Those of you stuck on step #15 since October....

Stumiester

Active member
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Location
Vermont
TDI
98 Jetta- (sold it) 2010 Jetta Sportwagon
Things suddenly shifted into high gear, I got my offer, within 3 days I got accepted, then made the appointment for 2 weeks from yesterday. all moving smoothly. no additional paperwork requests, it's like the moon moved into a new phase or something.
 

DubFamily

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2012
Location
Swan Point, MD
TDI
2014 BMW 328D xDrive
Same here; dealer moved my buyback up 2 days (with my approval) so buyback happened early. got the Chase e-mail last night, set up my account and accepted my money; and had it in my account before 8 AM this morning...

Just need them to pay off my car loan now and we'll be perfect.
 

billsner

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Location
california
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
i'm done, loan (credit union) paid off, i was paid off, i started in Oct!

if your stuck, email: (everyday)
info@vwclasscounsel.com

Also call the lawyers at: (800) 948-2181

calling and emailing was the only thing that worked.
it took three weeks to payoff the loan
 

PacCoastFwy923

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Location
Oakland
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI 6-speed manual; 2006 mkV Jetta TDI / 5-speed / Pkg 2
i'm done, loan (credit union) paid off, i was paid off, i started in Oct!
if your stuck, email: (everyday)
info@vwclasscounsel.com
Also call the lawyers at: (800) 948-2181
calling and emailing was the only thing that worked.
it took three weeks to payoff the loan
I honestly don't think stressing, emailing, calling, etc. does a bit of good for most. Many of us who started the process in October are getting things wrapped up now. 10 weeks from doc acceptance to offer, or 12 weeks from upload to offer, somewhere in that time frame is looking to be very typical.

For some reason, some owners push through the process much more rapidly, without lifting a finger.

For anybody feeling like they're in limbo while everybody else seems to be getting offers, expect it to take about 3 months. Sit back. Getting worked up is going to make you mental. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised when your offer comes sooner than expected.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
I'm stuck on step 15 for 6 weeks now. Is this normal for June 2017? I have 2 TDIs at this point in the claims process. I call every week and they said I just have to wait. No estimate. There's a duplicate claim for both cars from a prior owner which may or may not be valid. I feel like because my claim is more complicated for them they can just put it aside and move cars that have a simpler claim.
 

Fourplay

, TDI Parts Ninja Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2014 A8L
I'm stuck on step 15 for 6 weeks now. Is this normal for June 2017? I have 2 TDIs at this point in the claims process. I call every week and they said I just have to wait. No estimate. There's a duplicate claim for both cars from a prior owner which may or may not be valid. I feel like because my claim is more complicated for them they can just put it aside and move cars that have a simpler claim.
In the same boat with one of my 2.0Ls. Documents submitted in February and still no offer letter.

The previous owner made a claim in Sept 2016, then traded the car in to a dealership in December (meaning they aren't eligible for anything). The dealership sold the car to me in January of 2017.

So I have the title, registration, bill of sale, insurance, AND possession of the car, yet every time I call, VW says that they cannot proceed until the previous owner moves their claim forward (either deletes or uploads documents). Apparently, they've been trying to reach out to the ineligible previous owner for 6 weeks, and refuse to send me an offer letter until they can contact her. It's totally insane.

I've called the hotline over a dozen times, escalated to supervisors, contacted the plaintiff's counsel, etc. No one ever calls me back and there is no movement on my claim at all. SO frustrating.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
Fourplay, sorry to hear about your situation. I fear I am not going to fair any better. I have title, reg, insurance, and mainly the car itself (2 cars actually). The excuse they give makes no sense in that if the prior owner has no car they have no claim (unless they owned it on September 18, 2015 and sold it before June 28, 2016 and filed claim by Sept 16, 2016). How could the other claim holder turn in a car they don't have? The logic seems simple.

I will try calling again and ask for a supervisor. I haven't tried that question. I did speak to an "Alexandra" a couple weeks ago and she said she would call me back, which she didn't.
 

