[nirmaljusdoit]

Ravindu toyota is owned by a family member of the Kirloskar clan, Vijay Kirloskar and managed by his wife , Meena Kirloskar.

To what extent action will be taken is anybodys guess ! Kirloskar group is known in the market for dubious business dealings and since they are also in the joint venture with Toyota the things that have happened have greater chances of being covered up !

[fi.robin]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Could you update us what demands your friend has made and what has been their response till date? This will help follow BHPians

Full replacement of the car plus monetary compensation (no idea how much , 10 I guess). They haven't replied back on it yet.

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

I am not playing devil's advocate but I made a casual trip to ravindu toyota today and tried negotiating the rates for a toyota etios liva as a friend is looking for a hatch. After much bargaining, and drawing the sales person to a corner, I posed a wicked question: 'what's the best you can do if i opt for a display car?'. The sales rep immediately rushed inside to a manager's cabin (I suppose). After 5 mins, the sales rep returned with a firm NO!

The friend left her number with the sales rep. In case they come back to the negotiation table with a deal (that im not interested in anyway) I will update.

In case the rep doesnt get back, this means that this case by your friend has caused a dent already. Hurray!!

lol

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Ravindu toyota is owned by a family member of the Kirloskar clan, Vijay Kirloskar and managed by his wife , Meena Kirloskar.

To what extent action will be taken is anybodys guess ! Kirloskar group is known in the market for dubious business dealings and since they are also in the joint venture with Toyota the things that have happened have greater chances of being covered up !

What can you say

Taking cue from the other links posted by GTO here he went to the other dealers for review. Other dealers agree that the car has been repainted is some areas but are not willing to give in writing as the car shows 'privileged' in the database, which he thinks in all likely hood means 'be careful'.

[drmohitg]

Why can't car manufacturers bear the cost of display cars and demo cars being provided at there dealer outlets? I am sure a mere 100-200 cars would not be too big a loss for a car maker. And it will effectively take out the greed factor on the part of the dealer to recover his lost capital in these cars. Any opinions on this?

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

To what extent action will be taken is anybodys guess ! Kirloskar group is known in the market for dubious business dealings and since they are also in the joint venture with Toyota the things that have happened have greater chances of being covered up !

+1 to that. Ravindu is one of Toyota's most arrogant dealers and they get away with it simply because they are owned by the Kirloskars' directly.

If I were the OP, I d take it up directly with Toyota.

Keep us updated.

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

I am not playing devil's advocate but I made a casual trip to ravindu toyota today and tried negotiating the rates for a toyota etios liva as a friend is looking for a hatch. After much bargaining, and drawing the sales person to a corner, I posed a wicked question: 'what's the best you can do if i opt for a display car?'. The sales rep immediately rushed inside to a manager's cabin (I suppose). After 5 mins, the sales rep returned with a firm NO!

The friend left her number with the sales rep. In case they come back to the negotiation table with a deal (that im not interested in anyway) I will update.

In case the rep doesnt get back, this means that this case by your friend has caused a dent already. Hurray!!

It also means that they don't give any discount on display cars. They sell them at full price as new car, without telling the customer.

[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by mukeshgoel

It also means that they don't give any discount on display cars. They sell them at full price as new car, without telling the customer.

Highly possible. Darn. I hadn't thought about that. Way to go, Ravindu 420!

[Warwithwheels]

I don't see any reason why so much fuss is being made about display cars being sold.

Have you guys ever seen how a brand new car is being stored in a stock yard?

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

I don't see any reason why so much fuss is being made about display cars being sold.

Have you guys ever seen how a brand new car is being stored in a stock yard?

The problem with display cars could that be that many prospective customers would have handled the car. Most of them sit in it and use the controls (seat adjustment, boot opening etc) and some in a this-is-anyways-not-my-car way. It would be ethical of the dealership to inform the customer that he was getting a display car. And in this case, apparently the car was damaged.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by shivasuma

The problem with display cars could that be that many prospective customers would have handled the car. Most of them sit in it and use the controls (seat adjustment, boot opening etc) and some in a this-is-anyways-not-my-car way. It would be ethical of the dealership to inform the customer that he was getting a display car. And in this case, apparently the car was damaged.

Do you presume that cars are otherwise being *handled with extreme care* by the cleaner boys and driver folks in the stockyard?

IMO, display cars enjoy better storage conditions than cars lying in the stockyard provided they are not abused.

And my previous statement was with reference to the posts immediately above my previous post.

The thread starter's case is quite different and I genuinely sympathize for what his friend has to go thru'.

[KarthikK]

...Problems that I know are:
1. boot door rattles at times and has problems opening and closing it (again at times)
2. Fuel lid also has problems in opening. He has to struggle at times.
3. He sees a minor dent and feels that area is repainted - around the boot and fuel lid
4. Boot door does not have consistent gap (related to above). I suspect the car was hit in the said area, repainted and delivered.
5. Remote key look and unlock stops working at times. This is strange as he has noticed it only at specific places, his gym and other places he frequents

Apart from the minor dent and repainting, all other issues just sound like regular niggles and panel gaps which could have very well been put there during manufacturing. How does one prove that it got these issues just because it was a display vehicle?

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

I don't see any reason why so much fuss is being made about display cars being sold.

Have you guys ever seen how a brand new car is being stored in a stock yard?

+1 to this. You are 100% right here.

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Do you presume that cars are otherwise being *handled with extreme care* by the cleaner boys and driver folks in the stockyard?

IMO, display cars enjoy better storage conditions than cars lying in the stockyard provided they are not abused.

