Car makers offering credits for deleted features: Is it good enough

Component shortage has been a known issue for a couple of years in the auto industry and manufacturers are offering credits for features which are being deleted.

BHPian vj123 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Component shortage has been a known issue for a couple of years in the auto industry and manufacturers are offering credits for features which are being deleted. Credits offered to customers are no where near the value of deleted features especially when compared to what OEMs used to charge for the same features in the past.

Audi has started documenting these deletions as "Semi conductor shortage package" in the window sticker for the US market.

Adding window stickers of few BMW models (228, 340,740) which shows component deletion credits in US market.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I feel one must get what one has paid for. If I've paid for the top variant, I'm not looking at "credits"...I want the feature! So to me, any kind of credit will be insufficient for an incomplete trim level. Two more points:

1. I don't like how some manufacturers are using the chip shortage excuse to delete unrelated features. I'm looking at you, VW-Skoda.

2. If a commitment is made to the customer for adding back the feature at a later date, please uphold that commitment. Don't make your customer run around in circles.

Here's what BHPian ninjatalli had to say on the matter:

The dynamics of such 'deals' should always be looked at with a reverse lens - what would you (buyer) have to shell out if you were the one short of what you promised (say on car loan payments or choosing to buy that extended warranty much later)?

The answer - you always end up paying more.

Same should be the case with the automobile brand when they come up short. If they promised a feature that you paid for to which they didn't deliver, the compensation should be worth more that what that feature costs (if looked as an extra accessory).

Making sure the feature is installed later is just the bare minimum. What else can they offer on top of that for the inconvenience?

Here's what BHPian SR-71 had to say on the matter:

Atleast in the west the fear of being sued makes them publish this information and offer due credits. In India, feature deletion is ad-hoc and not transparently conveyed, let alone offer some rebate. To top this, manufacturer jack up price in the blink of an eye. Right now for most cars we are paying 2x what the west pays but with lesser features and even lesser transparency! Point in case the Q5 listed above which is ~40L INR but we pay ~82L INR (OTR Bangalore).

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