[GTO]

If you have a Maruti Alto, and are satisfied with the after-sales quality you receive, consider yourself lucky. There are car owners in India paying 100X the $$$ for a Lamborghini, and receive unbelievably shoddy service from the authorised dealer Exclusive Motors, New Delhi.

Consider this:

- An owner of a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera was outright refused after-sales service by Exclusive Motors. Reason? There was some sort of payment dispute with the previous owner of the car (current owner bought it used). The Superleggera was legitimately bought by its current owner. How on earth can Exclusive Motors refuse service just because there was a dispute with the previous owner of the car??!!!! How can an authorized representative of Lamborghini refuse service to a new customer. If I buy a used Camry, can Toyota refuse me maintenance just because of an issue with the ex-owner? Imagine the plight of this Gallardo owner when the only Lamborghini dealer refused to sell him new parts or maintain his car, for absolutely no fault of his. The matter was taken up with Lamborghini directly; it was only after the manufacturer intervened that better sense prevailed, and Exclusive Motors took the car in for maintenance. To make matters worse, Exclusive Motors took an advance of 1.2 lacs. The eventual bill for the service came to 40,000. As of 6th August 2011, the balance was still not refunded, and the owner is unsure if he will get it back.

- Our member ecksreturns seems to have quite his share of horror stories with Exclusive motors as well. This is what he has to say:

As some would know here, I reside in India and we own a 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, that was purchased via Exclusive Motors India Pvt Ltd. It was purchased back in July of 2009 and over the course of a year, the workshop (that is hired by Exclusive Motors on contract) has messed up (inappropriate word replaced) my LP640 beyond repair. Nearly every Lamborghini owner in India is sick and tired of Exclusive Motors. I wish to file a complaint against them to Lamborghini Italy and even try and get their contract canceled. Can any one help me in getting any contact information of any senior executive at Italy or maybe the Asian Regional Manager or Consumer Redressal Executive? I could not find any one.

In brief, I can tell you that even before my car was delivered to me, it was damaged during transportation on the left wheel arch. Ever since there is a stark difference in paint on the left and right fenders of the car. Then the car had a CEL issue that was partially resolved, but is still present and these guys can't fix it. Every time I sent my car to them , it comes back with even more scratches and they don't take responsibility. The panel gaps are insane on the car and they don't fix it , even on my request that the panel gaps are supposed to be razor thin. Somehow, the driver side locking mechanism failed and when they tried to fix it, they broke the driver side door light and scratched the leather and are charging me for it . They have invariably messed the wiring of the car and say that they do not know what wire in the entire car has messed up (long story about that) .

I am fed up of their crap service and sadly there are a few people who would want to fix this car. I just want to let Lamborghini Italy know what is happening here so that either they fix this issue or cancel the contract.

Source

- Remember my thread on clutch scams?. Well, Gautam Singhania's Gallardo seems to be the unfortunate recipient. His Lamborghini had it's clutch changed the first time at <2,000 kms. The car has at present done 4500 km, and Exclusive Motors has advised him - for the 2nd time - to change the clutch. Apparently, there are a couple of other Lamborghini owners who've had their clutch replacements at <2,000 kms. At nearly 5 lakh rupees a pop, this isn't cheap. And Singhania's Ferrari clutches seem to be lasting much longer just fine, under the exact same driving conditions. Globally, Ferrari is known for wearing out its clutch much faster than Lamborghini. Why is the situation reversed in India? Clearly, there is some technical investigation required. But Exclusive refuses to conduct any (except for suggesting a clutch change). I can assure you that an E350 or 530d would have the parts replaced under "goodwill warranty" (I speak from experience). But then, these cars are from brands that actually care about keeping their customers happy.

When it comes to premium cars, Mercedes & BMW are the only two brands that know how to pamper luxury car customers. One would expect a Lamborghini ownership experience to be filled with "joy" (pun intended). Most of them would have moved up from Mercedes / BMW and gotten used to the high quality of service that these two marques provide. It's shocking that a 2.5 crore customer receives shoddier service than the owner of a humble Maruti Alto or Hyundai Santro.

Exclusive Motors : About time you realise that buying an exotic car is as much about the luxury experience, as it is about driving the car itself. This would also be a good time to update your "under construction" website. According to best practices, you first prepare your new website before discontinuing the older one. Lack of attention to detail, really. I'm left amazed.

