[vineetkr]

Hi Everyone, I have been reading your views on this chain for some time & wanted to share some similar experience. I am sharing with you a an incident courtesy of Skoda which has not only left me in great pain & with a lot of suffering due to an unfortunate incident that happened with me on April 4th 2013

To share some background, I am Dr V Kumar; resident of Greater Noida and owner of a Skoda Laura Car (UP 16 AM 5115, Engine # CLC 018815, Chassis # TMBBED1Z9CA151822) bought in January 2013 from Jai Auto, Gurgaon

I started my day as usual in Morning of 4th April & left home for office at the usual time of 5.30AM. I had barely driven 500 meters (outside of the society) when I experienced some weird/foul smell. To investigate I stopped the car on the shoulder & got out. I had reached rear of the car when I saw smoke inside the cabin (coming from the front of the car).
This was followed by a loud bang & I was thrown back which resulted in injuries to me. By the time I got up, the complete car was up in flames. In the interim I had people all across who helped me up & also witnessed this unfortunate incident in which a 22 lakh worth car was lost within minutes. Fire services came in sometime & tried their bit but it was a lost cause.

This experience though left me nearly dead & I am yet to come out of the shock, physical battering & mental trauma. What does not leave me at peace is the thought in case I would not have been so fortunate then what would have happened to my family without me.
Also to wonder what is the standard being displayed by Skoda for products, which they are charging a world for but in return are completely unsafe (as exhibited in this incident).

After the incident, I wrote to the Skoda Company and dealers and submitted the facts. And also expressed how I just survived from the accident. Instead of understanding the panic and pain of the client, they have shown their recklessness on us and their talks have been in a very causal manner. The team from their Aurangabad office/plant visited us on 10th April, 2013 and their attitude towards the incident also was very casual. We are surprised to see them explaining us various procedures to be followed rather working on the ways to correct the wrong which has happened due to a substandard product and did not even find it worth offering the moral support to the client who was just away from the death. I am yet to receive a formal report on the incident from their side. In the interim ICICI Lombard on their own conducted a forensic evaluation to the cause of the incident and their report clearly elaborates the manufacturing fault which has resulted in this life impacting & life changing incident

This incident has left a life changing (in negative sense) impact on me & my entire family. I am now rendered physically disabled for life (Physical Disability Certificate from Medical Board), thus impacting not only myself physically & mentally but also having a direct bearing on my professional career. Due to this incident I suffered a lot & was not able to dedicate to my highly demanding job which resulted in me taking time off (at my cost) besides the everlasting issues like Inability to do work independently (some example of basic activities like typing on laptop, inability to use my hand for any basic activities like carrying laptop, writing sentences etc.)

Even after pursuing Skoda & their Sr Most person based in North (who kept taking me and my family for a ride for over 6 months), I am yet to receive any concrete replies from Skoda. Thus I have now initiated legal procedure against them & am awaiting response to my lawyers notice post which we will be filing criminal as well as civil cases not only against the dealer but also key personnel of Skoda as it is high time they realise they can’t play with people’s lives.

[Pedaltothefloor]

Skoda should have gone above & beyond in Customer Relationship management here. How would any of us have the courage to a buy a Skoda ever in India? I was keen on a Rapid as my next car. I don't have the confidence to buy it anymore.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by vineetkr

Hi Everyone, I have been reading your views on this chain for some time & wanted to share some similar experience. I am sharing with you a an incident courtesy of Skoda which has not only left me in great pain & with a lot of suffering due to an unfortunate incident that happened with me on April 4th 2013

Sir, Your pain and agony with this Skoda/ Dealer has really made me feel sorry and I wish I could have helped you but really sorry since my way of dealing with such people is really different. Take this matter up in print media with help of your lawyer and bash the hell out of this brand. One of our member Mr. Harish has already taken Skoda to task and in no ways this brand should escape unhurt and un-prosecuted.

Sir I sincerely wish that your condition shall normalize and the happiness of your family shall be back asap.

This thread of Team-Bhp will remain as a nightmare for Skoda till they exist in auto industry. Their management should come up and face the fire.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by vineetkr

This incident has left a life changing (in negative sense) impact on me & my entire family. I am now rendered physically disabled for life (Physical Disability Certificate from Medical Board), thus impacting not only myself physically & mentally but also having a direct bearing on my professional career. Due to this incident I suffered a lot & was not able to dedicate to my highly demanding job which resulted in me taking time off (at my cost) besides the everlasting issues like Inability to do work independently (some example of basic activities like typing on laptop, inability to use my hand for any basic activities like carrying laptop, writing sentences etc.)

Sir, I am really shocked after reading your awful experience. What saddens me most is the paragraph quoted above. All this for no fault of yours. However, not at all shocked by Skoda's response, neither as an investigator to the incident, nor on moral and human grounds as a manufacturer of the fateful car. And I think this line itself sums up the trust of people on the company.

Could you please share more details of the incident, may be on a separate thread and let us know about the proceedings in detail?

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by vineetkr

In the interim ICICI Lombard on their own conducted a forensic evaluation to the cause of the incident and their report clearly elaborates the manufacturing fault which has resulted in this life impacting & life changing incident

Can you please share more details about the whole incident and what has been Skoda's course of action through this last one year since the incident. Also what was the root cause of the mishap according to ICICI team? If they were professional in there evaluation then your case is quite straightforward and I don't see how Skoda can work its way out through this without having to pay up a gigantic amount of money and hopefully issue a recall to rectify the source of the problem.

