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-   -   Got my VW Vento from Global Gallarie Motors; dealer didn't pay road tax & has shut down. Now what? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-dealerships/191918-got-my-vw-vento-global-gallarie-motors-dealer-didnt-pay-road-tax-has-shut-down-now-what.html)

That was a lovely article. I need help and you seem to be the right person I can check with.

I had purchased a Volkswagen Vento from Thane dealership named ‘Global Gallerie’ Motors. First, they made me wait for almost 2 months to get the Delivery. To put things in perspective, my disbursement for loan was done before the end of June 2017 and the rest of the payment was done by 20th July, 2017.

I finally got the delivery on 16th August, 2017.

A little flashback: After much deliberation, I had selected Vento Mpi 1.6 Petrol, as I was offered huge discounts on a 2016 June manufactured model. Therefore, car availability wasn’t a problem, so I was unsure why Delivery was taking so long. After the delivery, they promised that they would register the car in the next week. For 2 weeks they didn’t send anyone for car inspection at our local RTO. So, I contacted them and told them off, so they sent a person after 2-3 days from that point. I was a little relieved as I accompanied the showroom person to the RTO & inspector checked the vehicle and confirmed the chassis number.

After this, I was told they would need to pay the road tax and then I will get the number. Till date, the dealer has not paid the tax and the car is in my garage as a show item.

I am very stressed as in today’s Times of India newspaper there is a notice published by Volkswagen India that Global Gallarie is not their authorised dealer anymore. Although they had informed this to me that the new dealership will be known as Nova Motors and that they haven’t got a Trade certificate due to which they are unable to make the registration and tax payment for my car.

Now I’m completely stressed as it has been more than 2 months and the owner is still giving us false promises. They have asked us to now wait till 5th November, 2017.

When I tried talking to the sales people, they are suggesting to threaten the owner with media and police but I don’t think that will work.

Can any of the esteemed members at Team BHP help me with this issue?
please:

Thanks,
Nitesh Khanchandani

Good lord! You bought a car and you are paying EMI on it while it is sitting in the garage just depreciating.

I think this deserves a new thread.

Nitesh, moving your post to a new thread as this is a serious issue and deserves its own discussion.

Also pasting Blackwasp's response to your query here:

If I read it right, you dont have the registration number yet, and the car is just sitting at home unused ?

The sales guys are helpless here, and I dont think there is much they can help you with.

The best option is to send a legal notice to the dealer.
If that does not set him right, file a case with consumer court.

Escalate the matter to VW India, as well. (Even though they hardly care)

This is ridiculous. The reason for huge discounts could be because the dealership was shutting down and they wanted to get rid of available inventory with them.

You must be having all the papers (original sale invoice, Octroi, Fresh vehicle delivery Callahan etc.) Can you please speak to RTO agents and see if there is a possibility to get it registered directly?

You may have to incur additional money; it is still better compared to let the car stay parked at your home !

I am overwhelmed to see all the responses. Thank you blackswap and GTO, I have contacted the bank and asked them to help in this case.

I74Js
Thank you for this suggestion, I am inquiring with the Local RTO and won’t mind incurring additional cost if this can be done

Doesn't the car have temporary registration at least? Is it not possible for him to register the car by paying the road tax and get that amount back when the dealer mess is sorted out?

Horror of horrors! Didn't you get an inkling that the dealer was about to fold up when you were are offered a fat discount? Just as you think VAG has hit the bottom of the pit in India; there's another horror story waiting to be told. We all know how a legal notice works in India and it may carry on for ages. I think you need to seek out a friendly lawyer and go for an 'out-of-court' settlement with the thief.

If the amount is paid, why not ask for refund and do registration by yourself? It is time consuming but atleast the car becomes safe to drive. This is the fastest route to settle things to me as the legal procedure will take longer time.

Global is a fraudster as I understand. They had lost their Hyundai dealership in Andheri more than a year back and then their Mahindra dealership in Thane and it was just question of time when their VW dealership would also be taken away.

I suggest do reach out to VW and share them your plight. I am sure there would be many like you from the same showroom. If you all can collectively take this up with VW then you might get their attention.

Cheers!

This is the sad story of the buyers for the twins Skoda and Volkswagen, very sad indeed. Now that it cannot be reversed, it is best to send a legal notice to both the dealer and Volkswagen because otherwise Volkswagen will make it a dealer and buyer affair.
Prospective buyers should be aware of the problems faced at the dealers of these two brands and should do use due diligence. Although both Skoda and Volkswagen have good cars buy buying them is a lottery right from the delivery to warranty service.

I highlighted your last statement because it is that very same good nature that gets taken advantage of here in India. I know because I try not to assume the worst myself but what can I say, majority of businesses in India are run by crooks. When a car as common as the Vento 1.6 mpi which was being discontinued and was running on huge discounts, takes 2 months to get to you, that itself should have been the first warning sign. For all you know they could have used those two months to touch up some accidental test drive vehicle itself and deliver it to you ( actually happened to a friend of mine who bought a Linea. Not saying that that is the case with your car, but be prepared for worst case scenario). I bet when they took 2 months itself you were too good natured to bother understanding why. Now you really are in the soup and you definitely need to file a case and take this to the media no other way. Stay vigilant next time.

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Can you help add some more details.

• As per your post, it was a June 2016 car you purchased in July 2017. Did you see the car before you committed (It should have been in the dealer stockyard), or was it old stock in the factory?
  
  
• Did you follow up on the reason why it took so much time to deliver an old car? Did the dealership give any reasons?
  
  
• Did the dealership say why they cannot register and deliver? Should have been a straight forward thing? And why did they not give a temp regn also?
  
  
• Did you confirm that it is not a demo or display car?
  

Thank you for your concern and support.
Following are the responses, point wise:

1. I did see the car, it was in the dealer stockyard in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, about 12-13 kms from their showroom in Thane.

2. The dealership explained that as they were being audited by VW India for Global Gallerie to Shut Down and Noval Motors to take over and hence they were taking time. Apparently, they did not have Trade Certificate under the new dealership, hence, they were delaying the delivery. Although, i personally think they were short on cash and hence were not able to pay the Road Tax to RTO and were delaying the delivery, but, when i pressurized as i had made the entire payment and i wasn't getting the delivery after 1.5 months of the final payment, did they take the action of delivering the car, although, unregistered.

3. They had given the temporary registration, just to clarify. Upon Inquring, was informed that temporary registration is valid only for 15 days, they never extended it. They did not say anything before the delivery. I was supposed to go to the showroom to pick the car in the daylight on the 16th August, 2017, as it has been suggested by many Team BHPIans. They made some excuses and told me that they will deliver the car at my doorstep. The delivery person explained while handing over the documents, that my registration number will be provided in 4-5 days as the process of RTO, etc, would have taken more time, and as it is my first car purchase, in the excitement, i didn't bother on making too much fuss about it.

4. I did confirm and they had assured that the car wasn't a test drive/ display car and in the stock yard the car was completely locked and it even had those paint protection covers, so i was pretty sure, it wasn't a demo car.