Volkswagen ad....wow.

[zx10guy]

I have mixed feelings about that ad they put out. While I get the message, the way the ad was put together gives me the feeling they were reluctant to even put out a public message. Why the small font? It's like they wanted to whisper their apology hoping that no one hears it (or in this case reads it) and then they can say openly (at least to themselves) we did our part in admitting it to the public.

In regards to only the environmentalist being hurt statement, I take issue with that too. We all got hurt by VW cheating. It's not vodoo science that NOx is a real concern in terms of air quality issues. And to be clear, I'm not an out right tree hugger either.

[Needbmwpartzz]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I have mixed feelings about that ad they put out. While I get the message, the way the ad was put together gives me the feeling they were reluctant to even put out a public message. Why the small font? It's like they wanted to whisper their apology hoping that no one hears it (or in this case reads it) and then they can say openly (at least to themselves) we did our part in admitting it to the public.

In regards to only the environmentalist being hurt statement, I take issue with that too. We all got hurt by VW cheating. It's not vodoo science that NOx is a real concern in terms of air quality issues. And to be clear, I'm not an out right tree hugger either.

Good eye....I didn't even notice the tiny font.......I imagine a dog trying to hide with tail between legs as owner scolds him for raiding garbage.

[Meeni]

Looks like lip service on a pig. At this point, nobody got charged/convicted for all the BS that went on at their company. They offered a mere coupon to owner they stole by selling them non-conforming vehicles with a challenged future on the road, at any place where there is regular emission testing.

Saying you're sorry and putting on the crododile tears is not being sorry, it's blatant, and must I say obscene, PR, for as long as the owners have not been made whole, and the fines paid.

[zx10guy]

Maybe VW needs to learn how to admit to the problem and resolve it the way Mazda did with the RX8s.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money...rbuyback_x.htm

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 3GFX

First off, they've had worse PR


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Second. I've worked in finance in the last 8 years and recently took up a position at a VW/Audi dealership. I also own 3 Vdubs currently.

In all honesty every individual and every company screws up at some point. From finance, to petroleum, automotive and even toys. Remember when we found out Thomas the tank engine toys were covered in lead paint only a couple years ago? They didn't replace the toy, and they didn't offer incentives. They apologizes and played the "oh well in China where its made" card.

It's how you own your screw up. They are trying to come to resolve with their clients and this was just the start in terms of arming customers with a place to go for more information.

If all clients thought about what was done for a second...

They cheated because the expectation for the engines was set too high and VW ambitiously thought they would have good emissions while providing power and mileage. You can't have all 3, especially in the short time frame expected by governments. Why do you think diesel motors in North America are rare in small engine sizes. The US fuel quality is junk to boot. VW cheated, for their benefit AND their clients. Better power and better mileage. Only the true environmentalists are the ones who do not benefit.

So VW is trying to rectify. They are offering all sorts of incentives along with future repairs to the problem. From software to full out part replacements. The average person will get more money from VW now than they would have from a class action law suit or what they will lose in depreciation.

VW is not the only company to make a mistake, and they are owning it. That's what's important.

This is far from over; but IMHO they are on the right track.

LOL

[3GFX]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Then why is the acting head of the supervisory board trying to shove the blame to the engineers and technicians?
Does he really think that the public is thàt thick that they believe that? That the engineers where acting on their own account? That some technicians thought hey, lets program in a special mapping that fools the test although that is not allowed but it could aid in hundreds of millions of profit but we won't tell anyone of the management of it?
That there wasn't any board decision involved....
Do you believe that?

That press statement had no decency what so ever.
As company head you cannot blame your employees on such matter in a press conference. I'm sure you understand that.
This is Management 101 really.....

I'm sure there was a bunch of levels in hierarchy that okayed the decision to manipulate software. I'm in full agreement that passing the blame onto the actual people who had their fingers on the keyboards and cars is unfortunate but that's generally how bureaucracy works isn't it?

The original CEO stepped down and took ownership:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2236471/vo...-down-reports/

As I said previous, I think it's how they recover with the clients. They should ideally just stop passing the buck (true or not).

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by 3GFX

I'm in full agreement that passing the blame onto the actual people who had their fingers on the keyboards and cars is unfortunate but that's generally how bureaucracy works isn't it?