[amit.mishra]

GTO, if what you have written is indeed true,I wonder how Exclusive Motors is still in business. A 2.5 crore car owner is not someone who can be pushed around, what with the likes of Gautam Singhania. Can Lamborghini (represented by Exclusive Motors) really afford to rub its customers the wrong way and get away with it.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by amit.mishra

GTO, if what you have written is indeed true,I wonder how Exclusive Motors is still in business. A 2.5 crore car owner is not someone who can be pushed around, what with the likes of Gautam Singhania. Can Lamborghini (represented by Exclusive Motors) really afford to rub its customers the wrong way and get away with it.

Good point. The Superleggera owner - as connected as he is - couldn't do anything. It was only after he approached Lamborghini (the parent company) that the matter was settled. My question is : why did he have to go through the trouble in the first place? How dare Exclusive refuse him service for no fault of his?

Apparently, there are a good number of potential Lamborghini owners staying away from the brand because of the horrible reputation Exclusive Motors has built for itself in the social circuit.

Advantage Ferrari & Aston Martin, what? Both have recently entered the Indian market. Pampering can, indeed, be a wise differentiating business strategy.

I might add that Rolls Royce customer from Mumbai are an extremely happy lot. RR obviously knows a thing or two about customer service.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Exclusive motors seems to be exclusively specializing in dishing out exclusively pathetic service. Ouch!!!!
This is indeed a very sad story.. for a much loved Lamboargheeni :(

[//M]

I remember reading about the Superleggera case in some other article. Really sad to know this. A customer paying over a couple of cool crores for a car won't except such kind of aftersales experience.

However, since Exclusive Motors have also been selling Bentley's for quite a while, has there been such complaints by Bentley owners too? Going by the number of Bentley's in central and southern Delhi, I always thought Exclusive Motors has a great sales team and their aftersales service is also top notch.

[moralfibre]

I remember having read the Lamborghini Superleggera story somewhere on this forum itself. On similar lines, there was news that the Porsche dealer in Bombay is dishing out equally poor service to Porsche owners and the same group has Ferrari. They had an Audi dealership as well Link. Hope things don't turn out bad for all exotic car owners in India.

[S350L-E240]

This is exactly the reason why cars like SLS sell so well, you buy them from the official dealer who is backed by the manufacturer itself in the country with a huge base, so if something does go wrong you have the bigger people to speak to and believe me you buy an SLS in the country from a Mercedes-Benz dealer and they will do all they can to keep you happy,

I personally have no faith in Mercedes-Benz India's service and after sales support due to personal experience on 3 cars but I believe they will be far better than this, which is why my family does not buy cars from brands which do not have a responsible management.

While all brands will have few unsatisfied customers, Exclusive motors mostly has most dissatisfied customers and thats partly due to monopoly that they have for the VAG brands, but it will change with new dealers being appointed and VW taking a lot of personal interest in coming months. Same is the case with Porsche, they had very little management who was here and was mostly operating from Middle East, but now I believe they are coming in on their own and in a good manner, and believe me a lot of dealers have a few limitations due to their parent company not being here, yes it's no reason to protect them a but lot of them need better support from the company, and in my case the dealer and company both were just pointing fingers at each other and later it was clear Mercedes-Benz India was just not doing much.

Lastly, Ferrari and Rolls Royce both really know how to treat customers well and thats partly because the management of BMW (RR) and Ferrari are committed to this, believe me Porsche and Ferrari may belong to the same people, and while a lot of horror stories maybe circulating about Porsche, I can assure anyone here with Ferrari their commitment is beyond words and few will be able to match this kind of experience right from the time you walk into the dealership and every particular follow up, and so on.

VAG needs to take more steps in all their brands be it Skoda or Lamborghini, and unless they do not do it quick I can assure you they will lose big time on all fronts, and Exclusive motors is only enjoying their monopoly which soon will end as I believe Auto Hanger Mumbai is the Lamborghini dealer? And bentley too now has a dealer in Mumbai.

