VW Offering Owners $2,000 “Loyalty Bonus” For Buying A New Car, Sticking With The Company
The hundreds of thousands of consumers still waiting to hear just how Volkswagen plans to fix their “clean diesel” vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests could simply go buy a new automobile from the carmaker — you know, one that isn’t affected by the scandal. Or at least that’s what it appears VW is saying with the launch of an “Owner Loyalty Bonus” program.
The embattled automaker quietly launched the program this week with the aim of persuading vehicle owners to stay with the company by offering them what everyone presumably wants: money.
The Owner Loyalty Bonus campaign, which expires Nov. 2, offers a $2,000 incentive on the purchase or lease of new model year 2015 and 2016 vehicles.
The deal extends to any individual who currently owns a VW, or anyone in that person’s family as long as they live at the same address.
Of course, the company understands consumers probably don’t want one of vehicles with “defeat device” software.
In fact, it continues to abide by a stop-sale of new and pre-owned diesel vehicles put in place shortly after the EPA announced on Sept. 18 that the vehicles spewed harmful pollutants at 40 times the allowable standards during normal driving conditions.
And so, according to the company’s website, the incentive can only be used on gas-powered or hybrid Jetta, Passat, CC, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Eos, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, e-Golf, Golf SportWagen, Tiguan, and Touareg models. Although, it remains to be seen whether or not VW’s gas vehicles could be touched by the emissions scandal.
The Los Angeles Times points out that the campaign hasn’t exactly been sitting well with owners of vehicles that contain the defeat devices.
One California resident says she has no plans to take VW up on its offer – or stick with the company in the future.
“They could give me a VW for free and I wouldn’t take it,” she tells the L.A. Times, noting that she’s already embarrassed to be seen in her current Sportwagen TDI.
“Everyone knows you’re driving this horrible machine,” she said. “I’m not partaking of any of it. I feel like I was betrayed by the brand, and I’m not doing any more business with them.”
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