.

From the few experiences I've read on the forum, I get the impression that car makers like Skoda and others who face such cases are actually happy that the system and processes are slow and they use it to their advantage by delaying the cases further, thereby frustrating the customer even more.

[apocalypse]

The judgement is certainly welcome! Happy to see that these typically-unscrupulous Skoda fellows are within the grasp of the long arm of the law.

I am curious - does the customer need to return the car to the dealer?

Although the vehicles are lovely, their reliability and maintenance is a nightmare, and the dealers don't fail to make a nuisance of themselves. In another horrific incident, a 2nd degree contact of mine was made to write an apology letter to the Skoda service center head because he had the car taken to a private reputed garage for a service.

I've also have multiple friends with Superbs & Octavias with failed DSGs - although it's a lovely transmission to drive.

[R2_d2]

I booked a skoda rapid last month but ended up cancelling the booking and the main reason being some stories like this coming up of skoda every now and then.
Hopefully they are getting better with more direct involvement from Zach Hollis, but didn't want to take the risk on my first car.

[jbpanda]

The sluggish justice delivery system due to overburdened Courts and Tribunals coupled with tardy and cumbersome procedures and incidental associated costs and expenses are usually the biggest deterrent for any litigant from pursuing a dispute resolution. However, in my view the wait and persistence to pursue a genuine case is worth the wait for the final judgment. It sends the right message to unscrupulous defendants from not taking the customer for granted and to some extent sets the right precedent by desisting them from continuing a high handed approach in their dealings. It is likely that Skoda and the dealer may challenge it by way of an appeal before the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.

[andafunda]

As a former Skoda owner, I am so happy these guys are made to pay up. The company and its dealers are absolute thugs - some senior executive on Twitter interacting with people doesn’t make up for the daylight robbery they commit in India.

We have had 4 VAG cars in the family - 2 have been absolute lemons. They have spent more time in the service center waiting for parts than moving people around. On top of it, the service centers have tried to over-charge us for everything, even deny warranty claims at times. I genuinely feel guilty for misguiding my family members.

I am ok to pay a premium for true luxury cars, but certainly not for a glorified trunk maker like Skoda. When I buy a Patek Philippe I expect an expensive upkeep. When I buy a Fossil priced like a Patek Philippe I expect nothing short of the watch being able to make cheeseburgers for me.

[krishnakarthik1]

Originally Posted by NPV

Thereby frustrating the customer even more.

If this was really true, which I totally think it is, this brand and their parent company should not be in business anymore. This is not their cup of tea. Maybe they should get into parts manufacturing or other automobile services but definitely not in the selling business.

This kind of going to war with customers is just plain insanity. I don't think even Skoda knows what it is gaining from this. Maybe their team secretly works for other manufacturers because with great care they send Rapid buyers to Verna, Octavia buyers to Creta and Superb buyers to Innova.

[SideView]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Skoda India and its dealer JMD Auto have been ordered by the Thane District Commission to pay a Dahanu resident Rs. 6,10,078 along with 9% interest and Rs. 10,000 towards the cost of the complaint.

Dhanesh Mothe had approached the commission after he purchased the car in 2014. The complaint said that Mr. Mothe encountered problems like brake failure and malfunctioning suspension & power window.

The commission observed that the carmaker failed in eliminating the defects in the vehicle and providing a fault-free vehicle as per warranty. In response, the company stated that the vehicle was driven for over 60,000 km, hence it was not possible to offer a full replacement or refund the entire cost of the vehicle. Hence, the commission ordered to pay 75% of the vehicle's cost along with 9% interest.

Totally agree with other members here, justice delayed is justice denied.

We should also have a provision where it is not only Skoda that have to pay but courts that just for sake of delaying also have to compensate the victim for the delay.

Also judges be incentivised to speed up the whole process. ( i know its a double edged sword)
The whole judical system is in shambles been understaffed (maybe on purpose) and people are loosing trust and try to settle things off court.

[Sen]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

like brake failure and malfunctioning suspension & power window.

And he drove 60,000 kms with those kind of defects? Surprising and alarming at the same time.

Imagine the kind of class-action lawsuit this would attract anywhere else in the world, and how much negative press this would garner pressurizing the brand to capitulate and settle out of court ASAP.

Righteous justice is so slow, it's not even funny sometimes.

[#ABTorquey]

A very welcome judgement from the court. Skoda truly deserves such a verdict for their attitude towards the customers. Just look at the number of threads here on the forum. It's surely the most number of complaints registered here. Hope they learn something from this and change their attitude towards the market and the customers.

But on the other side how much time and effort would have gone behind this by the customer. How many others who couldn't go behind this have lost their money.

[jamminbobin]

Originally Posted by apocalypse

In another horrific incident, a 2nd degree contact of mine was made to write an apology letter to the Skoda service center head because he had the car taken to a private reputed garage for a service.

How does that work? Why should he have to apologize for taking his car to any garage he wants?

[Cessna182]

Hopefully Skoda will not challenge this in some other court.
It costs less to provide good service to an owner than to counter such negative publicity. Yet, some companies persist in this hobby of cheating customers. Sadly, as long as customers in India perceive Skoda as a premium brand, such cheating tactics will continue. Coming to think of it, how many Skoda cars are NCAP rated? How many owners even keep their Skodas for over 5 years? Yet, they can continue to sell their 10+ year old vehicles at a premium. Even Fiat was better than them.

[shankha007]

Even though it is great to see Mr. Zac Hollis getting involved in customer complaints personally, it also shows the inefficiency of the employees lower down. The accountability, or the lack of it, is the reason for this reluctant attitude. And well, it is not just the employees, every organisation requires a solid framework of values and processes to keep their customers happy. And this is where the Japanese manufacturers edge ahead. I am seriously considering my decision to buy the Polo / Vento / Rapid next year.

I have had a bitter experience of owning the KTM Duke 200 for four years already, after having owned the flawless Yamaha R15 V2. Do not want the same trauma to repeat with a VAG car.

[Nithesh_M]

As much as I enjoyed my Rapid Tsi test drive I would not put my money in Skoda hands. Its like investing in the stock market without analyzing the risks and the chances of losing money is greater than making some.