Tuesday, September 28, 2021
New trouble in diesel scam
EU urges VW to compensate all customers
In Germany, customers affected by the VW diesel scam can get up to 6250 euros. On the other hand, in many other European countries VW drivers leave empty handed. Consumer protection authorities in EU countries are now putting pressure on carmakers.
Volkswagen is coming under pressure due to inconsistent handling of compensation claims in the diesel scandal. According to a statement published by the Network for Cooperation in Consumer Protection (CPC), VW has decided to draw comparisons, welcome, with the large majority of German consumers, in which the responsible authorities of EU countries are organized. At the same time, VW is asked to contact consumers in all member states “who are still seeking compensation to find an appropriate solution and to close this chapter”. In this way, further years of legal dispute can be avoided.
Alternatively, VW may approach CPC officials with similar goals. “It is a question of trust,” said EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. He noted a comparison in Germany, in which consumer advocates and VW agreed to pay customers between 1350 and 6250, depending on the age and type of vehicle. In the Netherlands and Italy, courts awarded consumers around 3,000 euros, Reynders said. VW must now send a clear signal to customers in other countries that they will be compensated in the same way.
The EU Commission has tried to reach out to VW several times in this regard, but did not get a positive response. The EU Commission also published a related letter from the reinser to VW boss Herbert Diess.
The comparison in Germany, which consumer advocates and the Wolfsburg-based company agreed on in 2020, was accepted by about 245,000 customers. Soon after the settlement, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that VW had systematically defrauded its customers: if they had known that diesel cars with a certain engine would emit far more pollutants than could be measured on a test bench. If so, they might have opted for one. separate vehicle. Therefore the group is obliged to pay damages in Germany.
