My screwed up buyback experience...

[Conrad -JSW]

Appointment was for today, 11/29/16 at 3:30. 2012 Sportwagan (purchased 12/23/11) I selected EFT

My co-owner wife and I show up a bit early, 3:15. No buyback specialists in sight. The salesman there tells me that they are out getting something to eat and that they won't be back till later because the next buyback appointment isn't till 6:30. WHAT?!

I show the salesman the e-mail that says my appointment is at 3:30 today. He phones the buyback dude and tells him what's happening. Buyback dude heads back to the dealership asap. Shows up at 4:00.

Buyback dude tells me that his next appointment isn't till 6:30. I show him my e-mail. He makes some calls and gets nowhere. He doesn't have my claim number and can't find my name on any lists. Fortunately I have the claim number. He locates my info with that.

Appointment for 11/29/16 @ 3:30. Um, yeah.

Buyback dude looks over our paperwork, everything looks good. We go out to the Jetta and he takes some pics and checks the odo. Mileage looks good at 46,525 he says that we'll get the full amount.

We go back inside and he enters the numbers on his tablet. So far so good, till I see the amount due to us. $23,626.73 WHAT?!

My formal offer letter from VW says $24,076.73. So where did the $450 go? My mileage is under the allotted amount so what gives? The buyback dude didn't have a clue. He called the claims number and put his phone on speaker. Then we waited, and waited. I told him no way was I going to wait for who knows how long for someone to answer. We'd already been there for an hour and a half. I said that I would call them in the morning from home, when I can wait at my leisure. He finished up and gave me a paper receipt. I checked my e-mail and I also got a e-mail receipt, nothing more.

Does anyone have any idea where that $450 went?

 

[Boosted_Teg]

Are any of the options on your car worth the 450 $ ?

 

[ELVATO]

Could be similar to what happened here, in the main turn in thread:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=5188576&postcount=440

 

[Conrad -JSW]

Are any of the options on your car worth the 450 $ ?

Nope. Even if they were I didn't remove anything.

 

[jims2321]

I suspect the offer letter had the incorrect numbers. If you use one of the many calculators mention in various threads, the numbers seem to match the actual settlement amount. I had a difference of $590 dollars between the offer letter and the settlement statement, the offer being the higher number.

Now with that said and I would have to ask our legal eagles on this forum to pipe in. Since VW accepted the offer letter and we also agreed to that amount, VW should be on the hook for the amount in the offer letter regardless of any calculation errors.

 

[Airpizz6]

Great..but sad story. Can't make this stuff up. Will go in Chapter 12 of the book I'm writing.

When I bought our Passat, I was at the dealers less than 30 minutes. Guess I will pack a lunch for its buyback day.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

Could be similar to what happened here, in the main turn in thread:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=5188576&postcount=440

Very close to my experience except that my buyback 'specialist' knew less than I did about the process.

 

[usarmy132]

Conrad JSW. Which dealership did you go to?

 

[TDILeo]

Buyback 'ambassador' needs to be promoted to customer.

 

[plap17]

Not sure if there's another thread on this. Not one to quibble, but any idea why the 'final' settlement offer has come in at @525 less than the original August 'estimate'. 16,200 to 15,700. I haven't even hit the original estimated Nov 1 mileage estimate. I am 'pleased' to get what I'm getting for a 2010, but can imagine - angry as many are - people will be pissed off if they begin to receive settlements of several hundred dollars less.

 

[rfortson]

I had the same happen to me with the amounts. Everything else though was quick, polite and efficient.

Settlement ambassador checked me out in about 15 minutes and gave me the receipt. I noted the difference from my offer letter. He said he had seen that a couple of times already and that the offer letter was the binding document. He said to call the hotline and they would issue a second EFT for the difference. Difference was $390.00.

Of course, when I called the hotline tonight, they said I needed to work it through the dealer. After explaining that the dealer told me to call them, and the differences in the amount (I was paid the earlier estimated amount, not the actual offer) she talked to someone else and said they would contact me to resolve it within 3 business days. We'll see.

But yeah, the receipt was for the earlier estimate, not the actual offer. And I know it wasn't a mileage issue as I only drove it to the dealer since getting the offer. Ambassador seemed certain that it was just a glitch that would be easily ironed out. I may give him a call tomorrow as he seemed pretty knowledgeable about the process.

