Buyback Lessons Learned

[scaffolder]

I scheduled my backpack appointment via the claims portal just now.

I may have misread the current mileage instructions.........in that I went into my garage and entered todays odometer reading.

Did I screw-up? Should I have entered my ESTIMATED odometer reading at the time of my 29 August buyback appointment.

Thanks to all who participate in this highly useful site!

ez sends

I believe they do the estimates. I know they have to reevaluate once you are in there for actual mileage. I wasn't too concerned with my mileage number. More concerned that I am about to make a second car payment since starting on all this.

 

[RBTDI]

Coordinating Buyback With New Car Purchase

I'm going Buyback on my '14 Passat TDi SEL. I wanted to see if anyone who has recently gone through the full buyback/turn-in process had any advice regarding coordinating the buyback/turn-in with a new car purchase (not a VW). My thinking now is to wait on ordering a new car until I know that there won't be any delay in VW processing my buyback paperwork and perhaps even after I sign and return the buyback offer. Assuming the new car then has to come from the factory vs. one on the dealer lot, I may have to wait 6-8 weeks for delivery. I would want to wait on my turn-in until the new car has been delivered to the dealer. I understand that YMMV, but I'd appreciate any feedback on the following:

1. How long did it take from when you turned in your initial paperwork until you received the buyback offer from VW? I have clear title to mine, original vehicle buyer and I am the only owner. I'd be interested in feedback from similar individuals vs. people with outstanding loans, 2nd owners, etc.

2. After you signed/returned the buyback offer and VW accepted it, I understand that you then schedule your turn-in through the VW portal. Has anyone tried to schedule a date 6-8 weeks out in the future, even if there are earlier appointment dates/times available for the turn-in dealer. Does the portal allow this?

Any feedback from people in similar circumstances would be appreciated. And if this belongs in a different forum, please advise. Thanks.

 

[ezshift5]

I believe you may be able to "leapfrog"..............

For example, yesterday I scheduled my BB app't for 29 August.

However, the portal provides for cancellation and RE-scheduling.

Hope this helps.

This has been a very helpful site for me - so you keep asking questions...........

Good answers - MHO - should follow.

all the best,



ez

 

[AusTexRocker]

Very helpful indeed. All the forms are downloaded and ready for the appointment.I had my buy back approved a while back but just today made an appointment for the end of October since I'm holding out for 2018 Golf R inventory to arrive. Yeah, yeah, I know...TDI traitor going gas. So, I may have to "leapfrog", maybe not. But here is my question, has anyone taken a check at the dealership and used it on the spot towards a new VW?

 

[PacCoastFwy923]

I'm not going to look for the post because I'd never find it, but I recall one member doing just that, except that the dealership needed to hold the funds for a few days, as if VW's check wasn't going to clear. Of course, this was most likely a dealer specific policy. I seem to recall a story told in another thread where the dealer wouldn't take VW's check.

However, if you have good credit, most dealers have a system in place where you can accept their financing for three days while you seek your own financing. They hold the paperwork during that time. Meanwhile, you drive off in the car on day one. You can work within this system but show up with a check after your bank processes the funds.

 

[Caro]

"Worth" it...?

I'm all set for the buyback and wondering of those who have gone through this, has anyone find they got less for the car than it's worth? I think I'm doing ok. I have 2010 Jetta TDI Manual w/Sunroof (tho I get nothing for it because they say it wasn't manufacture installed even tho I drove it new off the lot). Offer is 9k + 5k so a little more than $14,000

The reason I am crying is we had to replace the engine because a mtx dropped a drill bit in the intake manifold and tore up the cylinder. Odometer registers around 96,000 but the new engine has way less.

Hard to find this car for sale online to know what it would sell for. Inner voice is screaming at me that I'm missing something, but I don't know what. Oh, and the turbo is out, still drivable, but not racing anyone LOL

 

[unique_name]

Very helpful indeed. All the forms are downloaded and ready for the appointment.I had my buy back approved a while back but just today made an appointment for the end of October since I'm holding out for 2018 Golf R inventory to arrive. Yeah, yeah, I know...TDI traitor going gas. So, I may have to "leapfrog", maybe not. But here is my question, has anyone taken a check at the dealership and used it on the spot towards a new VW?

that is my plan for monday the 14th. drive my 2012 in get a check, walk 2 offices down and hand them the check then drive my 2015 out. the dealership was involved in crafting the plan so i dont anticipate any problems. there better not be, im driving 3 hours to another state for this. ill post back how it goes.

