Emissions scandal UK compensation - Anybody joined the lawsuit?

[Redgie]

So obviously by now we're all aware of the VW emissions scandal and its effect on all VAG cars (including Seat). Like many of you I've had my letter(s) through asking me to bring the Leon in for the fix to be applied, and like many of you I've ignored it for fear of them doing anything that might negatively effect performance / reliability, not to mention in a bid to avoid the inconvenience of taking it in / having it collected.

Personally however, I'm most annoyed at the lack of any form of compensation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not after a £5k payoff for no reason, but it seems to me that the least they could have done is to offer a free service when taking in an affected car to get it fixed? I'm certain that the value of the car has depreciated due to all this mess, and yet for some reason it's me that's expected to stomach that loss. In the US however, there's a comprehensive "compensate and fix" or buyback policy, putting money back in the pockets of deceived owners no matter which route they take, and potentially helping them get a better, newer car.

Whilst looking around, I found out about the law firm Harcus Sinclair and its ongoing lawsuit against VW (http://www.vwemissionsaction.com/). It promises compensation to all affected owners (if the suit wins) in exchange for signing up as one of the affected parties. Not being a legal person, I'm assuming (with minimal certainty) that you then give up your right to claim in any other way (though it doesn't look like anybody else is doing anything similar anyway).

Just wondering if anybody has signed up to the suit? I don't feel like I'm owed the £2-3,000 being touted by some websites, but I certainly feel like Seat / VW should have offered something better than "tea and coffee while you wait for the fix to be applied"?

 

[kazand]

So obviously by now we're all aware of the VW emissions scandal and its effect on all VAG cars (including Seat). Like many of you I've had my letter(s) through asking me to bring the Leon in for the fix to be applied, and like many of you I've ignored it for fear of them doing anything that might negatively effect performance / reliability, not to mention in a bid to avoid the inconvenience of taking it in / having it collected.

Personally however, I'm most annoyed at the lack of any form of compensation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not after a £5k payoff for no reason, but it seems to me that the least they could have done is to offer a free service when taking in an affected car to get it fixed? I'm certain that the value of the car has depreciated due to all this mess, and yet for some reason it's me that's expected to stomach that loss. In the US however, there's a comprehensive "compensate and fix" or buyback policy, putting money back in the pockets of deceived owners no matter which route they take, and potentially helping them get a better, newer car.

Whilst looking around, I found out about the law firm Harcus Sinclair and its ongoing lawsuit against VW (http://www.vwemissionsaction.com/). It promises compensation to all affected owners (if the suit wins) in exchange for signing up as one of the affected parties. Not being a legal person, I'm assuming (with minimal certainty) that you then give up your right to claim in any other way (though it doesn't look like anybody else is doing anything similar anyway).

Just wondering if anybody has signed up to the suit? I don't feel like I'm owed the £2-3,000 being touted by some websites, but I certainly feel like Seat / VW should have offered something better than "tea and coffee while you wait for the fix to be applied"?

What? They don't offer you biscuits? Disgusting. Write to your MP. I would.If I could write big words.

 

[GhulamAfzal11]

What? They don't offer you biscuits? Disgusting. Write to your MP. I would.If I could write big words.

Hahaha I love this comment

But in all seriousness if I was you I'd write a letter in complaint, use this to your advantage using the 'customer is always right rule' because in this instance it is true. They should have the decency to give you a free service or a small compensation because they're at fault here and not you. If not you could join the lawsuit but it could get ugly unless you know what you are doing as I am sure you are well aware I don't think they're going to stop unless they win this suit.

 

[CRNeo]

I can't join because I got my car just after the cut off date

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[richicupra]

Money grabbing, and the only people that win are the lawyers.

 

[Daniel M]

Do you think they'll payout if I don't have a DPF anymore

 

[paulc111]

I have joined the action by Leigh Day. It is a conditional fee arrangement, so they don't charge if lost but will take a % of any win.
I don't see it as directly "money-grabbing" for the following reasons:
1. I wouldn't have bought the thing (Leon Mk2) if I'd known
2. Inevitably resale values will be affected, whatever they say now
3. In the US they are compensating *and* buying back

I got to the dealer at the specified time for my fix to be applied only for the useless twats to have another 2 to do first, they quoted a 3.5 hour wait and were surprised when I walked out instead...

 

[m0rk]

Do you still have to own the car?

I bought mine in 2011, and sold in 2013.....

 

[The_Saint]

Am I right in thinking that the only purpose of this update is to remove the part of the software that detects that the American test protocol is being performed? What possible relevance does this have to any owner?
I am put out that recent evidence suggests that even if you care about the air we all breathe and don't remove the DPF, Diesels are considerably more polluting than petrol but I don't think I am due any compensation for that.

 

[kazand]

I have joined the action by Leigh Day. It is a conditional fee arrangement, so they don't charge if lost but will take a % of any win.
I don't see it as directly "money-grabbing" for the following reasons:
1. I wouldn't have bought the thing (Leon Mk2) if I'd known
2. Inevitably resale values will be affected, whatever they say now
3. In the US they are compensating *and* buying back

I got to the dealer at the specified time for my fix to be applied only for the useless twats to have another 2 to do first, they quoted a 3.5 hour wait and were surprised when I walked out instead...

Why wouldn't you have bought it?

 

[paulc111]

Why wouldn't you have bought it?

I've read several reports of EGR valves failing shortly after the fix being applied on the 1.6. Discussions I've followed suggest that there is likely to be an effect on resale values of the affected models too.

For clarity, the fix does not just remove the software the defeats the US test, it is designed to bring NOx emissions during everyday use within the Euro5 limits that were bypassed (or at least, the non-realistic lab test Euro5 limits).

There's something of an update from the BBC about how European regulators are viewing this, though I can't post links yet...

TLR - they aren't happy.

 

[kazand]

I've read several reports of EGR valves failing shortly after the fix being applied on the 1.6. Discussions I've followed suggest that there is likely to be an effect on resale values of the affected models too.

For clarity, the fix does not just remove the software the defeats the US test, it is designed to bring NOx emissions during everyday use within the Euro5 limits that were bypassed (or at least, the non-realistic lab test Euro5 limits).

There's something of an update from the BBC about how European regulators are viewing this, though I can't post links yet...

TLR - they aren't happy.

It has been said for a while with commercial diesels ( buses, trucks etc) getting the emissions down meant fuel consumption going up. Looks like the same with cars now, going on some of the reports from people that have had the recall work done.
Don't forget with the governments current stance on diesels the emissions may not be all you have to worry about...

 

[Asce]

I'm kinda glad that I've jumped ship back to petrol. Granted it will be at least 5-10 years before the stance has any real impact.

 

[paulc111]

Yeah, boy did I make the wrong choice with diesel. Look forward to higher pump prices, being banned from town centres, higher parking charges and all the rest over the next few years.
Re fuel consumption - it makes sense to me that if VW are altering the combustion profile of the engine to reduce NOx emissions then that is going to effect something else. No such thing as a free lunch! TBH fuel consumption is generally rubbish on the 1.6 anyway - certainly nowhere near the claimed figures.

 

[The_Saint]

For clarity, the fix does not just remove the software the defeats the US test, it is designed to bring NOx emissions during everyday use within the Euro5 limits that were bypassed (or at least, the non-realistic lab test Euro5 limits).

If the software change makes the car less polluting I am going to have a hard time justifying to myself not having it done - not because of any eco-warrier persuasions but the simple fact that I breathe air just the same as everyone else.