Volkswagen ordered to compensate UK customers as recall plans run late
Volkswagen’s efforts to regain the public’s trust in the wake of the emissions scandal have incurred further costs after the company was ordered to compensate its British customers.
The Department for Transport called out the German car manufacturer over a “discrepancy in compensation" between its UK and US customers. Volkswagen car owners in the US who were affected by the fraud emission claims received $1,000 worth of gift vouchers to "encourage loyalty" however their UK counterparts have so far received nothing.
Volkswagen claimed that the reason for this was due to the fact that US motorists were in a "very different position" to those in Europe because engine configurations were not the same.
Ministers have been unwilling to accept the response and are now pressing the company to act. Roads minister, Andrew Jones, said the government “expects Volkswagen to treat its UK customers fairly” and was “pressing” the manufacturer to address the issue.
Jones’ comments follow on from reports that the timetable for fixing cars in Britain and the rest of the EU is already starting to slip. The company had previously stated that it hoped to begin recalling affected cars in January or February of this year however it has yet to begin the process.
Volkswagen said that it had not received approval from the authority for the recall but hoped that it would do so this week.