 

[unique_name]

However, the portal provides for cancellation and RE-scheduling.


ez

it does, but you have to cancel your appointment before you can reschedule.
there is no way to see the next available appointment until after you cancel though

 

[lvfnchs]

that is my plan for monday the 14th. drive my 2012 in get a check, walk 2 offices down and hand them the check then drive my 2015 out. the dealership was involved in crafting the plan so i dont anticipate any problems. there better not be, im driving 3 hours to another state for this. ill post back how it goes.

This is what I'm planning to do on Monday the 14th as well.

it does, but you have to cancel your appointment before you can reschedule.
there is no way to see the next available appointment until after you cancel though

There actually is a way because I found out. I was worried about going over the estimated miles (I'm now borrowing a friend's car to make sure I don't go into the next bracket before Monday). I was chatting online with the claims people and they were able to put me on hold and find out the next available appointment at my dealership. So if you know the dealership, just do a chat and ask them. They have ways of checking.

 

[Rico567]

I'm going Buyback on my '14 Passat TDi SEL. I wanted to see if anyone who has recently gone through the full buyback/turn-in process had any advice regarding coordinating the buyback/turn-in with a new car purchase (not a VW). <snip>
1. How long did it take from when you turned in your initial paperwork until you received the buyback offer from VW? <snip>
2. After you signed/returned the buyback offer and VW accepted it, I understand that you then schedule your turn-in through the VW portal. Has anyone tried to schedule a date 6-8 weeks out in the future, even if there are earlier appointment dates/times available for the turn-in dealer. Does the portal allow this?
<snip>

I did the paperwork on the portal several months ago. It all went very smoothly, but I hasten to add that our situation is about as simple as it gets. We bought the car new, for cash, and have just driven it ever since, so no liens, etc. Got the offer from VW only about 2 days after doing the online application to that point. When I went to look over the scheduling, there was nothing available more than a few months out, which probably makes sense from their point of view. Doesn't matter to us, since we're not turning the car in until late next year.

 

[rustycat]

We had as simple as it gets too. Met with the rep and within 15 minutes he handed us a check and we were done.

 

[eurocab]

Still waiting on the check

I surrendered my 2010 Q7 last Friday and was told that I would receive payment within 2 days. There were no liens on the Audi as I paid cash for it. Now they have my claim under audit review leaving me hanging in the wind. I was told that this is normal, but they should have warned us that this would happen. The guy I spoke with at Claims says there is nothing he can do, but he gave me the number for their Counsel. Nobody will answer the phone there and I get thrown into voice mail. I left messages twice and still no response. Seller Beware.

 

[2015vwgolfdiesel]

I surrendered my 2010 Q7 last Friday and was told that I would receive payment within 2 days. There were no liens on the Audi as I paid cash for it. Now they have my claim under audit review leaving me hanging in the wind. I was told that this is normal, but they should have warned us that this would happen. The guy I spoke with at Claims says there is nothing he can do, but he gave me the number for their Counsel. Nobody will answer the phone there and I get thrown into voice mail. I left messages twice and still no response. Seller Beware.

Grrrr....

Different dealerships, different reps, different situations.

Personally do not like EFTs ~~ might be safer, still do not like 'em.

I guess, (doing the BB) one might use the *show me the check* before surrendering the car.

All the time figuring you might have to do a "be back" to get the full job done.

 

[eurocab]

I requested a Check vs. EFT

I really expected to get paid last Friday. My mileage was only 54K and I only put 100 miles on the vehicle from the time that I made the appointment to surrender date. I was surprised that there was no check, but assured I would have it within 2 days. And now this suspense.

If I had known this would be the result, I would have taken the $10+ grand and kept the vehicle. Nothing wrong with it and I traded down to a Hyundai Santa Fe gas burner so I could pocket some extra cash. Now my bank account is nearly depleted. I hate to get an attorney involved, but that may be the only way to get their attention.

If anyone needs it, the counsel's phone number is 800/948-2181.

I hope nobody else has my experience.

 

[eurocab]

Don't do the buyback without getting the check at the dealership!!! I turned my car in 10 February 2017. NO MONEY to me yet. I have worked for 7 weeks with VW counsel and still nothing but a run around.

I wish I had seen this thread before I surrendered my Q7. Argh.

 

[lvfnchs]

Good luck!

that is my plan for monday the 14th. drive my 2012 in get a check, walk 2 offices down and hand them the check then drive my 2015 out. the dealership was involved in crafting the plan so i dont anticipate any problems. there better not be, im driving 3 hours to another state for this. ill post back how it goes.