Oh, and I've called the hotline a couple of times. First time (when the system opened up for appointments) took about 10-15 minutes to get to a real person. This time tonight, the total phone time was about 10 minutes to get through the issue and potential resolution. I guess I'm just lucky but I haven't experienced the hours long waits on the phone.


NOTE - I just noticed the link above was to my experience. Sorry to spam this thread with the same info.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

Conrad JSW. Which dealership did you go to?

Took it to Lou Backrodt in Rockford. I hate Rockford but that was the closest VW dealer to my house.

I should have added to my story above that the buyback specialist was VERY polite and tried to do what he could. There's more to my story but that was the gist of it. I will add this though. There were two buyback dudes there. One was brought in from one of the Chicago dealers because the guy who was at the Rockford dealership couldn't get his system to work, at all.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

I had the same happen to me with the amounts. Everything else though was quick, polite and efficient.

Settlement ambassador checked me out in about 15 minutes and gave me the receipt. I noted the difference from my offer letter. He said he had seen that a couple of times already and that the offer letter was the binding document. He said to call the hotline and they would issue a second EFT for the difference. Difference was $390.00.

Of course, when I called the hotline tonight, they said I needed to work it through the dealer. After explaining that the dealer told me to call them, and the differences in the amount (I was paid the earlier estimated amount, not the actual offer) she talked to someone else and said they would contact me to resolve it within 3 business days. We'll see.

But yeah, the receipt was for the earlier estimate, not the actual offer. And I know it wasn't a mileage issue as I only drove it to the dealer since getting the offer. Ambassador seemed certain that it was just a glitch that would be easily ironed out. I may give him a call tomorrow as he seemed pretty knowledgeable about the process.

Oh, and I've called the hotline a couple of times. First time (when the system opened up for appointments) took about 10-15 minutes to get to a real person. This time tonight, the total phone time was about 10 minutes to get through the issue and potential resolution. I guess I'm just lucky but I haven't experienced the hours long waits on the phone.


NOTE - I just noticed the link above was to my experience. Sorry to spam this thread with the same info.

No worries R, we can't have too much info right?

 

[Conrad -JSW]

27 hours after my buyback was competed I received email from Chase Payments allowing me to setup a new account with them and enter my banking info for the EFT. Now a 1 to 3 day wait for the funds.

 

[rfortson]

27 hours after my buyback was competed I received email from Chase Payments allowing me to setup a new account with them and enter my banking info for the EFT. Now a 1 to 3 day wait for the funds.

Same here. Got my Chase email last night after turning mine in the day before. Of course, it's still $390 short, but hey, I'm 98.5% done!

 

[HBarlow]

A similar complaint yesterday for a larger amount was determined by members to result from a changed turn in date. The owner had initially requested a turn-in date in August 2017 but turned the car in early this week.

Same miles but nine months earlier cut the payment over $1000.

Could a changed turn in date be involved in these cases?

 

[chadbag]

A similar complaint yesterday for a larger amount was determined by members to result from a changed turn in date. The owner had initially requested a turn-in date in August 2017 but turned the car in early this week.

Same miles but nine months earlier cut the payment over $1000.

Could a changed turn in date be involved in these cases?

That other screwup looks to be an Audi screwup. They appear to be using the original estimate from July/August and not the OFFER amount listed on the printed offer.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

A similar complaint yesterday for a larger amount was determined by members to result from a changed turn in date. The owner had initially requested a turn-in date in August 2017 but turned the car in early this week.

Same miles but nine months earlier cut the payment over $1000.

Could a changed turn in date be involved in these cases?

Not in my case. My settlement amount was exactly $450 less than the amount on the formal settlement letter that I received from VW and I didn't make any changes to my turn in date.

I'm waiting till the lesser settlement amount makes it into my bank account before I call the claims hotline and complain about it.

 

[HBarlow]

Sending the VWAG agents out to dealers all over the country to act independently to do the buy back transactions without providing them sufficient training to understand the settlement calculations and explain apparent or actual errors and without the ability to obtain immediate corrections from someone in authority is going to create a lot of bad feelings and bad press if not lawsuits.

It occurs to me now that after more than a year of following and discussing all of the latest news and details I have little understanding of who is in charge in the USA and whether there is an office somewhere staffed with actual professionals not call center temp-hires who can be contacted to resolve problems.

 

[JCTDI]

I know this is a dumb question, but I'd never bought a new car before this one. When buying a new car, the dealer just pays the sales tax and passes that on to you.
For the buyback, when do I pay the sales tax on the amount VW is putting in my account? When I turn in my plates to the NJ DMV?