PaulN

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 7, 2015
Location
Houston
TDI
2015 Sportwagen TDI
The process is designed to prevent fraud by having an independent third-party auditing group examine all the paperwork submissions. In order to protect the integrity of this process, there is somewhat of a "Chinese wall" between the auditors and the claims managers.

There are many things that can cause the auditors to kick back a document, and it can be difficult to figure out what they need to get it passed.

In my case I ran into two of these things.

The first was the proof of ownership via registration. My tax office registration invoice document showed the registration as a line item with dollar amount charged, and was dated, but did not explicitly indicate that the registration was in force (no mention of effective date / expiration date). I suppose that this is because the registration manifests as a window sticker with the expiration date on it.
I ended up having the tax office produce a different version of the same document with a very clear statement of the registration period - effective date and expiration date. That was accepted.

The lesson here is that if the auditors kick something back, no amount of written explanations, yellow highlighter, circled figures etc. will make any difference. They know what they need and if they don't have it it does not get approved - you MUST figure out what they need to see.

The second was a request for proof of "acquisition of the vehicle". This took some sleuthing to figure out what they wanted and why. The auditors need to confirm a bill of sale, but rather than inconveniently requesting that, they are using a list of all the titled cars on or before 15-SEP-2015... which works in the overwhelming majority of claims as a perfectly good proxy for the bill of sale...
Unless you bought the car right before the stop sale date of 15-SEP-2015. These buyers did not get their cars titled until somewhat after that date (dealer tags), so they don't show on the list. Sending a copy of the dealer's bill of sale took care of that.

Now here is a funny thing - while still figuring out what the auditors really needed for the "proof of acquisition of vehicle", I had occasion to take the car in for some service and mentioned that I was trying to get my claim cleared to get part 1 of the fix and was hoping to get it approved by the time my next oil change was due (a few hundred more miles).

Surprisingly, the service writer said he could get approval immediately over the phone, called the claim number, gave dealer identification, they talked to me for a moment to verify my identity, and BAMM! Approved. No appointments, schedules, documents or any other stuff. Drove of in a loaner and returned to get my fixed (part 1) VW!

The lesson here is don't second guess the logic of the system...

Next time I went to the portal I see the "proof of vehicle acquisition" is still being required! I call and suggest that the fact I drove the car to the dealer, got approved for the fix, and the fix was done... on the car I brought to them and drove home in after, must logically satisfy that I really did take acquisition and maintain possession of the car.

Well, no; the auditors still needed proof of acquisition to approve my claim even though the object of the claim was to get clearance to schedule the fix - which is now already done! They even confirmed that the internal part of the portal shows that the fix part 1 on my car has been completed. I ended up speaking with a supervisor (very nice and helpful guy, Steve) that was able to determine that the problem was a "failure of title match to FICA"... which is the list of titles as of 15-SEP-2015... this was the second problem above... bill of sale fixed that.

I have faxed and has been accepted the long PDF with the signatures and notary seal. Kind of wondering if their next response will be to cut check or provide instructions for how to schedule to get the fix done. :)

I wondered if this whole claims process might have been easier if the auditors had made transparent exactly what credentials and specific details were needed to get approved... but I think that would have just been an easy path to fraud.
 

Fourplay

, TDI Parts Ninja Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2014 A8L
Fourplay, sorry to hear about your situation. I fear I am not going to fair any better. I have title, reg, insurance, and mainly the car itself (2 cars actually). The excuse they give makes no sense in that if the prior owner has no car they have no claim (unless they owned it on September 18, 2015 and sold it before June 28, 2016 and filed claim by Sept 16, 2016). How could the other claim holder turn in a car they don't have? The logic seems simple.

I will try calling again and ask for a supervisor. I haven't tried that question. I did speak to an "Alexandra" a couple weeks ago and she said she would call me back, which she didn't.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to help at all. The chat/phone agents and their supervisors really have zero power in all of this. You can escalate all you want and nothing ever comes of it. Like I said, I've never had a single person call me back.