[vineetkr]

To answer your point on what has been Skoda’s course of action ever since there team visited, answer is “Nothing”!! We have had many mail exchanges with them (Even sent to their MD- Sudhir Rao as well as other directors) and all I have got in response is standard Performa “We are looking into your concern”… You will be surprised their regional head (Mr. Abhijeet Gopal) went to say “that you have got insurance claim, what you want from us?” imagine that’s their level of thought to the issue…

In ref to the survey done & subsequent detailed analysis(close to 20 page report) which is with photos & diagrams by a Govt forensic lab on behest of Lombard, the surveyor had conducted forensic-analysis-investigation and examination of the vehicle and that actual fire seemed to have erupted due to short circuit of the vehicle which origin has been located to EGR-valves. It was further recorded by the Forensic lab in his report that due to overheating in the rubber hosing connected to the EGR valves due to a mechanical fault an electrical short circuit occurred which resulted in further overheating and which caused further smoldering of rubber.

[advaitlele]

TERRIBLE. HORRENDOUS.

Dr. Kumar - May you have strength to face the situation. What you described, I don't have guts to put myself in the situation to be honest. I hope the best for you and family, as well as fast outcome of the legal proceedings.

How can someone (company and people working for such companies) be so thick skinned to leave their customers like this? Do they have no sense or empathy left? Or is it plain stupid and taking things for granted attitude?

(sorry mods, I had no choice but to start typing that in all caps reading post below by Dr. Kumar).

Mods and Dr. Kumar - can I post link to this thread, and specifically post of yours on my facebook account? Will like others to know about great institution called Skoda; with your permission. Thanks.

[somu_john]

Originally Posted by vineetkr

This experience though left me nearly dead & I am yet to come out of the shock, physical battering & mental trauma.

Really Shocking
People spend their hard earned money on 'so called premium car' and see the outcome. Its your family's prayers that you are still alive.

Today I was happy to know that Mr. Harish.V got his issue with skoda solved but there are more people here haunted by this brand "skoda" I sincerely hope all of you come out of this nightmare soon.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by vineetkr

To answer your point on what has been Skoda’s course of action ever since there team visited, answer is “Nothing”!! We have had many mail exchanges with them (Even sent to their MD- Sudhir Rao as well as other directors) and all I have got in response is standard Performa “We are looking into your concern”… You will be surprised their regional head (Mr. Abhijeet Gopal) went to say “that you have got insurance claim, what you want from us?” imagine that’s their level of thought to the issue

Vineet ji, I would suggest you to share the documented proof of your interaction with Skoda so far. All the reports and mail exchanges done with them. The moderation team shall surely work on your cause and I am sure with the details in our hand we can make Skoda very much answerable to you. There is a member by the name "skoda corporate" here so even that executive can be approached for a resolution to your problem. Skoda won't escape from this.

Really don't know how are such impolite and unprofessional executives employed by Skoda.

[mayankk]

This is terrible!!
But apparently, they are getting some sense beaten into them from the sales figures:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3509131

[svsantosh]

Can anyone seriously do a 'Eric Brockovich' and get together all affected Skoda customers across the country and make them answer in the Court of Law? Every day some new skeleton tumbles out of the closet and anger grows against the already dying brand!!

EDIT..

Originally Posted by ad3952n

...There is a member by the name "skoda corporate" here so even that executive can be approached for a resolution to your problem......

Lol, no!!!

IIRC thats the ID that threatened TBHP/GTO and started the whole thread!

[saket77]

Off late I am hearing good things about Mr. S. Rao, under whose leadership Skoda India is now consorting. Please contact him directly. I guess a PM to our FM HarishV might help getting you the contact details.

Originally Posted by ad3952n

There is a member by the name "skoda corporate" here so even that executive can be approached for a resolution to your problem. Skoda won't escape from this.

Apparently that handle is not active. The last post made from that handle was in 2009, hence I do not think it will be on any use.

Regards,
Saket

[sunilsoft]

This VAG group is being run by a group of thugs and who are not even concerned about a person's life. They are not even bothered by a person who spends around 50 lacs for A6 just to fill his life with problems from car he once counted as the best. Forget about a sub 20 lac car.
We the members at Team-BHP should run a campaign to teach these idiots a lesson. NEVER BUY SVA(SKODA,VW and AUDI).
Thank God Mr. Vineet is still alive. May God give him a long life and strength to recover to full fitness.

[i10]

Originally Posted by sunilsoft

This VAG group is being run by a group of thugs and who are not even concerned about a person's life. They are not even bothered by a person who spends around 50 lacs for A6 just to fill his life with problems from car he once counted as the best. Forget about a sub 20 lac car.
We the members at Team-BHP should run a campaign to teach these idiots a lesson. NEVER BUY SVA(SKODA,VW and AUDI).
Thank God Mr. Vineet is still alive. May God give him a long life and strength to recover to full fitness.

Even Audi? What's that case you just mentioned about the A6?

[swiftnfurious]

I personally think Vineet's issue deserve a separate thread like Harish's. That's when people will pay attention. The issue, when mentioned on this thread, goes like just "any" other issue. This deserves a lot more visibility.

Mods, could we take it as a new thread please? Especially since Vineet has initiated / initiating a consumer case.