Buyback price discrepancy

Has anybody gone through the VWGoA Online Claims portal yet? I just did out of curiosity, and according to the website's calculations, my buyback total was drastically lower than the chart that went out a few weeks ago, which claimed that 2015 SE models will receive approximately $27,202. Also, added options such as the lighting package weren't taken into account. The information that went out a few weeks ago claimed that added options would be factored into the cost of the buyback.

Also, the mileage factor can be crippling. Earlier information stated that the price of the buyback would be based on the value of the cars as of September of last year, which was reflected in the prices given. Same with the mileage. I was given an official detailed printout from the salesman who sold me my car, which stated that there would be an added $700 for cars under 5000 at the time of the scandal. I have 30k on the clock now, but at the time the scandal broke I was well under 5k (with a 10k service record last November to prove it).

So, based on the figures I was given a few weeks ago, my buyback plus restitution would have put me close to $34k. With the VWGoA website, my numbers are drastically lower.

Anybody have any further information about this?

I do not have an answer for you but the 2015 values were tentative as you know. $34k seems high for an SE with 30,000 miles.

I am at 26,400 miles for my '15 Golf SEL w/lighting and that will be the approximate mileage at buyback. The initial tables put my car at approximately $29,500, the value per the new claims website put it at $30,278.

The mileage isn't what the mileage was when the scandal originally hit, it's going to be how many miles are on the car when you actually turn it in.

Right now, the understanding is that added options don't get you anything. It appears it's all based on trim level and transmission.

So using their charts, your starting price is $27,202. If you've got a manual, subtract $810, if not, leave it. That number ($27,202) is what Volkswagen is saying your vehicle was worth back in September 2015, plus they are adding $7,023 in restitution. So VW is saying your car was actually worth $20,179 back in September.

You said you've got 30,000 miles on it right now, so that means you subtract $1,140. So that leaves you with $26,062.

So, if you could give it back today (which you can't):

Manual: $25,252
DSG: $26,062

Also, how would your November service record prove what mileage you had on the car in September? Not that it changes anything, since that $700 adder doesn't exist...

They are allowing you 1042 miles per month. If you go over you will lose value. If you go under you will gain value. I forget how they set the starting mileage for that. It is the mileage at the time you turn it in that they pay by. If you park the car now you will start earning money. If you only drive 1042 miles per month it will stay the same, even if you wait until December 2018. Start racking up the mileage, and your value will go down.

They do not have options for options on their calculator, the VIN tells them what your car was equipped with.

And the biggest part: That chart was the value of the car, WITH restitution. One column was the total buyback value, and the other was just the restitution, for those that chose the fix. You do not add the two together.

You're doing it wrong. The buyback price has the restitution already added to it. I'm guessing the website said more along the lines of 26k? That's where it put me at for my '15 SE at 34k miles. I think it's crazy that people are posting '13 models with darn near 90k miles and are being offer over 20k. They hit the '15 with a huge loss.

Very dissapointed with the number that was offered me. '15 S with a manual. When the numbers first came out I calculated out about 22500$, and the site today quoted me a little over 20000$. I have high mileage (56000) that will only get higher between now and November. I know the 14's had higher inital MSRP, but the trade in value in September of last year for my car was listed at 14000$. Seems very low

RunninUte08 said:

Very dissapointed with the number that was offered me. '15 S with a manual. When the numbers first came out I calculated out about 22500$, and the site today quoted me a little over 20000$. I have high mileage (56000) that will only get higher between now and November. I know the 14's had higher inital MSRP, but the trade in value in September of last year for my car was listed at 14000$. Seems very low

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MK7's have very high depreciation in the first year

Also, the web calculator sets November 1 as a tentative date. The actual mileage and payback will be more accurate when you turn the car in. And don't forget the goodwill package.

solBLACK said:

They hit the '15 with a huge loss.

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I agree. I was surprised to see the value go DOWN for my 2015 Golf S manual from from the figures provided on the initial court documents. If the total amount is enough to get me in to a 2017 or 2018 Golf TDI (if they will even be around), then I'll probably take the buyback. Otherwise, it might be interesting to consider if a person could end up further ahead if they take the fix and then try to sell the car to a private party or trade it in.

GetMore said:

They are allowing you 1042 miles per month. If you go over you will lose value. If you go under you will gain value. I forget how they set the starting mileage for that. It is the mileage at the time you turn it in that they pay by. If you park the car now you will start earning money. If you only drive 1042 miles per month it will stay the same, even if you wait until December 2018. Start racking up the mileage, and your value will go down.

They do not have options for options on their calculator, the VIN tells them what your car was equipped with.

And the biggest part: That chart was the value of the car, WITH restitution. One column was the total buyback value, and the other was just the restitution, for those that chose the fix. You do not add the two together.

