I have been facing some situation with regard to my booking of a Tiago. Want some perspective/advice from folks here who have already gone through a buying experience. This post will be a bit long, please bear with me.
I have paid my booking amount for a Tiago XZA AMT with a dealer in Bangalore (I am withholding the name, since I don't want to cause bad vibes unnecessarily in case my understanding is incorrect). I had booked the vehicle on 21-Sep (Ghatasthapana) only after the SA checked the stock and could confirm he would be able to deliver the car on Dasara *for sure*. We chose one colour from those available in stock then. I decided to buy the insurance from outside, since the dealer was unweilding despite showing him much lower quotes.
Now I was under the impression that paying a booking amount is commitment enough to buy the car. He in fact got my sign on the paper that talked about booking-amount forefeiture schedule in case I cancel my booking. But then after a day or two, he started asking me if I can pay half the car price so that he can proceed with registration. Here is more or less how the dialogue proceeded over next few days -
Friday, 22-Sep SA: Sir, I have shared RTGS account info with you, can you pay 2.5L via RTGS so that I can start the registration process?
Me: But I will need to check the vehicle first and do my own inspection. Besides, I will need to convey the engine/chassis number to the insurance guy. Won't you need insurance for registration?
SA: Sir, we do all the inspection and checks ourselves, please don't worry.
Me: I will still want to do my own inspection.
SA: I can get the vehicle for inspection only on Wednesday (27-Sep), then there won't be much time available for registration afterwards.
Me: I will be able to pay in full on Monday or Tuesday itself. Once I am satisfied with the inspection, I will pay in full via RTGS right at the showroom.
SA: Ok sir, I will see if I can get the car in showroom on Tuesday.
Monday, 25-Sep SA's TL: Sir, will you be making payment so that registration can proceed?
Me: I thought I and SA agreed that the vehicle will be made available for inspection on Tuesday?
TL: But this is festive season, and we can't proceed with registration before payment. You need to at least make a part-payment, and give it in writing that you will pay the rest (or something of that effect, I don't exactly remember) ...
Me: (I was now getting little spooked) I am not saying you proceed with registration without payment, but I can't pay before I see the vehicle first, do my inspection, then you guys will generate the invoice with the engine/chassis number and I will pay against that invoice. How do you expect me to pay for a vehicle I haven't seen myself. (I was getting spooked even further since these guys were pushing for registration so much)
TL: ... no, maybe we can generate a pro-forma invoice, but don't worry about the engine/chassis number it will be taken care of ... (!). There are processes that we have to follow ... (call dropped, and he didn't call back.)
Tuesday, 26-Sep (today)
[I called the TL myself, to check if the vehicle is to be made available for inspection today]
Me: <self-intro and pleasantries>. Will the vehicle be made available for inspection today?
TL: umm ... I will confirm.
[about 2-hrs Later]
SA: Sir, my TL called you yesterday about the payment. We need to get payment before we can send the vehicle for registration.
Me: (Now I was getting irritated) I am not going pay a single penny over and above the booking amount before I get an official communincation, maybe from your official email address, if not via a pro-forma invoice there at the time of PDI, saying "this is the engine/chassis/VIN number assigned to you". I will then see the vehicle for myself, and do my PDI. And then will make the payment. I thought you were going to make it available for PDI today?
SA: Sir, we need the payment 4-days before proceeding with registration (this, in his defense, he had once mentioned before, iirc). Please don't worry about the car, I will refund the whole amount if you want later (I am not sure who will believe that). The car is in stockyard and I will see if I can get it in showroom tomorrow.
Me: As I had mentioned, once I do my PDI for a car with engine/chassis/VIN number shared with me by you as a car allocated to me, I will make the full payment, in one single go, in the showroom itself. You tell me where the stock-yard is, and I will come there to inspect the car. That's also fine with me. But you shouldn't expect me to pay for something I haven't even seen. Booking amount is a commitment enough to buy. I will need engine/chassis/VIN allocation email from you. I will also need form-22. This is just some basic due-diligence on my part.
SA: Sir, only men in uniform are allowed inside stockyard. I will send the engine/chassis number to you via email. There is no such thing as form-22. There will be form-20 that will be registration form....
I tried telling him form-22 is supposed to contain the engine/vin numbers along with manufacturing dates, but he flat out refused to acknowledge any such form exists (possibly he doesn't know).
I still haven't received any email from him about car allocation.
Now this is where I have questions for you folks to help me with some advice -
- Am I being too stubborne in asking for VIN allocation in an official communication? How did you guys get your car allocation conveyed to you?
- Isn't there any form-22 for Tata vehicles? (though form-22 sounds like a legality, which should be manufacturer agnostic). If there is, who from the dealership should I seek out to get that form? Did anyone ask for it, and got it?
- Am I being too hard on the dealership? and maybe a little too suspicious about their motives?
- Most important - what are my options if registration doesn't happen in time? Can I still take delivery of the car with blank number plate on Dasara, and use it till registration happens? (we did it with a bike, just not sure if it's any different with cars)
- Also, the dealer is charging Rs.6500/- as handling and logistics charges with an alibi that it covers vehicle transport from plant to stockyard and around till delivery. Isn't it ruled illegal? If not, isn't it on a higher side?
Thanks in advance.