[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ

It indexes by pages linking to a particular page, among other things.

Indirect. How about a direct Skoda Scandals link?!

[fi.robin]

Originally Posted by tinnieboy

I notice 42,000 views already for this thread and even if an odd 30,000 choose to support the cause I would estimate a loss of at least 60000 units to Skoda already (assuming every one who read this thread can influence purchase of at least two Skoda cars on an average in his contacts - his own and in his immidiate family in time to come).

They hardly manage 15000 a year. Even by this rate it will take them 4 Years to match the figure. But I get your point.

The only way out that I can see is Skoda mending its attitude. And if they don't, launch of Jazz and diesel Corolla will only make matters worse for them. Being a skoda owner, I would love to see it happen.

[Perakath]

Originally Posted by ariendj

frankly people whats the poll about!!!
asking if we as a team has the right to freedom of speech and expression or is it a question asking do you hate skoda!!
yes or no !!

actually whats the problem..'the car' or 'the car servicing dealers and outlets'!!
seems the talk has turned from some pathetic servicing to the very fact that skoda isn't a good car!!!

I feel this thread has outlived its purpose. It's now nothing more than an unwarranted show of strength. We're taking the 'might is right' attitude so prevalent on our roads and applying it here, nothing more. I'm frankly quite disappointed to see how the few members who voted negatively in the poll have been pounced upon by the majority. What sort of 'standing for truth' is that?

Originally Posted by vivekanand005

so what do you say to keep our mouth shut and receive such threats from skoda because Team BHP is unbiased. i dont understand what would be your reaction when you are in Harish"s position.

What threats?? I see no serious threats in anything SkodaCorporate has said. This thread has degenerated into much chest-thumping and ado about nothing. Members seem to be taking the opportunity to flex T-BHP's community muscles and massage its ego, without contributing to the the issue at hand. True strength lies in not having to proclaim it out loud, IMHO.

And if you read my previous post carefully you'll see I specifically sympathised completely with Harish's experience.

[maglev]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

That's exactly the point we all have been making.

Our quarrel, if it can be called that, is not with Skoda cars, or the co. that manufactures them internationally. We are not saying that we perceive Skoda CARS to be bad - rather, we think Skodas as cars are fantastic. And that's why the T-BHP masthead displays a Skoda. A lot of people worldwide drive Skoda taxis, which is a big certificate to their reliability - and that's why a lot of people drive Mercedes and Toyota taxis too - even in India, Toyota taxis rule, but no way would we consider Innovas to be bad cars.

Our quarrel/fight/war is with a small section of Skoda - it's Indian arm. We are protesting how this particular group of people treated multiple fellow members poorly, and then, threatened members of this forum with legal action where none is justified.

We continue to believe the fact that Skoda makes good cars worldwide. We also believe that Skoda India makes technologically good cars for the Indian market, with poor quality, poorer after-sales service and abominable behaviour towards its Indian customers.

And that is the TRUTH.

Very True! Cars are good ..... Service isn't!!!

[Evolution_VIII]

Originally Posted by Perakath

What threats?? I see no serious threats in anything SkodaCorporate has said. This thread has degenerated into much chest-thumping and ado about nothing..

I do not agree on it. Its not about the 'threat' by Skoda Corporate, the anger and opposition is about the attitude shown by them. The fellow memebers of the forum are sharing their bad experiences about the services they received, others just supporting them and here we have a official person linked with that car maker saying that this will "instigate" legal action.

Originally Posted by Perakath

Members seem to be taking the opportunity to flex T-BHP's community muscles and massage its ego, without contributing to the the issue at hand.

TBHP and its members are contributing, if you go through earlier posts, memebrs have offered their support in whatever way they could. And most important, Team-BHP does not need to bad mouth a car maker for publicity. This community is already well known, for all good reasons.

[racinglines]

I am 100% sure that Meghna had no idea what she was getting into when she set out to reply to Team-Bhp. I am sure she got burned bad. Was she even guided by her superiors when talking on a forum of this scale?

Cant threaten 40,000 educated people who are just crazy bout thier cars.