It's a total catch 22 - they require you to prove that you own the car, but even if you do, they still require the person making the bogus claim to either cancel or provide proof that they also somehow own the car. If they can't contact the duplicate claim submitted, you're just out of luck and have to wait and hope/pray that somehow it will be solved.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
Fourplay, sorry to hear about your situation. I fear I am not going to fair any better. I have title, reg, insurance, and mainly the car itself (2 cars actually). The excuse they give makes no sense in that if the prior owner has no car they have no claim (unless they owned it on September 18, 2015 and sold it before June 28, 2016 and filed claim by Sept 16, 2016). How could the other claim holder turn in a car they don't have? The logic seems simple.

I will try calling again and ask for a supervisor. I haven't tried that question. I did speak to an "Alexandra" a couple weeks ago and she said she would call me back, which she didn't.
Update: A couple days ago I called and was told the first claim for car1 that I have is going to be paid out to the prior owner in a couple weeks. Once that gets closed they will consider my claim. Until then I have to wait.

For my car2 and its duplicate claim the prior owner has yet to upload documents that were requested and the claims phone admin told me it could be up until Sept of this year before that gets finished. I don't know what the significance of Sept is but she told that's the cutoff date for this party to submit what they need. I could not find that language in the settlement.

Funny thing is different people at the claims number have a large variation in knowledge about the settlement and they vary in how much information they will give you. Sometimes they divulge what's going on with the other party and other times they tell me they can't say.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
Update: Nothing new. Still at step 15 after docs uploaded in mid-April. That's over 10 weeks. I called today and of course I get different information, as is always the case when I call. This time the phone agent stated she was going to send a message to the claims dept to look at my claim. Basically... more nothing.
 

Fourplay

, TDI Parts Ninja Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2014 A8L
Update: Nothing new. Still at step 15 after docs uploaded in mid-April. That's over 10 weeks. I called today and of course I get different information, as is always the case when I call. This time the phone agent stated she was going to send a message to the claims dept to look at my claim. Basically... more nothing.
Reach out to the PSC (info@vwclasscounsel.com). Don't even bother with calling VW - they are worthless when you have this issue. No one will ever know what is going on, and when they do, they won't ever call you back as promised.

I sent a few emails back and forth with a PSC attorney, made sure to follow up at least twice a week, and I got an offer letter about 2 weeks after my first email.

Car is going back next week.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
Reach out to the PSC (info@vwclasscounsel.com). Don't even bother with calling VW - they are worthless when you have this issue. No one will ever know what is going on, and when they do, they won't ever call you back as promised.

I sent a few emails back and forth with a PSC attorney, made sure to follow up at least twice a week, and I got an offer letter about 2 weeks after my first email.

Car is going back next week.
Thanks for that. So email PSC? No particular name? I don't know what PSC stands for.
 

Fourplay

, TDI Parts Ninja Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2014 A8L
Thanks for that. So email PSC? No particular name? I don't know what PSC stands for.
Yep, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee. Just send them a description of your issue, name, VIN, email, make and model, and claim number.
 

PeppermintP

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Location
SC
TDI
2015 VW Passat
I am the original owner of a 2015 VW Passat TDI, purchased in August 2015. I was unsure whether I wanted to fix or turn in my car, and decided to turn it in. I started my claim on 4/7 and hit the final buyback button- step 15- on 5/31. I called 3 weeks ago to find out about the "10 days processing" and learned that there is apparently a "duplicate claim" on my VIN: can I confirm I still own it, and it is in my possession? Yes.
OK, the agent said I'd hear something within a couple of days and to check back on the portal for an update.

I went back to the portal last Friday and chatted with an agent, who said that they had at least 30 business days from 5/31- they were still investigating the "duplicate claim". (Is this a ploy?)

As suggested here, I sent an email today to the info@vwsettlement.com, with my personal information/Vin/Claim #, requesting assistance.

Short of dropping my car off at the local dealer, would appreciate any other advice.
 