Am I allowed to keep my plates and just put them on whatever used car I end up buying to replace the JSW?

 

[DieselFairy]

How does it work if you end up still owing after the buyback? Does the bank just send you a bill?

 

[DanB36]

How does it work if you end up still owing after the buyback? Does the bank just send you a bill?

No, you need to bring certified funds with you to the appointment.

 

[DanB36]

For the buyback, when do I pay the sales tax on the amount VW is putting in my account?

You don't. Sales tax is paid by buyers, not sellers. It's usually collected by sellers (and then forwarded to the state), but it's the buyers who actually pay it. So, if sales tax is due on your buyback (which it probably won't be), VW has to pay it.

 

[ericy]

Could a changed turn in date be involved in these cases?

Again, I would suggest looking at the tables in the court documents, and working out the expected buyback yourself. And then seeing if the check you got is the same as what you worked out from the court documents.

 

[rfortson]

Not in my case. My settlement amount was exactly $450 less than the amount on the formal settlement letter that I received from VW and I didn't make any changes to my turn in date.

I'm waiting till the lesser settlement amount makes it into my bank account before I call the claims hotline and complain about it.

Was your payment amount the original estimate, like mine? I'm wondering if it's just a computer glitch where the old number is never updated with the official offer amount.

Of course, to be fair, the glitch could have been when they generated the offer letter, but in my mind, that is the binding amount as it's what we (me and VW) both agreed to in the notarized document. Seems like they need to make it right at some point.

 

[DanB36]

in my mind, that is the binding amount as it's what we (me and VW) both agreed to in the notarized document.

As mentioned in the A3 thread, this isn't correct--the payment can, and will, be adjusted if the offer's (unstated) assumptions about mileage and date of return don't match what actually happened. Have you worked the numbers yourself, using your car, your equipment, your mileage, and your date of return? Do they match the offer, the actual amount you got, or something different?

Or, heck, let's do it together. It's a 2012 JSW with the DSG, right? What was the mileage when you returned it? Does it have the Fender system? Sunroof? Nav?

 

[rfortson]

As mentioned in the A3 thread, this isn't correct--the payment can, and will, be adjusted if the offer's (unstated) assumptions about mileage and date of return don't match what actually happened. Have you worked the numbers yourself, using your car, your equipment, your mileage, and your date of return? Do they match the offer, the actual amount you got, or something different?

Or, heck, let's do it together. It's a 2012 JSW with the DSG, right? What was the mileage when you returned it? Does it have the Fender system? Sunroof? Nav?

And, as mentioned in the A3 thread, it says the amount doesn't change if you drive less than 12,500/yr.

Again, the offer letter is the binding document until it is superceded by another document. The amount is pre-determined BEFORE the buyback appointment. There is literally no chance for it to be adjusted at the appointment. At that point it is go/no go. VW literally has no information on which to adjust the payment until the car is at the dealer.

It's a glitch. It will eventually be fixed. I might get my money or not. You're overcomplicating this.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

Was your payment amount the original estimate, like mine? I'm wondering if it's just a computer glitch where the old number is never updated with the official offer amount.

Of course, to be fair, the glitch could have been when they generated the offer letter, but in my mind, that is the binding amount as it's what we (me and VW) both agreed to in the notarized document. Seems like they need to make it right at some point.

I don't remember the exact amount (didn't write it down either) of the original estimate but I think it sounds about right. I think that you're right about the old estimate amount not getting updated to the new amount that was stated in the formal offer letter.

The dough from the buyback made it into my bank account this morning! Less than one day turnaround.

I'll call the claims hotline in the morning and see what's what with the $450 that I was shorted.

 

[DanB36]

You're overcomplicating this.

I don't think so, but I note that you aren't providing any information that would let anyone determine which (if either) number is correct. Because really, the "binding document" is (or are) the settlement agreements approved by the court, and they spell out exactly how the buyback compensation is to be determined. If the offer letter is inconsistent with that calculation, I think you'll find that the approved settlement and value tables will control.

Your offer is based on some combination of mileage at turn-in, and turn-in date. We just don't know what that is.

 

[autdi]

Does anyone have any idea where that $450 went?

The difference between the 30001-35000 bin and 35001-40000 bin is exactly $450. If I were betting on this one, the mileage was wrong or the months was set incorrectly somewhere, you are 2 months off the bin edge at 1042 a month.