[mayankk]

Originally Posted by sarthakgupta

Maruti Suzuki faces

Ok,so now this is in the process if turning into a long drawn case, or worse, a joke.
The guys will keep bouncing these huge numbers around, and in the meantime, we'll continue paying through our noses,amongst other places

[Insouciant]

I guess it is about time that all worries of VW and Skoda owners, which includes me, about the super expensive after sales will come to an end.
Mr. Jagdish Khattar (ex Maruti), Carnation M.D., has hauled all the automotive companies in India for restrictive business practices. As per him, in a free market, automotive companies cannot put a restriction on the supply of parts to the open market/vendors. Currently, many manufacturers are only selling the parts via their own service channel and charging insane amount from the customers. This will be a major respite for all VW and Skoda car owners who are often seen crying even after minor repairs.

The chances of Mr. Khattar winning this case are higher because one of the other companies (like Carnation) in Europe has already won a similar case against manufacturers.

Here is the original article for the news: http://articles.economictimes.indiat...-auto-industry

[EagleEye]

This is welcome news!
Even now a lot of the parts are available in the outside market as they are manufactured by other companies like Bosch, but if he wins the case it will ensure that all of the spares are made available outside the A.S.S.

[saket77]

Great news. If this happens, it will eventually be a win-win situation for both the manufacturer and the customers. Only a while ago I was reading on a thread that how a Skoda ASS has quoted Rs. 4500/- for wiper blades, and about 47K for arm rests. The manufacturers will also gain eventually because many people I know are not buying a VW because of the expensive maintenance factor. Localisation has also helped companies like Maruti to achieve lower cost of spares, which has ultimately become the masses favorite!

Regards,
Saket

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by saket77

Only a while ago I was reading on a thread that how a Skoda ASS has quoted Rs. 4500/- for wiper blades, and about 47K for arm rests.

He he he.
And I got my 3rd service done a month ago and they have still not given me a detailed bill (their "system" is down). They are real thugs - these Skoda dealers. Yes, in automobile sector, after sales should be multi-brand. At least ebay.in should evolve and offer all OEM components.

[Insouciant]

I need to get the suspension of my Fabia done. These guys have quoted 40k. I am waiting for Khattar Sahab to win this.

[sajusherief]

Definitely this is a sigh or relief for many of us. But what I'm more concerned is the quality of the parts available outside. you never know whether you get an original or not. In addition to that, OEM service centers may cleverly use this situation to deny warranty to many of the deserving customers.

[san2]

Lets all pray for the sake of all motorists that Mr.Khattar and we win
BHPians should take more interest in following and commenting on this subject which is beneficial to everyone

[revintup]

Originally Posted by saket77

Great news. If this happens, it will eventually be a win-win situation for both the manufacturer and the customers.

It certainly is not a win win situation for the manufacturer. Agreed more cars will sell but they will be hit badly on the income generated at the service station.

The manufacturer can always argue that selling spares over the counter is detrimental to their brand as shoddy worksmanship will result in faults in their vehicles which might be perceived as due to lack of quality in the vehicle itself.

I do wish this goes through and good third party workshops come up with properly trained staff. Until that happens I would be willing to pay a premium at the station than risk my car with an untrained mechanic.

[k_ajay]

From what I've heard, dealerships make more money from accessories, spare parts and service, over the life of a vehicle than they do from intial sales. If they're forced to part with one channel of their income, to balance it, they'll increase the loss into another channel (like labour charge, etc).

Also if you were to take a genuine part purchased externally and ask the dealership to fit it, you'll get lesser preference in terms of time for completion compared to someone who is opting to purchase the spares in-house.

Increase in spurious parts could also be a by-product of this approach, which are easily passed off as genuine, by skilled marketers. Double-edged sword, this. It may not exactly be a reason to cheer, but nevertheless an open market should also have its set of positives apart from lesser price.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by revintup

It certainly is not a win win situation for the manufacturer. Agreed more cars will sell but they will be hit badly on the income generated at the service station.

That is right, that the service station income will be hit, but with more sales and more cars on road, the service centre will see a lot many vehicles and hence, things will become even at the end of the day Also, in this way, the manufacturer can stabilize their incomes as more & more customers will be taking their cars to service centers rather than going to their FNGs for repairs.