2015vwgolfdiesel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
2015 VW Golf S DSG Silver
July 01, 2017 (Saturday) NOTARIZED Documents in the SNAIL MAIL

July 01, 2017 (Saturday) NOTARIZED Documents in the SNAIL MAIL

Originally I had set the process for a juicy Buy Back; in the end I can't part with it. (now). Maybe never.

Had to call an 800 number (approx) 1:00 PM July 01, to get the correct address to send the DOCs. Had a live nice lady on the phone is less than 3 minuets :D

Changing from BB to "FIX" was a breeze. As I understand it, when I get the approved DOCs for the fix, I just call my local VW dealer, and get an appointment.

Talked to one tech at Don Thornton VW who stated he had personally done 30+ fixes. And they have 2 other techs who do the fix.

My TDi now has a muted purr, with a tiny growl, as the DSG rolls over one gear at a time. Looking forward to a bit more growl. As I understand it, after the fix.
 

DEAD-BROKE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Location
florida ( sun coast )
TDI
2013 passat TDI 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel
my story gets better and better every week.
bought the car from a ford dealer in july of 2015.
once all the diesel gate info came out filed my claim and got all the goodwill cards.
when the portal opened i filed all required doc's and started to wait, after 6 weeks got an
email asking for proof of acquisition ( bill of sale ) provided that, 2 weeks go by get another email saying they need prior owners proof of acquisition.
so here i sit still waiting.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
I am the original owner of a 2015 VW Passat TDI, purchased in August 2015. I was unsure whether I wanted to fix or turn in my car, and decided to turn it in. I started my claim on 4/7 and hit the final buyback button- step 15- on 5/31. I called 3 weeks ago to find out about the "10 days processing" and learned that there is apparently a "duplicate claim" on my VIN: can I confirm I still own it, and it is in my possession? Yes.
OK, the agent said I'd hear something within a couple of days and to check back on the portal for an update.

I went back to the portal last Friday and chatted with an agent, who said that they had at least 30 business days from 5/31- they were still investigating the "duplicate claim". (Is this a ploy?)

As suggested here, I sent an email today to the info@vwsettlement.com, with my personal information/Vin/Claim #, requesting assistance.

Short of dropping my car off at the local dealer, would appreciate any other advice.
It's not a ploy. I'm in similar situation. They are choosing to serialize the process and attend to a prior claim first before considering yours. You will find different admins there will tell you something different every time you call. Good luck. I sent the email to the council on Friday. Crossing my fingers.
 

PeppermintP

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Location
SC
TDI
2015 VW Passat
Thanks for the correction.
Called the 800 number today and the agent validated that my documents match my VIN, and now I'm on eternal hold. "VW needs more time" to investigate the fraudulent claim- apparently another person submitted a claim against my VIN. I asked if perhaps I had written the wrong VIN and she looked at my documents and I submitted the right VIN.

I asked if I could bring the car to the dealer I purchased it from to validate that I do, in fact, have the car in my possession. Another "brief hold"..... what does that mean, sitting around holding your underwear? .... She said "Being that the VW dealer is not part of the validation team, they cannot validate it. They need more time."

I asked for a clarification of "more time".... after another "brief hold". There is no specific time, just need more time to review. She said she has no access to know when validation process will be done.

Totally frustrated. Should I call everyday?
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
PeppermintP, read up a few responses in this thread and you'll find a suggestion to email the council at info@vwclasscounsel.com. Calling is a waste of time. It is only for very basic questions for people that can't get on-the-line about the settlement terms. If you're at step 15, calling will inform you you're at step 15.
 

PeppermintP

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Location
SC
TDI
2015 VW Passat
Response from lawyers today!

PeppermintP, read up a few responses in this thread and you'll find a suggestion to email the council at info@vwclasscounsel.com. Calling is a waste of time. It is only for very basic questions for people that can't get on-the-line about the settlement terms. If you're at step 15, calling will inform you you're at step 15.
I am very grateful that I found this thread and followed your advice. Here is the response I received today. Thanks, Fookin!

