Dec 04, 2020 07:30 PM
908 Views
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
WE HAVE BEEN MENTALLY HARASSED AND NON-WORKABLE SOLUTIONS GIVEN BY EMPLOYEES OF HIGHWAY HONDA SHOWROOM, PATIA, BHUBANESWAR, AFTER OUR NEW CAR WAS APPARENTLY DAMAGED “IN TRANSIT”
This complaint is regarding my recent interaction with Honda Cars.
Background:
Around 3-4 weeks back, our car stopped working, which was most probably a belated effect of the Lockdown. My wedding is scheduled for 11th December. As you know, a house with a wedding has lots of work and hence the absence of a car became a handicap for us. Hence, in our search for a car, I finally reached Highway Honda, Patia, Bhubaneswar showroom around 20th-21st November 2020.
What Happened:
The features of the car were explained by a Mr. Amlan in a demo car outside the showroom, after which we went inside the showroom. There, his senior, Mr. Ashutosh came over and explained the same features again and told me that I need to get back to them by late evening, as Honda doesn’t keep any stock of their cars and orders go every Monday to their factory, as and when a refundable booking amount of Rs. 11, 000 is paid. I also explicitly mentioned that since the wedding is on 11th December, I would need the car by 5th/6th December, max. I was assured that that would be the case. I asked them for some time and excused myself. Post intensive discussions at home, we decided to go for a Red Honda Amaze VMT. The VMT is the model just one model below the highest model. The VMT doesn’t have 2-3 features that the highest model has, but we decided that we did not need those features and hence opted for the VMT Model.
I got a call on Monday to enquire about our decision. I told Amlan that we will get back soon. So, on Tuesday, 24th November, I visited the showroom to discuss the financials(discounts and everything), which was explained to me in detail by Amlan and Miss Priyanka. Now, Miss Priyanka added that their orders go to the factory on 5th, 15th and 25th of every month and hence it was important for me to give the booking amount of 11K by 25th first half. This would also ensure that I get the car by 5th/6th December. I went back home to discuss the same with my family. I called up Amlan that I would be taking a test drive of the Amaze on the 25th morning and make my decision accordingly. So, I had a good test drive and decided to give the refundable booking amount of Rs. 11, 000. I received a receipt for the same. I gave a cheque for Rs. 11, 000. So far so good.
Now things become stranger and start going downhill:
2 days later, on 27th November, I got a call from Ms. Priyanka. She said that since the car would be delivered in December, I would miss out on the November offers by just 4-5 days. Hence, to avail of the November offers, it would be better if I could make the payment by 28th November(as 29th was a Sunday and 30th was a public holiday in Odisha for the occasion of Kartik Purnima). There was NO mention of this while discussing the financials and also when I paid the booking amount on 25th November. It felt a bit strange. Nevertheless, we rejigged our entire expenses(which were planned due to the wedding) and decided to pay the entire amount, as the discounts were quite attractive. I went on 28th and handed over the cheque for the entire balance amount. I received a receipt for the same. I was assured that they had the Engine Number and Chassis number of the new car and they would give me the same on Tuesday, 1st December, as it was currently with the Area Manager. Please note that we had now started forming all our plans around the delivery of the car on the 5th/6th of December.
On 1st December, in the afternoon, I got a call from Mr. Ashutosh telling me that the car has been damaged in transit. So, there were 3 options. Option 1: We wait for the car, which will now be delivered around 15th December. Option 2: We get the entire amount refunded. Option 3: We can pay Rs. 60, 000 extra and buy the highest model of the Amaze, which they would deliver the very next day. I told them that I had no requirement for the highest model and I also didn’t have a budget for the extra 60, 000. So, there was a long discussion, after which Ashutosh offered extra accessories worth over Rs. 40, 000(Rs. 46, 500 to be precise). Over multiple calls, I told them that I didn’t need the accessories and instead if they could adjust this amount in the 60K extra that they were asking. They said “No”. I also asked them to check with other Honda franchises in and around Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, but apparently, there was only 1 Red Honda Amaze VMT in transit for the entire Twin Cities area. My sister spoke with them too. But they did not budge from these 3 close-endedclose-endedin which we, the customers, would be the eventual losers, whichever option we choose. We told them that we did not have the 60, 000 budget and that they needed to provide us a solution. It’s been 2 days and there is still no solution. We called them yesterday afternoon again(they did not call) and then they revised the Delivery Date(again) to 24th December 2020, which is extremely late for us. We told them to provide a car till the time they could deliver the car and to that, too, they refused just on 3rd December, after which I posted this on Twitter and Facebook.
Attaching the Money Receipts(Booking and Full Amount) and Contract Copy, where the Delivery Date is clearly mentioned