Just wanted to say good luck to both of us on our buyback and purchase today! Hoping it goes smoothly.

 

[unique_name]

Just wanted to say good luck to both of us on our buyback and purchase today! Hoping it goes smoothly.

thanks, hope yours went as smooth as mine. got there about an hour before the turn in appointment. the dealer let me transfer the misc items (ezpass and whatnot) into the 2015. vw rep came out took some picture inside and out and we walked back to her office. i brought all the forms but she already had them laid out waiting for 2 signatures. she printed my receipt, handed me the check and i was out in 5 minutes. walked 2 offices down, handed the dealer the check, waited for the appropriate person behind the magic curtain to bless the check and i was out the door.

my case facts: owned the 2012, had the title with the lien release letter from vw credit. originally selected the fix but when they started offering the 2015's i reversed course. to me, vw seemed much more receptive in the buyback process. their paperwork approvals sometimes came back the same day. going through the fix path seemed to generate longer approval times.

people should also be aware that the dealers and the vw reps are 2 separate entities even if they are in the same building. the vw reps might as well be operating out of a van. the dealers have no control or knowledge of the vw operations and visa versa. this was my experience at least.

 

[lvfnchs]

thanks, hope yours went as smooth as mine. got there about an hour before the turn in appointment. the dealer let me transfer the misc items (ezpass and whatnot) into the 2015. vw rep came out took some picture inside and out and we walked back to her office. i brought all the forms but she already had them laid out waiting for 2 signatures. she printed my receipt, handed me the check and i was out in 5 minutes. walked 2 offices down, handed the dealer the check, waited for the appropriate person behind the magic curtain to bless the check and i was out the door.

my case facts: owned the 2012, had the title with the lien release letter from vw credit. originally selected the fix but when they started offering the 2015's i reversed course. to me, vw seemed much more receptive in the buyback process. their paperwork approvals sometimes came back the same day. going through the fix path seemed to generate longer approval times.

people should also be aware that the dealers and the vw reps are 2 separate entities even if they are in the same building. the vw reps might as well be operating out of a van. the dealers have no control or knowledge of the vw operations and visa versa. this was my experience at least.

Great news! Mine also went very smoothly, but it took more time because my dealer was busy with other customers at the same time. I met the woman, she had all the papers ready too even though I had them printed out. Didn't ask for the registration, just the title. I gave it to her, signed in a few places, and got the check.

Luckily I noticed that I would go into the next mileage bracket before the buyback, so I was able to borrow a friend's car for a week and a half. I was 20 miles under the threshold for the next bracket so all was well.

My dealer was not happy with the buyback woman. She didn't take the plates off the car and I guess it was her job. There seemed to be animosity between the dealers and the buyback representative.

In any case, glad we both got our 'new' cars! I'm excited about all the new settings to personalize. And the backup camera is great. Enjoy your replacement car!

 

[unique_name]

good luck with your new car too. i told the 15 she has big shoes to fill, the 12 was a great car for me. i'm not sure if i'm liking the new placement of the controls yet. i'm hoping it's just a matter of getting used to. the backup camera alleviates 1 of the 2 engineered issues I had with the 12. really helps in seeing where the bumper is when backing into a spot, which minimizes the high trunk line blind spot. the other issue still remains, the driver wiper still can't be flipped up without stopping the wipers on the windshield. not really an issue, more a surprise in German engineering.

 

[740GLE]

The other issue still remains, the driver wiper still can't be flipped up without stopping the wipers on the windshield. not really an issue, more a surprise in German engineering.

Been that way for a long long time, its called the "service position" for a reason.

 

[lvfnchs]

good luck with your new car too. i told the 15 she has big shoes to fill, the 12 was a great car for me. i'm not sure if i'm liking the new placement of the controls yet. i'm hoping it's just a matter of getting used to. the backup camera alleviates 1 of the 2 engineered issues I had with the 12. really helps in seeing where the bumper is when backing into a spot, which minimizes the high trunk line blind spot. the other issue still remains, the driver wiper still can't be flipped up without stopping the wipers on the windshield. not really an issue, more a surprise in German engineering.

Thanks. Big shoes to fill indeed! I also loved my '11. The '15 doesn't seem to have as much power in the higher gears. Not sure if it's because of the fix or just a different model year. It's a manual, so I'm just going to rev it higher before shifting going forward.

