Customer sues Isuzu for cheating after paying Rs 15.3 lakh for V-Cross only for firm to close dealership

The year 2017 will go down in the automobile annals in the country as the year of instances of alleged fraud by carmakers and their dealers. With the service centres of companies and carmakers themselves apparently resorting to unethical practices, Indian auto enthusiasts had a handful of cases to talk about.

Also read: Automakers and dealerships that kicked up a storm in 2017: From Baleno RS 'no service' to Jeep showroom customer assault

But if one thought they had heard the last of the cases, here is yet another case of alleged fraud by a dealership. This time around it is Isuzu at which the finger points to. And the case? Taking full payment for the vehicle and failing to deliver it.

One would have understood if there was just a delay in delivering a vehicle, but in this case the customer is pursuing the matter through a court because the company responsible for the delivery has washed its hands off the matter!

Harshwardhan Tapaswi had booked an Isuzu V-Cross was booked in the name of his brother Shrivardhan through Viiraaj Isuzu in Pune. The full payment of Rs 15.3 lakh was made on August 2017, in the hopes that delivery would happen in the next two-three days, as promised by the dealership.

However, the vehicle was not delivered as promised and Shrivardhan got a mail from the general manager of Viiraaj Isuzu, Shashank Kukreja, stating the delivery was delayed due to "internal issues."

Kukreja also promised to deliver the vehicle latest by August 25. The dealership also offered to pay one EMI of the loan that was taken for the purchase of the vehicle from Axis Bank. However, this was not done and the delivery was delayed again.

Meanwhile, local newspapers carried a notice issued by Isuzu stating that the dealership had been withdrawn and it has no right to accept bookings or orders for Isuzu.

"Viiraaj Isuzu has no rights or authority to deal with our products and cannot take any bookings and/or carry out any after sales service or any other dealership operation with respect to the Isuzu brand and its product/services," read the notice published in local newspapers.

Seeing this, Tapaswi sent mails to Isuzu, but all his efforts went in vain. It was after this turn of events that the customer decided to take the matter to court and file a case against the dealer and Isuzu Motors.

Both the company and the dealership did not turn up for the first hearing, and Isuzu later argued that it had no role in the entire case as the deal was between the customer and the dealership.

It must be noted here that the booking was made and the full payment was done before the company declared the withdrawal of the dealership.

It was also revealed that Isuzu India had, in a letter dated August 22, 2017, asked the dealership about the status of 10 pending bookings, including that of the Tapaswis. And the letter also said: "If we do not see positive action on the above by August 24, 2017, IMI will be constrained to adopt measures to protect the interests of the prospective customers."

Source: TeamBHP Forum