I was looking to pick up a Fabia soon. Skoda competitors here I come. LOL!

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by GTO

Unsurprising since you were, in effect, communicating to the same person. The owner of Auto Bahn is also an employee of Skoda India.

So, Skoda India has no conflict of interest clauses ? I am highly surprised - I work for a Euro MNC, and most Euro cos have a lot of rules/regulations on 'conflict of interest', & 'ethical business behavior' that applies also to subsidiaries etc.

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by Perakath

What threats?? I see no serious threats in anything SkodaCorporate has said.

You don't see a threat. I do. THey said:

" I have also been advised to inform you that the hosting or publishing of such information (which again, does not represent all of the facts) would instigate both Team-BHP as well as the various users in the ongoing court case."

I don't know what the heck this lawyer means by "instigate", but its clear that at the very minimum, this is an attempt to scare TBHP into complying with Skoda's demands to delete Harishv's thread with a threat to drag TBHP and its users into the case. Since Indian courts are so useless and so troublesome, people tend to try to avoid getting dragged into a court case, and Skoda made a clumsy attempt at exploiting this fact to its advantage.

They got the reaction they deserved.

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by Perakath

I feel this thread has outlived its purpose. It's now nothing more than an unwarranted show of strength. We're taking the 'might is right' attitude so prevalent on our roads and applying it here, nothing more. I'm frankly quite disappointed to see how the few members who voted negatively in the poll have been pounced upon by the majority. What sort of 'standing for truth' is that?



What threats?? I see no serious threats in anything SkodaCorporate has said. This thread has degenerated into much chest-thumping and ado about nothing. Members seem to be taking the opportunity to flex T-BHP's community muscles and massage its ego, without contributing to the the issue at hand. True strength lies in not having to proclaim it out loud, IMHO.

And if you read my previous post carefully you'll see I specifically sympathised completely with Harish's experience.

i dont think this is unwarranted show of strength. this is about unity in one family. and these many years skoda is taking their customer for ride.
if on the forum all people just keep quiet and dont contribute AKA show strength according to you then how will such gaints who are looting people be concerned about one customer?
no one has pounded anyone here! its a shock to see that someone has voted against the freedom. might be they didnt understand the meaning of the statement in the POLL. dont speak like polititians who are always into MAJORITY and MINORITY divisions.

cant you see that after a big time bashing the SKODA received they atleast responded the second time that they will start a online system for addressing the issues.
and mind it before this second post they softly threatened that team-bhp might be sued over defaming their brand. they were hoping that kids here will shut up and withdraw the support in fear of being instigated.

its not about sympathy for HARISH. He has already fought his battle for more than one year,
"True strength lies in not having to proclaim it out loud, IMHO."
in this case it was loud proclaim which SKODA were watching on team-bhp and people turning off thier sales made them to atleast act over thier deed.

Harish's 12 lac skoda was one car , if you see other posts people have expressed thier grief for even newly launched FABIAS which are facing issues and the car costs 8 lac rupees. they couldnt sovle the problem. how many such cases should go unnoticed? shouldnt they FLEX their muscles?

[Perakath]

Originally Posted by Harbir

I don't know what the heck this illiterate lawyer means by "instigate"

I think it's clear Meghna meant "implicate", not "instigate".

Originally Posted by Harbir

but its clear that at the very minimum, this is an attempt to scare TBHP into complying with Skoda's demands to delete Harishv's thread with a threat to drag TBHP and its users into the case.

I agree there. But our threat perception wrt this differs!

Originally Posted by Harbir

They got the reaction they deserved.

IMHO, I think ignoring them would have been the reaction they deserved. But I can see I'm in the minority here! And I suppose the point of a forum is to talk and respond, not to remain honourably aloof

[drashkum]

come on skoda!!. we all want to be instigated. and we are all waiting ....

if skoda loses (which i am sure they will), will they give compensation to all those who had been instigated?. in that case they can pay my car loan instead

To me, it looks like there is only one thing that Skoda can do: Service Harish [give that one customer whatever he wants!], apologize profusely for the mistake [whoever instigated it], and ensure he gets compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for the 'mental torture' he has went through, and, very importantly, ensure that this does not happen again to even a single customer.

and what about team-bhp??. they have to definitely tend a apology for having threatened to "instigate" us. and compensate us by giving a free car of ones own choice to all members. laughing out loud.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Lets please stick to the topic and not digress from it.