But service like the above is absolutely sick and I can imagine the owners nightmare which is why until the setup is well established it's better to stay away from one's passion as it comes at a price which truly is not worth it. I quit my passion for Mercedes-Benz for the same reason,

Regards,

[Honda Monk]

Its quite disheartening to hear this about the cars worth crores.
Well to see again its something with the instinctive Indian attitude (No offenses to fellow countrymen, but unfortunately service is in hands of such people.) see how Skoda brand is being screwed in streets, Fiat looses costumers much coz of Tata, TASS screwing their own car, same story with many Honda dealers. NOW the apathy of dealers of such high repute automobile giants.

Well the site of exclusive motors is working with self praise all over.

Exlusive Motors About Us.

[Scorcher]

This is developing to be a much serious issue that I thought it was when I read ecks' feed-backs before. EM can't be so ignorant about matters. A bloke spending his money on be it Lamborghini or Maruti has every right to demand a service.

Let me put it this way, this is a sheer case of arrogance because EM is the SOLE DEALER of Lamborghini/Bentley/Bugatti. They know whatever they offer us, will go to them cos there is simply no other option. If you wanna buy any of these three brands, they are the only option. Competition actually polishes service.

If BMW too had one sole dealer for all of India, I'm sure they will also would have taken a laid back approach towards such issues. Now they have one waiting to bite another's head off, they offer the finest to stay in the race. I know of many B'lore customers who bought BMWs from the Cochin dealer cos the B'lore dealer was in every means, pathetic.

Three solutions:

• Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A (parent company) has to kick in and knock some manners into EM
• Appoint more dealers/partners, thereby increasing the sense of competition. Survival of the fittest!
• Suspend EM's contract

[noopster]

^^Self-praise perhaps but the content is highly ungrammatical and colloquial (not in a good way). How do companies, especially those dealing in high-value luxury goods, get away with such appalling online presence?

It's really shocking that a Lambo owner, who parts with close to what most of us will never make in our working lives to procure the object of his/her desire, is treated so shabbily by the only dealer in the country.

I feel a little guilty about knocking MASS for asking me to change my clutch as early as 40K km when Gautam Singhania is paying as much as my Swift costs to replace it every few thousand ks!

[Turbanator]

buy them from the official dealer who is backed by the manufacturer itself in the country with a huge base

+ 1 - I also think & practice the same way , in fact this is true in all products not just Cars . Companies who have setup there base here will be far better than these dealers who can switch the pavilions on getting opportunities .

[mac187]

Well this would be an eye opener to most of us. I feel a little guilty buggin the M.A.S.S rep endlessly for small things that dont get fixed first time around. Considering that they have cars overflowing their service station it is a pradonable offence frankly. Now, reading the plight of Lambo owners, I feel blessed. All hell would have broken loose if I was asked to pay an advance for servicing my car at M.A.S.S. How can one ask a Lambo owner for advance?? Beats me...

Customer Service .... Ha Ha (a la Nelson from Simpsons)

[selfdrive]

Shocking indeed to hear that an advance was demanded from an existing owner! I guess it is time that owners demand a security deposit before leaving their car with Exclusive Motors

By the way, is it that they are connected better than their customers? I cannot understand how they can retain the dealership with such shoddy customer service and that sorry excuse of a website

Do VAG have no responsibility towards Asia. there have been enough horror stories from Skoda, now this, what next VW?

Originally Posted by noopster

^^Self-praise perhaps but the content is highly ungrammatical and colloquial (not in a good way). How do companies, especially those dealing in high-value luxury goods, get away with such appalling online presence?

I couldnt agree more noop; it seems the content writer hasnt even decided if Exclusive Motors are 'they' or 'we'! For their silly antics, we should not even venture to consider the existence of a proof reader

[GTO]

A related thought:

How come all VW brands suck in terms of customer service? Skoda (well documented now), VW (pre-sales is reported to be very poor), Audi (shocker, and other cases of delayed delivery etc.) and now Lamborghini?

If there's one thing VW has to do in India, it's to bring all the group heads together and implement steps on improving their customer experience.

[noopster]

^^ My theory is that the company culture is focused on developing very technically strong products (everybody related to VAG seems to toss out the "German engneering" line like it's God's own word!) but fail to communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including dealers, not realising that is the first line of attack when it comes to a customer with a grievance.

A lot of us who suffered through VW's pre-sales nonsense felt that lack of effective communication between company and dealer was the primary reason for the gaffes. What it translated to was either perceived arrogance or helpless resignation, neither of which goes very far in building a favourable impression with a potential customer.