VW scandal: UK boss says owners won’t get compensation

1.2M UK motorists who own a vehicle affected by the emissions-cheating device will not receive compensation

VW scandal: UK boss says owners won’t get compensation
VW's UK boss has confirmed that compensation will not be offered to UK customers affected by the emissions scandal.

Volkswagen has promised to ‘regain the trust’ of UK customers but said it will not pay any compensation to affected UK owners, despite offering more than 480,000 US customers a pay-out.

VW’s UK chief executive, Paul Willis said the money is better spent on recalling and fixing car fitted with the device.

In a statement published last week, Willis said: “Rather than offering a separate financial payment as a goodwill gesture at this stage, we think that, with the fix just around the corner, the sums available for such a goodwill payment should be spent on maximising the uptake of the technical measures among customers, and ensuring it is done with as little inconveniences to them as possible.”

Broken promises

The news will come as a disappointment to UK owners who had previously been told that they would receive compensation.

In December, VW’s chief executive, Matthias Mueller said: “There will be an attractive package, let’s call it compensation, for the reduction in value of cars.”

He later confirmed that this applied to UK owners but it now appears that this will not be honoured.

Jim Holder, editor of What Car? magazine, said that VW has breached the trust of its customers.

“Unless the company backs its verbal apologies with material evidence of its sorrow then I think it is making its battle to re-earn credibility among fair-minded car buyers significantly tougher,” he explained.

The scandal-ridden company has said that the plans for recalls and fixes are currently being finalised.

10 Comments

  1. There’s no need for compensation, nobody was physical harmed, no one actually new about it, customers who bought the car didn’t buy it because it was based on the environment, it’s a Diesel, dirty polluting vehicle. If it was a Tesla, Toyota/ Lexus, Honda Hybids then I could understand the issue.
    Buying a diesel is based on frugality of the fuels efficiency, the vehicle performed to owners expectations, the issue was falsifying emissions to the EPA (USA) and Euro 5 emissions, public are not affected, as long as the vehicles are recalled, adjusted correctly to regulations at the cost and tine of the company, even if they gave to collect the vehicles off customers directly.

    Reply
    • Some people do buy diesel based on emissions. Daft to say “customers who bought the car didn’t buy it because it was based on the environment” Silly statement. Customers need to know what tax band the car is in. So i’m sure more and more people do look at this.
      The compensation side is a different matter, as long as the cars are not affected by the fix and it’s free to all cars affected. Cant expect much more to be honest.

      Reply
      • Really..? You don’t buy a diesel based on emmisions or the green factor, get real..! If you’re do worried about the green factor, carbon footprint, emmision gases, then you go full electric or even half way with a Hybrid..
        So before you start saying test I’ve dud a stupid statement you better for a little research first.. Diesel is being phased out in non-commercial vehicles, FACT..
        Toyota don’t invest in R&D in Diesel technology, Honda don’t either, and honda lead the world in Hydrogen technology, a Toyota lead it in Battery technology, FACT.
        TOYOTA use BMW Diesel engines in certain vehicles, the same reason HONDA abandon
        2 cycle engine technology because of the same principle and it reached its limit.
        Diesel is counted as heavy oil, look at the Iraq invasion when Mr Hussian set fire to the wells, you think burning oil is easy..? Heavy oil-diesel burned causes hurrendous emmisions…
        Only the arrogance of a fool would truly believe that the green reactor was taken into account when purchasing a diesel vehicle..

        Reply
  2. There’s no need for compensation, nobody was physical harmed, no one actually new about it, customers who bought the car didn’t buy it because it was based on the environment, it’s a Diesel, dirty polluting vehicle. If it was a Tesla, Toyota/ Lexus, Honda Hybids then I could understand the issue.
    Buying a diesel is based on frugality of the fuels efficiency, the vehicle performed to owners expectations, the issue was falsifying emissions to the EPA (USA) and Euro 5 emissions, public are not affected, as long as the vehicles are recalled, adjusted correctly to regulations at the cost and tine of the company, even if they gave to collect the vehicles off customers directly.

    Reply
    • Some people do buy diesel based on emissions. Daft to say “customers who bought the car didn’t buy it because it was based on the environment” Silly statement. Customers need to know what tax band the car is in. So i’m sure more and more people do look at this.
      The compensation side is a different matter, as long as the cars are not affected by the fix and it’s free to all cars affected. Cant expect much more to be honest.

      Reply
      • Really..? You don’t buy a diesel based on emmisions or the green factor, get real..! If you’re do worried about the green factor, carbon footprint, emmision gases, then you go full electric or even half way with a Hybrid..
        So before you start saying test I’ve dud a stupid statement you better for a little research first.. Diesel is being phased out in non-commercial vehicles, FACT..
        Toyota don’t invest in R&D in Diesel technology, Honda don’t either, and honda lead the world in Hydrogen technology, a Toyota lead it in Battery technology, FACT.
        TOYOTA use BMW Diesel engines in certain vehicles, the same reason HONDA abandon
        2 cycle engine technology because of the same principle and it reached its limit.
        Diesel is counted as heavy oil, look at the Iraq invasion when Mr Hussian set fire to the wells, you think burning oil is easy..? Heavy oil-diesel burned causes hurrendous emmisions…
        Only the arrogance of a fool would truly believe that the green reactor was taken into account when purchasing a diesel vehicle..

        Reply
  3. I bought my new Tiguan R-line based on fuel economy to performance ratio.The fuel economy after the recall will drop ! therefore makes this car not fit for my purpose of which I bought it for & also makes the fuel economy out of my already tight budget !!!! Not very happy about this. I would like to give the car back to be honest & not have to loose any money. But this will never happen. I feel I have been robbed.

    Reply
  4. I bought my new Tiguan R-line based on fuel economy to performance ratio.The fuel economy after the recall will drop ! therefore makes this car not fit for my purpose of which I bought it for & also makes the fuel economy out of my already tight budget !!!! Not very happy about this. I would like to give the car back to be honest & not have to loose any money. But this will never happen. I feel I have been robbed.

    Reply
  5. Last week the scandal showed signs of spreading even further as French investigators said they had raided French carmaker Renault’s offices as part of an industry-wide probe following the VW revelations. Renault said that checks had unearthed no evidence that its cars were fitted with devices similar to those used by its German rival.

    Reply
  6. Last week the scandal showed signs of spreading even further as French investigators said they had raided French carmaker Renault’s offices as part of an industry-wide probe following the VW revelations. Renault said that checks had unearthed no evidence that its cars were fitted with devices similar to those used by its German rival.

    Reply

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