However, only support the view of good quality spares. There are a lot of OEM suppliers to different manufacturers who provide good quality, being an OEM.

Regards,
Saket

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by saket77

Only a while ago I was reading on a thread that how a Skoda ASS has quoted Rs. 4500/- for wiper blades, and about 47K for arm rests...

I have some reservations with regards to the problems faced by VW and Skoda owners. (Owners, please correct me if I am wrong).

How far is it true that VW & Skoda spares are not available in free market ? What spares means for me is replacement parts (May or may not be manufactured by Skoda/VW).

A Wiper Blade is generic. If I Google search for Skoda wiper blades, I get solutions from Hella, Bosch which make wiper blades for Skoda/VW too. So why does the customer has to only go for Skoda/VW wiper blades ?
Same is my questions with regards to Arm Rests, ORVMs', Reverse sensors, etc etc).

Incase, it is a replacement of engine components, or say suspension, or fuel injector, or similar components for that matter, I think it would be a wise decision for customers to visit the Skoda/VW A.S.S.

I, as a Chevy customer wouldn't get any of the major engine / suspension components replaced by a 3rd party service center (like Carnation). Helps me legally if something is screwed by Chevy, I can atleast sue them for being the car manufacturers.
May be, I can go to 3rd party A.S.S for a paint job, or a general servicing, but big services - I would definitely go to Chevy, even though they charge me somewhat more than the market prices.

The manufacturers will also gain eventually because many people I know are not buying a VW because of the expensive maintenance factor. Localisation has also helped companies like Maruti to achieve lower cost of spares, which has ultimately become the masses favorite!

The manufacturers might gain because customers will start trusting the brand and might buy more cars. But the A.S.S division might take a hit due lack of enough service revenue being generated. Again, its an equation of Sales vs Service for Skoda/VW economists to utilize their brain on. I am no one to advise them though. :-P
I am not sure if Skoda & VW spares are imported or manufactured in India itself. But if its' imported, then these companies should think about localizing the manufacture of spares in India. This could considerably reduce prices of spares and all the fight (of Mr. Khattar) would not be required in the first place.

[2000rpm]

I agree that its a balance between Sales and Service. But what the Indian economy and the Auto Industry currently needs is Sales. VW or Skoda cant sustain operations in India relying only on Service, the Sales have to be good enough to justify service operations.

About workmanship point raised by Manufacturers, I personally they are already smart enough to wash their hands off the warranty even if some one cuts a wire outside their workshop. So their point is totally BS!!

I agree some european cars are complex machines and a good garage wala (who services Maruti / tata well) cant really do justice to these machines. Have seen this happen with my Fiat Palio, (dismantling a radiator took 2 hrs for a good maruti garage wala, Multiple Garages could not open the clutch hose pipe which carries the hydraulic fluid)

[RSR]

I hope Mr. Khattar wins the case and wins it soon! It's about time we put an end to the monopoly on the distribution of original spare parts by many manufacturers and their dealers. I see no reason why a customer should keep going to the dealer workshop after the warranty is over. If genuine OEM spares are available in the open market, the same job can be done by a multi-brand outlet, a friendly neighborhood garage at much cheaper rates or by the owner himself if he is interested and has the basic tools.

Of course, this being India, there is a genuine risk of spurious, counterfeit spares being sold to unsuspecting customers by unscrupulous fellows. This is a calculated risk that those who know their stuff would be willing to take. To curb this, manufacturers themselves can sell genuine OEM spares through dedicated authorized outlets like what Maruti does and/or sell spares over the counter at dealerships like what Hyundai and a few others do.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

VW or Skoda cant sustain operations in India relying only on Service,

Esp. with the current reputation And at the rate with which people are shifting from VW/ Skoda ASC to FNGs, they may not be left with any car to service in a few years!

What these brands need to do is to win the people's trust with good, efficient and reasonable service cost. The step will help them attain this and once they do it, many who are are considering premium hatchbacks from Maruti like the Swift (& they are significant numbers) purely due to lower maintenance costs, may find their way to a VW showroom for a Polo!