[k_ajay]

Originally Posted by saket77

If hey had done it, it would have been brilliant. But that is probably expecting too much. In fact, companies sell lemons, repaired cars which are damaged in transit to unsuspecting customers and take no responsibility for it. Heck, they even sell display and test-drive vehicles at the same price.

When we are buying a car, these kind of lemons and damaged-in-transit cars are what we don't want, expect or prefer to buy, right?

So why is expecting that this car not be sold to a customer we don't know, expecting too much?

Also, Maruti Suzuki's response to __xxx___ that GTO posted, mentioned in their first sentence that their high focus is customer satisfaction. Would any customer be satisfied after learning his car was used for ferrying random people, before being brought to the stockyard? I didn't say anything that was expecting too much. Only re-iterated that Maruti Suzuki should do, to walk the talk of the CS focus.

[Contrapunto]

The key thing here is the agility of response (MTTA/ MTTR in tech industry parlance) from Maruti. That is what is commendable.

An ear to customers, and their complaints, and their needs- is it too much to ask for? Maruti shows that in spite of its size, it has what it takes to do it, AND be innovative in the marketplace AND keep the momentum

There is a morale in the story for the likes of VW, Ford et al. But I am afraid, that as always, it will fall on deaf ears.

[kashif_baig]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

How exactly does it help them and how can the future customers be sure that such a thing will not be repeated?
======
Bang on! Just what I was wondering on reading the replies.

Although I appreciate MSIL's & the Dealership's responses, however there is no mention of the salesperson who was uncooperative and did not allow the issue to be escalated to the Management. Was no action deemed necessary against him?

I feel that the Dealer has missed a trick here.

Imagine a scenario if the salesperson had immediately taken care to bring this issue to the Manager in the presence of the complainant. Also if the Manager had provided an acknowledgment of the complaint, assured him of the necessary action which would be initiated as well as done a follow-up with the complainant of the action which was actually done.

That would have been priceless.

[drmohitg]

I agree that this sounds more like a cut copy PR response and lacks any amount of regret or intent to change things in the future at all. I also have a problem with most car companies and dealerships washing off their hands by blaming third party vendors for anything that goes wrong. These third party vendors are appointed by them and the consumer is made to pay illegally for these services. At the very least they should show or bear responsibility for these vendors. Firing one and hiring another one is not going to solve the problem at all. Also lastly there needs to be some action taken on the SA who tried to hush up the matter.

[negativeH]

This is a much bigger problem than just a to-be-delivered car being used wrongly.

Private vehicles being used to ferry people, for money, is a big game in the NCR, probably everywhere else too.
Honestly, a company, even an individual, can do little if their driver picks up a co-passenger on the way for some chump change.

But yea, the response by MSIL is a blunt template copied.
Having acknowledged the issue, they should've atleast made the Dealer give the Customer of the in-question Swift a replacement.

[sajusherief]

I happen to see this Demo vehicle been used as an event car - (a marathon run in Bangalore). It's a brand new Audi A6 and was driven very carefully. Just curious to know what they normally do with such demo cars. Do they scrap it, sell them as a second hand car or goes to an innocent buyer?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by sajusherief

I happen to see this Demo vehicle been used as an event car - (a marathon run in Bangalore). It's a brand new Audi A6 and was driven very carefully. Just curious to know what they normally do with such demo cars. Do they scrap it, sell them as a second hand car or goes to an innocent buyer?

As they are typically unregistered, they are sold to customers at a discount.
New buyer gets to be first owner, and gets a healthy discount too.

However, would be curious to know how the warranty works in such a case.

[pamiboy]

Having said that, if the dealer disconnects the odometer, they can sell it as new car at full price (if the buyer isn't diligent). The only reasonable way is to check VIN number and buy a car with the shortest time lapse since manufacture. Also checking tires would help as dealers are generally reluctant to swap new tires to such used cars (They want to have the cake and eat it too) .

[Dee_aRe_Cee]

I believe its not that easy to disconnect the odometer in a modern luxury cars, instead they can reset the odometer reading if it's under a certain number as this provision is kept to reset the reading as there would be a reading from the lot to the showroom.
not sure how far this is true

[dhall_gagan]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

As they are typically unregistered, they are sold to customers at a discount.
New buyer gets to be first owner, and gets a healthy discount too.

However, would be curious to know how the warranty works in such a case.

The Warranty is as is given in a new vehicle, but on the Dealer's expense and not the Company's.
But its a customer's delight of having bought such car as they donot have much on their ODOs and have a discount as high as 8 lacs on cars like A6

[hardoop]

A close friend of mine has booked for a Figo Titanium TDCi at Kairali Ford Trivandrum. He is getting married in second week of December and had asked the sales guy if he can get the car by end of November. He got a call from the sales guy a couple of days ago informing that he has got him a car that was originally delivered at their Trissur dealership and was driven all the way to Trivandrum showroom. Also, got to know from the sales guy that the odo reading is 289kms.

We visited the Trivandrum showroom today and when demanded a car that was unloaded at Trivandrum itself, at first the showroom guys said that they cannot guarantee how long it will take for a new shipment to arrive, which clearly means they want my friend to take this car. Upon further quizzing they said that there is a fresh batch of cars getting delivered at Kollam next week, again it will be driven to Trivandrum by road.

They also said that this is how they usually get new cars to showroom and that Kairali Ford dealerships all over Kerala transfer cars between them (driving between dealerships in different cities) to meet delivery dates thus pleasing the customer. Hence most vehicles they sell have some 200-400 kms on the odo before delivery to customer. :(

My friend is a bit pissed off with this "deliver somewhere and drive to Trivandrum" thing of Kairali Ford.

Being regular readers of TBHP threads, he is quite scared about the chances the car could get abused during transit to Trivandrum by road.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by hardoop

Being regular readers of TBHP threads, he is quite scared about the chances the car could get abused during transit to Trivandrum by road.

Isn't he allowed to go to Kairali in Cochin or Kollam and take delivery from there directly? I don't see a reason not to! Kairali Trivandrum can assist him with registration and stuff!

[hardoop]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Isn't he allowed to go to Kairali in Cochin or Kollam and take delivery from there directly? I don't see a reason not to! Kairali Trivandrum can assist him with registration and stuff!

Never knew that that was an option. The sales person today tried to convince my friend and another friend who accompanied him that he could have arranged some other alternative if the odo reading was a problem. But unfortunately my friend decided to cancel the booking for now due to personal reasons.

But let me tell you the folks at Kairali especially the sales person who took the booking was very cooperative with my friend's decision to cancel the booking. Now waiting to see how soon they settle the booking amount.

[GranvilleDsouza]

Coincidence? I've spotted a Swift again today ferrying passengers on the highway. While this is a common practice for call center vehicles and other transport cars to ferry passengers for short distances or at prime locations!
Well, I've tweeted to Maruti and there has been no response to it.

Link to my tweet: https://twitter.com/granvilledsouza/...67622612262912
Link to the second tweet: https://twitter.com/granvilledsouza/...97181747367936

[GTO]

Thanks to a Team-BHP Fan (who prefers to remain anonymous) for sending this video in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts.

Brand new Tiago being used to ferry passengers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdHTsiWZifU