[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Warhound

Cant view these vids in Canada. Can you change settings ?

thanks

Its simple. Just log onto an Indian proxy server from the list here: http://hidemyass.com/proxy-list/

[dkaile]

Pehredar Episode 108

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1bpDcukGqg

[saket77]

You really have to be a tough nut to do this. Imagine selling a 20 lac rupee car and then taking no responsibility of the vehicle even in the warranty period That's a MNC we are talking about and no desi company. Why no action is taken by the Govt.? I know it might not be ethical to say or do, but everytime I see a new Skoda or a VW on road, I am tempted to ask the owners: Do you really know how they treat Indian consumers? May be they are tempted by the German Technology and fit & finish, but at the cost of reliability and being treated as dung?

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by saket77

You really have to be a tough nut to do this. Imagine selling a 20 lac rupee car and then taking no responsibility of the vehicle even in the warranty period That's a MNC we are talking about and no desi company. Why no action is taken by the Govt.? I know it might not be ethical to say or do, but everytime I see a new Skoda or a VW on road, I am tempted to ask the owners: Do you really know how they treat Indian consumers? May be they are tempted by the German Technology and fit & finish, but at the cost of reliability and being treated as dung?

This sad senario is because of an impotent government. In India anyone with enough money to throw around can buy off anyone, including the moon itself so to speak!!!
When the government itself is the biggest thief, how can you expect power and money hungry businessmen and companies to be ethical and respect laws?
Why Skoda, every company will behave exactly the same, when they know for a fact that the poor consumer is in no state to fight it out in the court and they can keep selling lemons and making money.
Look at the state of the corrupted judiciary, the judge takes vacation as he pleases, moves the date as he pleases, doesnot attend court when he feels like, as if it is his fathers own business!! What kind of justice you can expect from luminaries as such?

[saket77]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

This sad senario is because of an impotent government. In India anyone with enough money to throw around can buy off anyone, including the moon itself so to speak!!!
When the government itself is the biggest thief, how can you expect power and money hungry businessmen and companies to be ethical and respect laws?
Why Skoda, every company will behave exactly the same, when they know for a fact that the poor consumer is in no state to fight it out in the court and they can keep selling lemons and making money.
Look at the state of the corrupted judiciary, the judge takes vacation as he pleases, moves the date as he pleases, doesnot attend court when he feels like, as if it is his fathers own business!! What kind of justice you can expect from luminaries as such?

Unless the consumer complains are brought up to the global limelight and until they start hitting the bottom line of the company, we will continue to suffer by the hands of such manufacturers. Same is the case with the DSG gearbox failures where India did not get any reaction from the company while even China got one. We have a specific thread on that issue too.
Unless a quarterly or even an yearly report on consumer satisfaction is published by the Govt (with no frills- just plain & simple complaints vs solved cases), it won't hit the companies financially. & until they are hit where it hurts them the most, they won't mend their ways.

Hopeless Govt+ Snailing Judiciary= People Suffering.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by saket77

everytime I see a new Skoda or a VW on road, I am tempted to ask the owners: Do you really know how they treat Indian consumers? May be they are tempted by the German Technology and fit & finish, but at the cost of reliability and being treated as dung?

If you would have stopped me and asked me this, my answer would have been that my experience is just the opposite. Maybe being a pro-active owner and hence a rarity in this case, I try to sort out the issues myself or before they become a bigger headache. That also applies to the other brands I own. But when so much noise is being made then there is definitely a fire burning someplace and Skoda better tighten its boots and own up.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by dkaile

If you would have stopped me and asked me this, my answer would have been that my experience is just the opposite. Maybe being a pro-active owner and hence a rarity in this case, I try to sort out the issues myself or before they become a bigger headache. That also applies to the other brands I own. But when so much noise is being made then there is definitely a fire burning someplace and Skoda better tighten its boots and own up.