+1 again. Cars in the stockyard are far worse. They are subjected to sun rain, dust, and sometime plants growing around them and even inside the engine bay. The cleaner boys and the guys who move the cars around in the stockyard are very rash drivers and possibility of dents / scratches in the stockyard are no less. In fact, in a display vehicle, chances of structural damage to the car are far lesser.

I do not agree with some of the posts made in this thread repeatedly saying the friend should have done the PDI and avoided this fiasco. It is wrong to expect the aam junta to carefully check for signs of repainting or dents. 95% of the buyers don't even know the concept of a stockyard or a PDI, neither do they know to differentiate between a display vehicle and a non-display vehicle. For them, a new car is a new car and they don't even think of suspecting such things. Even if they face such issues (like mentioned here) after delivery, they take it to the service station and silently get it rectified to avoid getting wrong attention from relatives and friends, who might criticize them for choice of brand/model if they come to know that a 'new' car gave these problems.

Coming to this particular issue, the keen eyes of the buyer were asleep during purchase time and suddenly became very keen after delivery to notice the repainting, etc. What the dealer has done is definitely wrong, especially when it was agreed that the buyer wouldn't be given the display piece. I'm no legal expert, but here's a counter-point : The buyer would have signed on the invoice copy, registration document (form 20) and delivery note which clearly mention the VIN of the sold piece. In this case, the dealership can simply show that they buyer was aware of which particular car was invoiced in his name. How does the buyer now counter this?, since he himself approved the invoice and registration of the said vehicle by giving his approval signature. Does the thread starter's friend have a letter in writing (From dealer) before purchase time that he will not be sold a display vehicle? If so, he can use that and this call recording where the dealer accepts it was a display vehicle sold to him.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

I don't see any reason why so much fuss is being made about display cars being sold.

Have you guys ever seen how a brand new car is being stored in a stock yard?

Have YOU seen how parents turn a blind eye to their kids romping over the seats, fiddling with the electricals and buttons, slamming doors and in general messing up a display car? I am a parent myself,and I feel a deep vicarious shame every time I see one of those brats in action.

In any case, the OP's friend was specifically told that he was NOT being sold a display car. These would almost always be sold at a discount anyway.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by noopster

These would almost always be sold at a discount anyway.

noopster, this need not always be true. Some people won't even know whether their car was the display vehicle or not. They just book the vehicle, pay the full money, come on D-day, collect their vehicle and drive away.
My point is over 90% of the buyers don't even care to check whether theirs was a display vehicle. They just assume it is new and unused.

A good example where new vehicles are constantly circulating as 'display' vehicles and sold away in days, are Maruti dealerships where the fast moving models (display pieces) keep getting changed in the showroom every few days.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by noopster

Have YOU seen how parents turn a blind eye to their kids romping over the seats, fiddling with the electricals and buttons, slamming doors and in general messing up a display car? I am a parent myself,and I feel a deep vicarious shame every time I see one of those brats in action.

Am not denying that at all. My subsequent post should make it clear.


BTW.... Do you really think kids are capable of causing so much damage to a car?

Originally Posted by fi.robin

...Problems that I know are:
1. boot door rattles at times and has problems opening and closing it (again at times)
2. Fuel lid also has problems in opening. He has to struggle at times.
3. He sees a minor dent and feels that area is repainted - around the boot and fuel lid
4. Boot door does not have consistent gap (related to above). I suspect the car was hit in the said area, repainted and delivered.
5. Remote key look and unlock stops working at times. This is strange as he has noticed it only at specific places, his gym and other places he frequents

In any case, the OP's friend was specifically told that he was NOT being sold a display car. These would almost always be sold at a discount anyway.

Again I reiterate that whatever happened to the OP's friend is really unfortunate and unpardonable. But, in my opinion his friend has clearly been sold a lemon. The endless list of niggles do not arise just because it was a display car.

[MCR]

After going through all the posts by the OP, I feel that there are two different things here;

1. Display car
2. Faults in the new car

Yes. Display cars are not faulty. In fact I have found the display cars to be better than the cars in stock yard! Why? Firstly the cars selected for display are very wel looked after. Secondly they always get a good coat of wax and polish. Simply put, they are better looked after compared to their counter parts in stock yards.
Yes there are many people who check out the display car day-in and day-out, but it actually causes no harm. In fact the cars in the stock yard are handled much more worse.

Faults in a new car is simply not acceptable. Afterall somebody is paying his hard earned money for it! It clearly shows that the PDI was not done properly. So its the right of the customer to get the faults corrected to one's satisfaction. If not ask for a new car.

Elsewhere in the world one can get the right kind of service and goods for the money paid. But in India, due to non existent consumer rights, chances are always high for consumers being taken for a ride!

[mayankjha1806]

^^ Come to think of it, even a test drive car should be ok to sell as the user will anyway run the car on the roads so whats the difference between a 30K test drive car and a 30K used car by some owner.

There is a difference.

Buyers have a tendency (and that includes myself) to not care about test drive car or a display car as this is not theirs. The way i drive test drive car, i probably would not drive my own car, to a certain degree its because in a test drive car i would like to test limits of the car (Like for example GC and under body scrapping in Civic). In my car i would be cautious but not in the test drive car as i need to know how much height is safe to go straight.

Similarly for a display car, i want to fiddle around with controls and everything inside, even when there is no need to do so as i want to get a feel of the quality and equipment quality levels. It is with these overuse and rash use that they loose some of their longevity.

So in a way i agree with @noopster that the chances of test drive car having problems are higher. In the same way a parked car (In their stockyard) which has been parked for very long will also have problems, hence we advocate checking the manufacturing date to understand how long the car has been parked in the stockyard.