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Thank you so much for explaining that,GetMore! I've been grumbling all day because my calc was several thousand dollars different than the calculator -- now I see that the chart column A buyback amount includes restitution.

Yeah good catch GetMore, glad OP got that part of the question figured out. $34 is way too high, he must have been mistakenly adding the two columns.

I'm interested in the lighting package part of the question, as I also haven't seen anything related to an adjustment for that.

I know that the '15s are valued individually. I am assuming it is true for all of them, but have no way of knowing. I do know that the chart with the values is by VIN, so they should know what options the car came with, and what the MSRP was.

The court documents have that info: VIN and price. The publicly available documents do have the VINs redacted.

So, you will not have option adjustments, they are included, by whatever method VW and the courts chose to take.

I choose to assume that VW felt a fix was worthwhile enough to possibly push people toward taking the fix, instead of the buyback. It's a theory that explains part of why the values are not as high as owners want them to be. Of course, it could also be because it is first year, and depreciation is always the worst in the first year.

Options seem not to be added in

My 2015 GSW TDI SEL with 6sp manual was bought in May of 2015.

According to the FTC document, my buy back before options should be about $30,611. The calulator at VWGOA.com shows VW offering me $30,955.

Seems to me that the lighting package and the driver assist package could not have depreciated by more than $1,300 between May and September. Then there are other options such as the OEM VW monster mats and first aid kit among other options that were included in the window sticker.

Perhaps the options are not being properly added to the buy back offer?

I see a big difference in the amount I expected on a 2014 TDI wagon. VW online claims portal says I should get roughly 23k for the car and roughly $7500 for restitution for a total of $30,500. However, when I look up the FTC charts even without options, which I have ALL, the number for the car is $27,647 plus options, if you add $7k to that, I am expecting a total payout somewhere around $34k-$35k, not $30,500. Why the big difference? I called the VW 800 claim number several times , spoke to several different reps, and they either pretend to not understand my question, don't understand my question or don't know how to answer it. What gives?

dmichael said:

I see a big difference in the amount I expected on a 2014 TDI wagon. VW online claims portal says I should get roughly 23k for the car and roughly $7500 for restitution for a total of $30,500. However, when I look up the FTC charts even without options, which I have ALL, the number for the car is $27,647 plus options, if you add $7k to that, I am expecting a total payout somewhere around $34k-$35k, not $30,500.

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The buyback value in the FTC charts includes the restitution; you don't add the restitution to that amount.

Makes sense, but makes you wonder why VW can't tell me that

Nearly three months since the tables were released, and people are still misinterpreting them. Leave it to the Germans to make something which should be simple into complex rocket science.

Airpizz6 said:

Nearly three months since the tables were released, and people are still misinterpreting them. Leave it to the Germans to make something which should be simple into complex rocket science.

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VW didn't create the tables--that was the FTC. And the "problem" is that people simply can't read. The tables were made as simple as possible, and requiring as few computations as possible, to put the agreement into effect. One of the ways that was done was by having the buyback column include the full buyback amount. And that makes perfect sense--otherwise people have to add up the base price, options, mileage for the "car value" piece, then do the same thing again for the "restitution" piece, then add them together. With the FTC's tables as they are, you skip two out of those three steps. But people can't/won't read, and/or are greedy, and/or are confused by other information, and think they should add the two columns.

DanB36 said:

VW didn't create the tables--that was the FTC. And the "problem" is that people simply can't read. The tables were made as simple as possible, and requiring as few computations as possible, to put the agreement into effect. One of the ways that was done was by having the buyback column include the full buyback amount. And that makes perfect sense--otherwise people have to add up the base price, options, mileage for the "car value" piece, then do the same thing again for the "restitution" piece, then add them together. With the FTC's tables as they are, you skip two out of those three steps. But people can't/won't read, and/or are greedy, and/or are confused by other information, and think they should add the two columns.

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I'm in total agreement with you but I was trying to give the masses the benefit of the doubt unwarranted as that might have been. The tables do have the stench of government on them. The one thing I would have done differently. Separate tables for buyback and fix might have avoided people adding the two columns. Let the fun continue.

The stench of government, lol. Maybe we should just all meet in the street with our sidearms and shoot it out with VW. 480,000 shooters vs a few dozen German execs.

The tables have the flavor of someone proficient in Excel, nothing more. Pretty simple stuff.

andyrooski17 said:

Yeah good catch GetMore, glad OP got that part of the question figured out. $34 is way too high, he must have been mistakenly adding the two columns.

I'm interested in the lighting package part of the question, as I also haven't seen anything related to an adjustment for that.

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Crap I was adding both together also. Will teach me to learn to read!