Please use the "edit" button if posting within 15 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[spetnaz]

This shows the inability of many a marketing & PR folks to understand the power of customers in the internet age. Hail team-BHP.

To give you PR guys a good tip: Bad word about a product or service travels much faster that a good word. So watch out! You don't automatically get reputation. You EARN it. Since I frequent team-BHP, I'm looked up around my circle at a person who knows cars. How am I supposed to recommend Skoda to anyone after reading all this?

It's appaling that you could walk into a public forum and try curtailing the very FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

To me, it looks like there is only one thing that Skoda can do: Service Harish [give that one customer whatever he wants!], apologize profusely for the mistake [whoever instigated it], and ensure he gets compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for the 'mental torture' he has went through, and, very importantly, ensure that this does not happen again to even a single customer.

[hoomdo]

Originally Posted by chakri400

As someone already pointed out, why not change the car on this screen as a mark of protest?

And the pic on the page still shows the Red Skoda.

@ Mods - why are we not removing it? Trust, enough number of members have voiced this opinion. If you want run a poll to decide if enough members want the pic removed. Do something quickly pls!

[rohitabc]

Thanks a tonn guys.. Was about to buy fabia this month.. Well just logged on to check the ICE for fabia...

Will go and test drive some other brand tomorrow...

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by Perakath

IMHO, I think ignoring them would have been the reaction they deserved. But I can see I'm in the minority here! And I suppose the point of a forum is to talk and respond, not to remain honourably aloof

I've thought about this honestly, and I must confess that I have to disagree. Even if this was an over reaction, its fine.

For too long, we have been stifled by a system that responds only to financial and political clout. I am keen that the internet should give Indians a voice, whether it be in consumer activism, or against political corruption or bureaucratic ineptitude or mismanagement.

This thread may or may not have been an overreaction, and it may have little effect, but it has done its part in getting through to atleast 2 or 3 corporate employees about the new realities, and it has exposed 800 odd people here to what the public expectation is and how they should act on their own job.

This is one teeny tiny drop that will be needed to make the ocean, but it is still one drop in an ocean that needs filling.

Our system will not fix itself. IF we are to get criminals out of parliament, fight shoddy treatment of consumers, force reform of the courts, the police, expose corporate and political wrong doing, then we need our people to be impassioned and motivated and energized. We need people to take interest, get involved, take action. and we need the corporations, the government, and the morally corrupt (those amongst us who cheat our fellow citizens out of their property, their money, and their rights) to take notice that change is coming.

Its not about honorable aloofness. It is about the masses getting together and saying "this will not stand".

We know very well that it is not only government that is corrupt. Our society is corrupt. People occupy homes and shops that belong to other people and refuse to vacate unless they are paid crores of rupees. Car dealers fit counterfeit parts. contractors charge the government for work they do not do and then spread the money around as bribes. People do not pay taxes leaving the the people who do to carry the burden of the nation's road and power infrastructure, defence, and all the various other expenses. People build small temples on public property in order to occupy it. THey build illegal constructions. Lets not even talk about the courts, the politicians, the police, and those government employees from clerk on up who don't do anything without taking payment. Ministers and police and civil officials participate in scams. They auction off posts to the highest bidder and give them 6 months to recoop their money plus profit before they sell the post to another person. They demand bribes to allow business people to work or to allow them to distort free competition by getting. I've seen bureaucrats and ministers set up housing authorities that buy land and build houses, and then the authorities sell the houses to the officials and ministers at a mere pittance.

If we as citizens are ok with all of this, then let us be honorably aloof. But if we are not OK with it and want to make a difference, then make a noise, raise a stink, gather people to react together. And we must highlight those who do things right, reward them the broad recognition. And the internet will be our tool.

This is not just about Skoda. This is about the citizens saying "we're going to change the world. get out of our way".