Has anyone successfully challenged VW's price increase?

[Bav]

After a wait of almost 20 months (which I may have mentioned once or twice ), my new van has finally landed at the dealers. Unfortunately, what should have been a moment of unbridled celebration was tempered by the dealer asking for £2.3k more than the price we agreed when I ordered.

The dealer assures me that this increase has been applied by VWCV, not by the dealership, and he has provided me with contact details for VWCV's customer care department so I can discuss the subject with them. He didn't, however, hold out much hope that they would agree to reduce or remove the increase.

So, my question is: has anyone who was initially charged more than the order price, subsequently got that increase either removed or reduced? (and, if so, how did you achieve this?)

I know from the T6.1 new order delays thread that not all orders that have suffered long delays have had a price increase imposed, so if anyone could share any insight they have as to why they weren't charged more, that would be useful too.

TIA

 

[MK2Golf24v]

The dealer buys the van from VW. Your signed order form will have a clause in it that allows them to increase the price if their supplier, (VW) increase the price to them - which sounds like the situation.

It will be in the T&C's.

You will also likely have the right to cancel the contract if they increase the price and you are not happy.

Those who have not had any price increases apllied, have likely had dealers who were willing to soak up the price to keep the customer happy.

 

[Dellmassive]

hmmmm. . . . . .

well i suppose you can only ask right.?

seeing as when you placed the order with VWCV you signed a contract with them and would of had to pay a deposit to lock in the deal,

what does the small print on your order form say?

im assuming they will have a clause that says they can do what they want - including change the agreed price?


++++++++++


it will be interesting to see what they offer you as compensation for the price increase? - though i doubt VWCV will offer you anything.

you might have more luck with your dealer, depending on how hard you bartered with them at the initial order. . . . you might be able to push for a free xyz.

over the years I've all these offered as free offers / discounts / dealer offered perks.


ply lining,
monster mats,
tank of fuel,
bumper protector,
seat covers,
keyring,
mug and placemat,
valet,
included service,


+++++++++++++++++


but if you done your bartering well enough, then there will be nothing left on the bone for the dealer to offer you now . . . .


in that case, pat yourself on a bartering job well done, knowing you got the best price possible.

then just suck it up and pay the base price increase. - but push for some perks that the dealer can offer you.







.

 

[Salty Spuds]

After a wait of almost 20 months (which I may have mentioned once or twice ), my new van has finally landed at the dealers. Unfortunately, what should have been a moment of unbridled celebration was tempered by the dealer asking for £2.3k more than the price we agreed when I ordered.

The dealer assures me that this increase has been applied by VWCV, not by the dealership, and he has provided me with contact details for VWCV's customer care department so I can discuss the subject with them. He didn't, however, hold out much hope that they would agree to reduce or remove the increase.

So, my question is: has anyone who was initially charged more than the order price, subsequently got that increase either removed or reduced? (and, if so, how did you achieve this?)

I know from the T6.1 new order delays thread that not all orders that have suffered long delays have had a price increase imposed, so if anyone could share any insight they have as to why they weren't charged more, that would be useful too.

TIA

Did you get any discounts when you originally placed the order?

 

[Bav]

It will be in the T&C's.

This is the thing though - I've read and re-read all the order documentation the dealer has ever sent me and I can't see anywhere where it says they have the right to increase the price from that agreed when ordered. In fact, I can't even find anything that looks remotely like a list of Ts & Cs - which brings into question whether the dealer ever supplied them (and therefore if they are even enforceable).

You will also likely have the right to cancel the contract if they increase the price and you are not happy.

Agreed, though having paid a significant, non-refundable deposit to my converter, that isn't really an option.

Those who have not had any price increases apllied, have likely had dealers who were willing to soak up the price to keep the customer happy.

Interesting point.

 

[Bav]

well i suppose you can only ask right.?

Absolutely.

what does the small print on your order form say?

Can't find any?!

but if you done your bartering well enough, then there will be nothing left on the bone for the dealer to offer you now . . . .