Maybe internally, but to the outside (I understood this was a quote from a press conference) it is not done for a CEO or other top manager to blame lower personell.
Lower personell doesnt carry responsibility (at least not on this scope), has no mandate to make responsibility decisions and isn't paid for that responsibility either. Just as a soldier isn't responsible for a war.
Like in this management 101:
http://www.comparebusinessproducts.c...-rules-leaders
rule 84 or 88. Or any decent upbringing should learn you that....

The original quote from Berthold Huber is this:
“The test manipulations are a moral and political disaster for Volkswagen. The unlawful behaviour of engineers and technicians involved in engine development shocked Volkswagen just as much as it shocked the public. We can only apologise and ask our customers, the public, the authorities and our investors to give us a chance to make amends.”

In other words rephrased: "we are shocked and didnt know that those evil engineers and technicians implemented a shadow mapping to deliberately and knowingly fool the test. We're sorry...."
This is a very low and very poor statement for a board head that is being paid millions a year for expertise...
He actually accuses those people of unlawful behaviour, but that can not be the case in this matter. It is VAG ag as a company that has comitted unlawful behaviour. But with a statement like this he's trying to steer away from that.

[Bbb34]

What else can they possibly do ? There's not much that's "great" or "noble" about this ad.

Yes they messed up badly, they got caught and this is pretty much the only thing they can do now.

However, my personal take is that they are "too big to fail" (sounds familiar anyone ?) and that they'll get out of this with some fines and profit loses, but be "just OK" when all is said and done. I personally know people who have purchased their vehicles since, and few that plan to. Their cars have always been good value for the money. With some significant discounts due to this, I think people will continue to buy them - there's no better apology like huge discounts, general population usually reacts positively to those

[Red Bread]

But there's the problem. Significant discounts would be great, but their dealer network won't budge off of MSRP on GTI's or Golf R's. You know those will still be effected in terms of resale. I tried to talk reason into a dealer a few months ago and bought something else after getting nowhere. Glad to see their sales are down 24.7%.

[Bbb34]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

But there's the problem. Significant discounts would be great, but their dealer network won't budge off of MSRP on GTI's or Golf R's.

And all that tells you is that people aren't upset enough by all this, because clearly someone is still buying them at MSRP prices. That's why I believe they will be "fine" as a company in the end, whether they deserve to be is up for discussion. People tend to have short memories in cases like these.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Bbb34

And all that tells you is that people aren't upset enough by all this, because clearly someone is still buying them at MSRP prices. That's why I believe they will be "fine" as a company in the end, whether they deserve to be is up for discussion. People tend to have short memories in cases like these.

Oh yeah, they'll be fine. Toyota is back to being the largest, and they actually directly killed people.

If it happened to Lotus, or Tesla, it would probably be the end, but VW is huge. Hell, Audi certainly survived (not really) unintended acceleration.

[Doc Oc]

Too apologetic? I didn't see an apology at all. They took responsibility but they didn't apologize.

Lol at the guy who said he didn't care about the extra emissions...it was the tax evasion that bothered him. Nice.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Needbmwpartzz

I don't know what to say about this ad......but basically is begging to be forgiven.
What's everyone thoughts on this?
Too soon....too apologetic or the right thing......in not too sure this makes me feel warm and fuzzy or would even sway me to even consider this company now.

I like it, show some accountability.

What do you want them to do? Pretend nothing is happening or deny the allegations it admitted they did, in fact, commit?

[Needbmwpartzz]

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

Too apologetic? I didn't see an apology at all. They took responsibility but they didn't apologize.

Lol at the guy who said he didn't care about the extra emissions...it was the tax evasion that bothered him. Nice.

Ya....you won't hear about(or will)till after the case.

[Needbmwpartzz]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

I like it, show some accountability.

What do you want them to do? Pretend nothing is happening or deny the allegations it admitted they did, in fact, commit?

I think this ad is done very poorly(they probably would have done better if pretending nothing happened)but I guess this is just damage control and will be cheaper to apologize to gain sympathy/support than actually paying the true cost of their wrong doing.....they should reimburse all who were duped and pay what is owed by their own mistakes.....as any other member of society does when caught making a boo boo!

[bueller]

I have a soon to be gone VW Touareg.

My resale value is 10K off what it was pre scandal.

VW has pretty much said go F yourself, not our problem.

