I booked a Honda City car with Automax Honda (Mayapuri, New Delhi) in the month of Feb ’09 by duly signing up their booking form. Since I needed the car urgently for the occasion of my wedding, I asked to arrange for a delivery in 3 days time & I was assured the same saying that they will arrange for the loan in 2-3 working days & I should pay the down payment immediately with an assurance that I will not cancel the booking.
I paid an amount of Rs 400000 (four lacs only) Along with all the documents that were required hoping to see the car very soon.
The day arrived when I was expecting the car but I got a call saying that its taking more time to get the formalities done so we can send the car for u to see & take a test drive which will come back to us & u will get the delivery once the paper work for the loan is completed. (Had I known this, I wd have booked the car else where but to achieve their sales target these people said & did all sorts of things.
Now it was more than a week & I did not get the car but was constantly asked to give some or the other document for the loan purpose.
I went out of town & when I came back I was asked to give the current years IT returns, when I submitted that I was asked to give the computation for the same, when I gave that I was asked to give my brothers ownership proof, my mothers pan card copy & what not.
Now when I go to the dealers showroom on the 2nd of April with another document that was asked a day before, Im being told that the loan will get approved without any problem but the price of the cars has just increased by the Honda company a day before so I will have to pay a hike of about Rs 35000 (Rupees thirty-five thousand only).
I was shocked to know this as this was least expected after all the turmoil.
I wanted to meet the manager who was unavailable that day so I was told that I will get a call from them telling when to come to meet the manager.
4 days gone & I did not get any call so I just sent a mail on the Id given in their card.
After a gap of a day I got a call from the customer care responding to my Email where in I told the whole issue to the lady who called up & I was given assurance to take care of my concerns.
Then I called up the executive who was communicating with me right from the beginning telling that what they are doing is un ethical & I wd like to come & sort this out.
The gentleman was on leave & asked me to come on Monday (13th April).
I reached the showroom on Monday but the dealing executive was again not in the showroom but finally the Manager bothered to meet me.
When I told the Manager that I have booked the car at a certain price & u have taken almost half the cost of the car at that time & the money is still lying with your company.
How can u ask me to pay a hike for a booking which was at a lesser cost?
This manager took me to his cabin & started behaving as if Im asking him to give me the car for free. He not very politely, told me very straight that I will have to pay the extra cost since it is written in the booking form that the rates at the time of delivery will prevail.
I told him that they generally take about 10-15 thousand for the booking so this is applicable but I had paid 4 lacs & if they were not able to arrange a loan facility over the counter, they could have simply asked me to arrange for my loan on my own & at least they should have given me a written intimation saying that the prices are going to be increased & the booking will get cancelled or renewed with the new price….. The argument was leading to nowhere so I just came out saying I will let u know about my decision on the same.
This time I mailed the customer care telling them that they should at least learn how to deal with a customer. When a person pays a sum of 4lacs for a product worth abt 8 lacs,
by signing any agreement then both sides are bound & committed & the rates are frozen until there’s a written termination of the agreement or booking.
The delay for the loan is their laps as they had assured me a loan facility over the counter in 2-3 working days & I was never told about any delays & was neither asked to manage the loan on my own.
Neither did I get any written intimation of the price hike nor any phone call for the same.
If today I pay this difference (hiked price of 35000/-) the dealers will continue playing games with the customers, wasting their precious time & harassing them for no reasons.
They should not commit falsely & should follow ethical business practice.
A common man should never suffer for someone’s zest for selling big & making big bucks.
If this is the way they treat the buyers of their product, one can imagine what will be their after sales services.
Pls let me know the solution as I have still not come out of the mess.
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