Thanks for the link. Will definitely go through your ownership report. Agreed that there can be entirely different experiences with the ASC. Just like I had 2 real bad ordeals with Maruti Suzuki Service centers (which have in fact a great reputation otherwise!). One was pretty recent where they screwed up a simple oil change job. I almost lost my car's engine for that.

My point is actually on a larger issue. I don't see Skoda as a corporate which cares for its customers. In fact, the treatment it gives to its consumes is really disheartening. If one stops and have a look at these youtube links a few posts earlier, they will pity the plight of the consumers who lost a lot of hard earned money and went through a lot of harassment due to the company not giving a damn to their complains. I caught one episode live and faintly remember a Skoda Laura going to service center 66 times in a span of 2 years And this is just one example. Just look at the case of Mr. Harish, who is still fighting in court. Hats off to his perseverance.

BTW, thanks for the link. Will go through and comment on the thread itself.

Regards,
Saket

[MKRAFT]

Scams continue:

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML
Skoda India faces fine over duty evasion

C Unnikrishnan TNN

Mumbai: Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal has imposed a Rs 97.15 crore fine on car manufacturer Skoda India for duty evasion. The tribunal has also imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on its former managing director Imran Hassen and Rs 25 lakh on Lukas Folc, who took over from Hassen, and Rs 5 lakh on former senior manager (finance) Sunil Rekhi. The company will have to pay Rs 97.15 crore as duty along with interest.
Skoda India had paid $45 million (around 270 crore) to its parent firm Skoda Auto A.S Czech Republic for transfer of technology for manufacturing of Skoda brand cars in India during October 2001 to July 2007. Nhava Sheva customs said that the amount paid should be included in the assessable value applicable to each imported car kit. The company said that their only obligation was to disclose about the lump sum payment made to the overseas supplier.
Customs issued a showcause notice saying the company did not declare the value thus evading duty. The adjudicating authority agreed with the findings of the department. The company then moved the tribunal against the order.

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by saket77

everytime I see a new Skoda or a VW on road, I am tempted to ask the owners: Do you really know how they treat Indian consumers? May be they are tempted by the German Technology and fit & finish, but at the cost of reliability and being treated as dung?

This is one of the reasons why I choose to buy only from Maruti in India. By just reading the many accounts on TBHP, one can tell that Tata and Mahindra and plagued with manufacturing defects to the extent that it just isn't worth buying a new vehicle from them. Skoda's case is quite popular from this thread, and Volkswagen is part of the same group. Most other manufacturers have too few service stations, so that leaves just Maruti and Hyundai. After having classmates mention about their horrors of horrors with Hyundai internationally, I picked Suzuki and I haven't regretted it ever since. Every few years, we replace one Maruti product with another (though we're still holding on to an old Maruti Esteem from 2004, which serves its purpose well as an in-city car).

[rnidumolu]

Originally Posted by MKRAFT

Scams continue:

Skoda India faces fine over duty evasion

The company then moved the tribunal against the order.

I don't guess this is the right thread to post this comment but still, I feel somehow our Tax department are harassing the international companies by throwing fines. Example IIRC: Vodafone, Fiat, and now Skoda.

This may lead to a case where no new company would be interested to enter India.

P.S: Mods request you to remove this post if you feel this is not relevant

[Doc Maanava]

Dear Harish V,

You are our modern day hero. Sir, I salute you from the deepest core of my heart. I have been following your thread for the last four years and the only way I could show solidarity with you is by taking about your case to all and sundry and leading them to this thread. To my knowledge I have convinced more than 200 (200 multiplied by at least 10 lakhs is the current loss to Skoda India) Skoda fans, all auto enthusiasts I have so far come into contact with to shun the brand, all my patients (also as a way of speaking about practice philosophies) to not buy or think real hard before even contemplating on thinking about buying any of their models as a mark of solidarity with you. Was waiting for the number to cross the double century mark to write to you.