While I have really liked their cars in the past, I can't see myself buying another one for several reasons. Firstly, while I have always felt German cars are more appealing than domestic manufacturers for their design and engineering, the gap is narrowing. From an engineering standpoint, the quality of the drivetrains on domestic cars have become very reliable, they have a bit to go on driving dynamics. Looking at design, European, particularly German cars are dialing up the bling, look at the new 7 series, not for me, I like understated. BMW and Audi used to be subtle and tasteful, I find they have become flashier with a lot of plastic chrome, something I expect on a Buick. Getting back to VW, their cars have been becoming cheaper feeling with every generation. I had, and loved a 2012 MK6 Golf, I drove the MK7 and between the horrible electric power steering, and the overall cheap-ification of the entire car, I found it really unappealing. Loosing 10k on my current car directly relating to their cheat-y software / engineers / management, then their official stance being "there are many factors that affect the value of cars in the used market" does not get me very excited about the prospect of buying another Volkswagen.

Their sales are down 25% in November.

While it is not in my nature to wish ill upon others, if they go tits up, I will not be able to not feel Schadenfreude. I am sure this is not going to happen as the government, and very powerful people own a huge chunk of VAG. I am kind of hoping they have to sell Porsche, which is doubtful.

I think just as Johnson & Johnson is studied on how to handle a scandal / tragedy from their unfortunate experience with their product being tampered with. Volkswagen will be a case study on how not to handle a fraud / scandal / malfeasance.

This advertisement comes out almost 2 months after the story broke. It seems to me they were keeping a low profile to gage the likelihood of the thing blowing over. Unfortunately for them, it does not seem to be dispersing as quickly as they would like. It seems like there has been a steady flow of mostly bad news for them hitting the media every couple of days. It does not help that their original statement said they were putting all their cards on the table, but since then there has been a steady stream of jokers.

B.

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Oh yeah, they'll be fine. Toyota is back to being the largest, and they actually directly killed people.

If it happened to Lotus, or Tesla, it would probably be the end, but VW is huge. Hell, Audi certainly survived (not really) unintended acceleration.

GM has the clear record for killing people with ignition switches, it's not even close.

[Viffermike]

To those equating VW with Nazi Germany: Stop it. It has almost nothing to do with what VW is now, just as what BMW produces now has almost nothing to do with the R75 sidecar motorcycle and all those Focke-Wulfs, Junkers, and Heinkels for which BMW supplied aircraft engines -- built largely by what amounted to slave labor, incidentally ...

Don't forget that VW has a long history of effective advertising, beginning with the fabled DDD "Think Small" ads of the late 1950s. This ad had to happen, and that it took as long as it did to appear gives the impression that it's not a 'knee-jerk' gesture by the company. That's a positive, and that's almost certainly part of the damage control strategy. Too much of anything at any one time is bad.

All VWAG cares about is sales and profit margin. It doesn't care about its own culpability, no matter at what level it actually occurred or was authorized from. Most large corporations are like this. The big difference between this and most of the other things mentioned in this thread is that it was caught doing something on purpose to cheat governments. The victims here aren't you and I or anybody with a beating heart with a life that can be snuffed out by an improperly designed part failing, or somesuch. The victim, if one can really be identified, is regulation -- a far more potentially powerful and touchy force.

Bottom line: the ad is meant to express regret to save sales, both in the short term and in the long term. Most of the rest of VWAG's rescue strategy isn't going to be known to us because it's likely happening behind tall doors and glass walls, both internally and with various regulatory entities. All VW can do and should do for consumers is show reasonable effort to control itself to save sales. That's what the ad means by 'trust'.

[DDD31]

Now VW is owning up to it??? WTF?!?! VW is doing the usual corporate mea culpa yet only a handful of upper management have been fired (and they'll be sure to get a big fat severance package for their great service to VW). They're no different than GM with their ignition switch problems where all GM got was a fine even though there were hundreds of deaths. Typical large corporate management that throws underlings under the bus and management always acts like they had no idea what was going on.

Having owned multiple VWs throughout my lifetime, I'm very saddened that instead of doing the right thing they decided to cheat the system to maximize profits. I always felt that the Germans were above such shenanigans when it comes to auto manufacturing but apparently the mighty dollar is all that matters.

I'm sure most people could care less about this scandal as long as they can get a "great" deal on their next car purchase. Sad indeed....