Did you get any discounts when you originally placed the order?

I ordered through Autoebid, so (in theory at least) I got the largest discount that their dealers were willing to offer. I got a £5.2k discount on a £38.7k van (figures are ex VAT).

 

[Ricardo T]

I was told by my dealer once I had a confirmed build week that I would have to bear the brunt of a price increase but he didn't say how much and that he had no control over it. I vented my disappointment and a few days later he mailed back saying, "Ignore what I said about price protection on your order. Your order was selected by us for price protection". So make of that what you will but I came out with my original deal and prices. I got a £6474 discount on a 45K van through a main dealer.
Good luck @Bav !!

 

[MK2Golf24v]

You must have signed an order form, either in person / digitally, detailing the price/discounts/deposits/options/trade ins, and all the other stuff. and attached to that are the terms you agreed to.

 

[Paynewright]

This is beginning to sound like a scam - give customer a big discount to get the sale then claim it back via a price rise!

 

[Salty Spuds]

Absolutely.


Can't find any?!



I ordered through Autoebid, so (in theory at least) I got the largest discount that their dealers were willing to offer. I got a £5.2k discount on a £38.7k van (figures are ex VAT).

It's no consolation & I'm not defending VW in anyway shape or form. BUT, you got a hefty discount up front.
1, You could take the pragmatic approach & think that even after stumping up the extra £2.3K, you're still sitting on close to a £3k discount.
2, You could fight your corner and have all the associated stress.
3, You could talk to the dealer & try & meet him half way, ask for some goodies, Bike rack, extended warranty, service plan etc.
4, Walk away, probably not going to happen, but it's an option.
As a fellow Yorkshireman with deep pockets & short arms, I'd be spitting feathers, but as I get older, I realise that this is how the world works & trying to fight it just leads to stress & sleepless nights.

 

[Bav]

Okay, so I've now found the email with the Ts & Cs (was mis-filed in my folder structure ) and, yes, they have the right to vary the price - see 7.a.ii, below.

​

However, I do take issue with the timing of the "notice of the increase to the Purchaser". The dealer has referenced the December 2021 price rise, yet only now, at the point of delivery (some 13 months after that price increase came into effect) have I received confirmation of the increase and of the size of the increase. Had I known this sooner, I could have avoided committing to a substantial, non-refundable deposit to the converter - in essence, my argument is that their delay in telling me has trapped me within the contract.

Whilst this may not hold water legally, anyone think that's a valid line of argument to take with the dealer, or am I just grasping at straws?

 

[Bav]

I was told by my dealer once I had a confirmed build week that I would have to bear the brunt of a price increase but he didn't say how much and that he had no control over it. I vented my disappointment and a few days later he mailed back saying, "Ignore what I said about price protection on your order. Your order was selected by us for price protection". So make of that what you will but I came out with my original deal and prices. I got a £6474 discount on a 45K van through a main dealer.
Good luck @Bav !!

Thanks @Ricardo T - any idea if your dealer made representations to VW, or whether they sucked-up the increase themselves?

 

[Bav]

This is beginning to sound like a scam - give customer a big discount to get the sale then claim it back via a price rise!

Well, whether by accident or design, that's what happened.

 

[Bav]

It's no consolation & I'm not defending VW in anyway shape or form. BUT, you got a hefty discount up front.
1, You could take the pragmatic approach & think that even after stumping up the extra £2.3K, you're still sitting on close to a £3k discount.
2, You could fight your corner and have all the associated stress.
3, You could talk to the dealer & try & meet him half way, ask for some goodies, Bike rack, extended warranty, service plan etc.
4, Walk away, probably not going to happen, but it's an option.
As a fellow Yorkshireman with deep pockets & short arms, I'd be spitting feathers, but as I get older, I realise that this is how the world works & trying to fight it just leads to stress & sleepless nights.

Hard to think of anything more stressful than parting with cash unnecessarily!

Seriously though, I'm thinking it's got to be worth asking the question and pushing back at least a little.