As you have rightly pointed out, in my recent visits to Europe and during my stay there, I had a chance to speak to an eastern European executive (who does not want to be named) and I did raise this issue of yours. The general impression I got from him is what you have mentioned in the first post of this thread. To quote you “You might find it hard to believe but customer care head Karthik Ramesh is hand in glove with the dealers. God knows what kind of kick back arrangement he has with them but i can assure you he is the recipient of this fraud committed by Skoda dealers”.

It is not them (Europeans) who are cheating us. It our own. He says that most of them (Europeans) are aware of the situation and that not much change is being affected as this malaise is running deep within the Indian organisation. They are finding it very difficult to replace all and sundry and to start over again due to problems he said that were peculiar to India. They are still grappling with it and he hopes if it is not solved Skoda will have to shut shop in the next decade in India. I told him it would be a better Idea to not wait!

Cheering you on! I know that this does not help you in anyway but I continue to stand by you and until Skoda rightly compensates you for all your troubles, legal expenses, trauma, I will continue to advocate my anti-SKODA stand with all passion.

What is your opinion of starting an ANTI SKODA Facebook Page and to mention all this there? We can count the likes and responses and then see how to take it from there.

No amount of salutations, words, expressions is enough for the stand that you have taken. I would love to give you a big hug and I invite you out for any culinary break when you are in Bangalore. An inspired Indian. My thanks goes to you for the changes you have brought about in the hearts of people who have read your thread. You have given them hope, inspiration, a direction, meaning to their outlook to life, in these troubled times in my beloved motherland. May your tribe Increase! Jai Bharat Mata! She is indeed proud to have you as her son and we are blessed to have you as our brother and one of our own!

[harishv]

Hey Doc

That is an awesome amount of support. Truly mind boggling. Thank you very much. Hope we can bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Doc, this being a 5 year old issue, interest has waned on many platforms. Also there is nothing new to write about. Therefore I personally feel putting the issue up on facebook now would not help much.

I am definitely going to take you up on your offer to catch up with you when I am in Bangalore next. Same stands for you in Mumbai. My cell number is on the first post of this thread. Please text me yours.

Thank you once again for your overwhelming encouragement.

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by Doc Maanava

Dear Harish V,



It is not them (Europeans) who are cheating us. It our own. He says that most of them (Europeans) are aware of the situation and that not much change is being affected as this malaise is running deep within the Indian organisation. They are finding it very difficult to replace all and sundry and to start over again due to problems he said that were peculiar to India. They are still grappling with it and he hopes if it is not solved Skoda will have to shut shop in the next decade in India. I told him it would be a better Idea to not wait!

The so-called malaise reared its head way back in 2006, when Mr Imran Hassen, the first MD of Skoda India was sacked for alleged impropriety. It's surprising that the VAG is still struggling to come to terms with "corrupt Indian staff" despite Skoda being in India for over a decade.

Cheers,

Jay

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Doc Maanava

It is not them (Europeans) who are cheating us. It our own. He says that most of them (Europeans) are aware of the situation and that not much change is being affected as this malaise is running deep within the Indian organisation. They are finding it very difficult to replace all and sundry and to start over again due to problems he said that were peculiar to India.

This is a cop out. Putting a honest and competent person at the top in India would fix the issue. I think the HO is happy enough with the sales that's happening & doesn't think that investing time and money in fixing the problem is worth any increase in sales it brings.

[lurker]

Do you people remember VishishtaWahan scam of the VW group involving then YSR govt. It may be normal practice for such European companies to indulge in fraudulent practices in 3rd world countries where they perceive rule of law to be lax. And in all likelihood their perception is true, since they escape punitive punishment each time.

Just reflect on how European arms dealers and Aviation companies are so used to scandalous practices in third world. The institutional memory of such wheeling-dealing has has no doubt, passed on to corporates like VolksWagen a long time ago. Because starting from the day Skoda set foot in India, it was a VW group company.