 

[olskool58]

anyone here who purchased AFTER the Sept 15 date but owned BEFORE the Aug 16 cutoff have any issues with their return???? I am having to submit extra paperwork on top of title/owner/reg....not sure why and can't get a straight answer out of VW. They say they want "proof of acquisition" then in the list of acceptable proof the agent read off to me they list title and registration which they already have.

 

[DanB36]

anyone here who purchased AFTER the Sept 15 date but owned BEFORE the Aug 16 cutoff have any issues with their return?

What "Aug 16 cutoff"? I've sold back four Dieselgatemobiles, all bought after 9/15, and three bought before 8/16 (the fourth was bought in 8/6/16). No issues with any of them, other than the claims taking longer to be approved than they should have been.

 

[olskool58]

What "Aug 16 cutoff"? I've sold back four Dieselgatemobiles, all bought after 9/15, and three bought before 8/16 (the fourth was bought in 8/6/16). No issues with any of them, other than the claims taking longer to be approved than they should have been.

was referring to the title/ownership cutoff date of 08/31/16-

 

[DanB36]

was referring to the title/ownership cutoff date of 08/31/16-

There is no such cutoff.

 

[Red Devil]

My A3 TDi has been fixed

Just received my A3 back with the fix (and the all important confirmation that $7500 was heading into our account as a "sorry" payment). So far on a short drive, seemed to be no change in peppy performance. I was one, if not the first that my dealer McKenna Audi, has handled. They offered a loaner, but when told it was a couple hour fix, I agreed if they picked up and brought back, no problem. Car left me on Friday at 11a. Expected back on Saturday but learned "it is taking longer due to "documentation". Said the service manager was working on car also... Since no good deed goes unpunished, the two hour fix took them nearly 4 work days. And at the end, the paper pile was about 1/2" thick. I'll report back in a few weeks what I think. They did give me a new fuel economy sticker, it lists the combined city/highway at 32 as opposed to 34 on my original window sticker. Unfortunately I live in the nanny state so no option of a re-tune.

 

[mbrunner]

Anyone told they would get top-up payment and actually get one?

I originally was told I would get full retribution payment as I bought my 3.0l 2011 VW Touareg in 2014 well before the 15' date. After submitting, the offer letter was for 50% as they told me there were multiple open claims on the VIN. OK previous owner maybe trying to get something? No worries I thought.

I did try appeal but that didn't do anything and I came to point where I had to turn in the car early regardless. Never heard back from appeals for 3 months now so whatever there.

Was told by claims that I should hear about Top-up after the July 17th deadline as that was a claim deadline for valid claims. I check each week but still nothing. All I get is that there are no pending claims and if I am eligible for top-up I will just get it some day in the same EFT as before. Anyone have a contact that I can go through to maybe get another answer?

If I did it over, I would wait for full amount offer letter before turning in but I didn't have the luxury of timing.

 

[eurocab]

Still waiting on the check

The people at the claims portal are useless in getting paid and the counsel still will not return calls. Sent email to counsel to at least get something in writing. I wish I could get through to the Judge, but I am not a lawyer and I am sure he has better things to do than handle each person who has been swindled by VW.

Update 8/17: An attorney from the Plaintiff's class counsel responded to my email. She hopes she can help and will look into it and get back to me soon.

Update 8/23: Attorney emailed me again and said she called VW attorney and waiting for response. Looks like it could be a while before anything happens.

Update 8/31: Plaintiff's counsel not responding to email now. Four weeks and still waiting on the check with no communication from VW/Audi.

Update 9/5: The agent who received my vehicle is contacting VW on my behalf through his channels.

Update 9/6: I spoke with someone at VW (800/822-2834) who says the check was never cashed and that she would expedite a new check and
cancel the other.

Update 9/7: Plaintiff's counsel says that VW claims they sent the check to the dealership and to check my paperwork. Dealership says didn't
happen. I told her that I had already spoken with someone there and they cannot tell me when I will get paid. She told me that I was
my best advocate. Thanks Counselor. Sheesh.

Update 9/8: Marilyn at VW says she will get the funds transerred to me next week from JPMorgan/Chase. I really wanted the check, but time is
money?

Update 9/14: Received the Chase Payments Email from VW and followed instructions to get it transferred to my account. So It looks like it took only
6 plus weeks to get paid.

 

[eurocab]

Mission Accomplished?

So I will likely have my account funded by tomorrow or Monday since I bank with JP Morgan/Chase. What a debacle!

 

[mbrunner]

Sounds like quite the painful process! Do you have the contact you used to get help with? I would like to know where my additional top-up payment is going to be closed out and no one knows anything.