I am an attorney with the law firm serving as the Court-appointed lead counsel representing the plaintiffs in the VW class action litigation.
I've looked up your claim and am able to see the duplicate claim that the claims representative you spoke with was referring to. However, it appears that the supporting documentation submitted by the previous claimant is actually for a car with a different VIN. Typically, in duplicate claim cases, the second claim is held up pending resolution of the first claim. We'll alert VW to this issue and see what can be done to resolve it, given that your claim isn't a duplicate in the true sense of the term.
Give me a week or so to hear back from VW (our communications to VW have to go through its attorneys, which slows things down). I'll update you as I get more information but in the meantime, feel free to contact me at XXXX.com.
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
PeppermintP, that's great you got a response. I'm still waiting for a response to my email last Friday.
 

2015vwgolfdiesel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
2015 VW Golf S DSG Silver
July 01, 2017 (Saturday) NOTARIZED Documents in the SNAIL MAIL ~ update

July 01, 2017 (Saturday) NOTARIZED Documents in the SNAIL MAIL
Originally I had set the process for a juicy Buy Back; in the end I can't part with it. (now). Maybe never.
Had to call an 800 number (approx) 1:00 PM July 01, to get the correct address to send the DOCs. Had a live nice lady on the phone is less than 3 minuets :D
Changing from BB to "FIX" was a breeze. As I understand it, when I get the approved DOCs for the fix, I just call my local VW dealer, and get an appointment.
Talked to one tech at Don Thornton VW who stated he had personally done 30+ fixes. And they have 2 other techs who do the fix.
My TDi now has a muted purr, with a tiny growl, as the DSG rolls over one gear at a time. Looking forward to a bit more growl. As I understand it, after the fix.
Called 1-894-982- 5246 to check on my claim.

Nice guy on the phone in 2-3 minutes.

Sadly my claim was still *lacking.*

On the clain there is a spot to mark for either the buy back or the "fix." I marked the fix

7 months ago, The original claim was a BB

Now, back at square one. (#16)

Snail mail was fast enough getting to them. (2-3 days)

But, now they want 2-3 business days to reset the portal

Then we have to get all new motorized DOCs, and resend.

In the legal 8 page DOC, they give the choice to do either the fix or the BB. ~~ that clearly means squat.

At least the man was nice, understanding, fast, took a lot of time explaining it. :)
 

fookin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Location
California
TDI
A3
Update on my step 15: No change. At 16 weeks now. Contacted Lief Cabrasser and they called back saying VW is holding my claim because they are processing the prior owner restitution claim first. So no new information from the plaintiffs attorneys, no timeframe. That's the same information I get from calling the VW settlement.
 

PeppermintP

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2017
Location
SC
TDI
2015 VW Passat
I had 2 big hiccups for my case (I was original owner from the VW dealer- someone else fat-fingered their claim and my VIN was on ONE of their documents, therefore it was a "duplicate claim", and then VW wanted a "proof of initial acquisition" that came up on the 11th hour).... Well, thanks to the advice here to contact the lawyers at info@vwclasscounsel.com, I finally received my offer today from VW. I notarized and returned the documents today, so let's see how long the "final review" takes.... the lawyer who was helping me was Marissa O, and she was awesome! If anyone needs here personal email, PM me and I will send it to you.
 

bcasl

New member
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Location
CT
TDI
Pasaat
Buy back nightmare

I turned in My car on 7/25/17 I made the mistake of opting for eft payment. It is 11 days later and still don't have my money. They say they don,t transfer on weekends so it will be at least a couple more days. I filled out all the forms properly. After turning my car in it took them 1 week to send me an email with a form form that should probably have been in the original settlement packet? I immediately filled it out properly and returned it with the documentation the asked for. They have assured me that everything I did was done correctly and in a timely manner. We have called the vwgo site number most every day since the 28th. We get lots of promises but no transfer. Total BS. Don't give your car back without a check in hand!
 
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