Dieselgate is growing larger, and Volkswagen is getting desperate to save its reputation. Rumors are swirling internationally that the company is going to roll out incentive programs as a stopgap for repairs, and America is one of the first places to receive these incentives.
Volkswagen Offers Cash And Dealer Credit
Sources are claiming that Volkswagen of America, VW’s North American branch, is offering $500 cash and $500 dealer credit to anyone who bought a 1.6/2.0 TDI diesel car. To claim the incentives, people must log onto the website using their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and register their mileage and contact information before showing up to a local dealer to claim their rewards. However, VW might be pulling another fast one on customers.
Are Volkswagen Incentives Just A Trick?
Hidden in the paperwork for the incentives is a clause called the “Goodwill Package Cardholder Agreements,” which limits arbitration to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Filing such a suit could prove impossibly inconvenient for most VW owners, and could limit who is actually able to sue the company for the harm caused by its defeat device software. Volkswagen claims that the offer does not take away their consumers’ right to sue, but experts believe the clause causing the problems is too expansive to guarantee that.
In the meantime, VW is developing a solution for the emission problems, and though many believe they have a fix for the European market, the U.S. might still have a long wait before we see any solution. For more information, check out Colson Hicks Eidson’s case against VW, and keep following our blog for the latest news.