 

[drinfinity]

Grasping at straws I’m afraid. Given the dealer has no control over when it arrives, and therefore the increase that would be payable, they are not going to commit to a final price till they have a confirmed delivery date. You could argue that they could have kept you up to date with the possible scale of price rise in the meantime.

It’s not great news, but the dealer is offering a discount by cutting their profit margin, so they have little room (or incentive) to swallow any price rise from the vendor. The vendor is putting the price up in the face of increased costs for all their inputs.

The alternative is the Tesla way, where they heavily discount in China even though they have the increased costs. Great for the customers, but the company share price tanks because nobody believes that business model is sustainable.

On the plus side, you are still getting a van much cheaper than if you put in a new order today from scratch.

 

[drinfinity]

Hard to think of anything more stressful than parting with cash unnecessarily!

Seriously though, I'm thinking it's got to be worth asking the question and pushing back at least a little.

It’s certainly worth a haggle on things the dealer might still have some leeway on - service packs for example would be a good one.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Okay, so I've now found the email with the Ts & Cs (was mis-filed in my folder structure ) and, yes, they have the right to vary the price - see 7.a.ii, below.

View attachment 184191​

However, I do take issue with the timing of the "notice of the increase to the Purchaser". The dealer has referenced the December 2021 price rise, yet only now, at the point of delivery (some 13 months after that price increase came into effect) have I received confirmation of the increase and of the size of the increase. Had I known this sooner, I could have avoided committing to a substantial, non-refundable deposit to the converter - in essence, my argument is that their delay in telling me has trapped me within the contract.

Whilst this may not hold water legally, anyone think that's a valid line of argument to take with the dealer, or am I just grasping at straws?

ii, is a tad ambiguous, it says that "Before the delivery of the goods", in which case, they have complied with the T&Cs as they have told you before the delivery. But if you read the first sentence in it's entirety, should they have notified you WHEN the price rise occurred & given you the option to cancel then? It's semantics & the kind of thing that would probably need a contract solicitor to look at. I would argue that they had a duty to inform you as soon as the price rise had a bearing on the agreement. But I'm not a solicitor.

 

[Bav]

ii, is a tad ambiguous, it says that "Before the delivery of the goods", in which case, they have complied with the T&Cs as they have told you before the delivery. But if you read the first sentence in it's entirety, should they have notified you WHEN the price rise occurred & given you the option to cancel then? It's semantics & the kind of thing that would probably need a contract solicitor to look at. I would argue that they had a duty to inform you as soon as the price rise had a bearing on the agreement. But I'm not a solicitor.

That was my layman's take also. I'm thinking that I don't really need the argument to hold water legally, as I have no intention of going down the legal route - I just want to use it as moral leverage with the dealer.

TBH, the argument is completely specious as, even if I'd have known, I wouldn't have cancelled - but that's for me to know and for them to ponder.

 

[MK2Golf24v]

ii, is a tad ambiguous, it says that "Before the delivery of the goods", in which case, they have complied with the T&Cs as they have told you before the delivery. But if you read the first sentence in it's entirety, should they have notified you WHEN the price rise occurred & given you the option to cancel then? It's semantics & the kind of thing that would probably need a contract solicitor to look at. I would argue that they had a duty to inform you as soon as the price rise had a bearing on the agreement. But I'm not a solicitor.

Nah, that’s a completely incorrect interpretation.

They advised you of the increase before delivery (and delivery would require full payment in this case)

You have been given 21days to accept or walk away.


IMO you’ve left it far too late. Price increases have been talked about for months. You could have had all these discussions up front.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Nah, that’s a completely incorrect interpretation.

They advised you of the increase before delivery (and delivery would require full payment in this case)

You have been given 21days to accept or walk away.


IMO you’ve left it far too late. Price increases have been talked about for months. You could have had all these discussions up front.

I agree that price increases “have been talked about” but that’s only chit chat in the public domain. Should the dealer have been in touch with the buyer as soon as the increase was announced & given the buyer the option to cancel then, instead of waiting 12 months?