As of: January 24, 2024, 8:50 p.m
By: Amy Walker
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The issue of environmental bonuses is not something that car manufacturer Skoda Germany is letting go of.
Many customers are suddenly not yet granted the bonus payout.
The company denies this.
Berlin – “I have never experienced anything like what happened with Skoda, such deliberately misleading communication and false self-representation in public at the expense of individual customers.” With this sentence, Stefan Schmiedt ends his email to the car manufacturer, from which he received his in September 2023 ordered the car.
It's about the 3,000 euro environmental bonus, which was first canceled by the traffic light coalition and now - indirectly - by the car manufacturer itself.
The email is available to
Ippen.Media
– and it is one of many.
Stefan Schmiedt is one of many dismayed customers who contacted this editorial team last week because they lost the 3,000 euros.
They feel cheated - but Skoda Germany rejects the allegations.
In a statement to the editorial team, the car manufacturer says: over 90 percent of customer vehicles receive the bonus.
“This means that there is a positive solution for the vast majority of customer cases.
Only a few cases are not entitled to goodwill."
Environmental bonus was suddenly canceled from the traffic lights
Of course, the story begins somewhere else, namely with the traffic light government.
Due to the federal government's financial difficulties, the environmental bonus, which was divided between the car manufacturer and the government until December 2023, was canceled out of nowhere.
Many customers who were actually expecting a bonus of at least 3,000 euros suddenly found themselves without one.
An outcry followed - and in the days that followed, almost every car manufacturer committed to guaranteeing the environmental bonus for the customers that they had actually expected.
Skoda Germany was also one of them.
“This goodwill regulation – beyond the fixed manufacturer share of the bonus – is a reaction to the completely surprising political decision, which has led to great uncertainty among customers,” says Skoda now.
In its press release dated December 19, 2023, the car manufacturer writes: “Skoda, together with participating dealers, will also cover the state bonus share for models already ordered with a delivery date in 2024.”
What the message also says: The environmental bonus is only granted if the dealer contributes 50 percent of the costs, i.e. covers 1,500 euros himself.
And not all retailers can do that, which is why some customers have now found out that the bonus will not be paid to them at all.
Customers feel tricked by Skoda Germany
That causes frustration.
The customers who have had their environmental bonus canceled for the second time - first by the traffic light government and then by Skoda Germany - feel like they have been tricked.
With Skoda's press release, they had hope that they would still get the money - only to find out that their dealer wasn't participating or couldn't participate.
Electromobility in SUV form: The Skoda Enyaq iV also comes in coupe form (right).
© Skoda Auto/dpa-tmn
Because a dealer share of 50 percent is high – higher than with other manufacturers.
Exactly how much car dealers from other manufacturers have to pay is usually not publicly known.
However, figures between 20 and 30 percent are usually heard from informed circles.
And car dealers are often not happy about that either.
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When asked, Skoda Germany emphasizes several times: “Only a few cases are not eligible for goodwill because the responsible dealer does not want to take part in the measure.” So: We cannot do anything about the fact that the dealer does not want to take part.
Skoda can't help it that the traffic lights allowed the environmental bonus to expire so suddenly.
The dealers see it completely differently: The car manufacturer's approach and the high level of participation "leaves us speechless - especially in view of the fact that this press release, which is very effective in advertising, was neither previously communicated to the dealer, nor its content or even the general conditions agreed with the Skoda dealer partners have been made,” said a dealer in a message to their customers.
Skoda customers describe anger and annoyance
In the end, however, it is precisely those who are now suffering.
“The 3,000 euros correspond to about a month’s salary; I am the main earner in a family of five.
For the 3,000 euros we would have liked to go on vacation during the summer holidays, which will probably have to be canceled now,” writes one of those affected in a message to this editorial team.
“I am extremely disappointed with Skoda.”
Another customer writes: “The fact that the dealer doesn't (can't) participate in this is absolutely understandable to me.
But why doesn't Skoda at least contribute a half share of 1,500 euros, even if the dealer doesn't participate?" From his point of view, this would be necessary as a "compensation" for the long delivery times that he also had to accept as a customer.
Another affected person explains that he is not entitled to receive the bonus because his vehicle was actually not supposed to arrive until March 2024 and that falls outside the conditions.
He signed the contract for the car in August 2023, and it arrived at the dealership in mid-December - much earlier than planned.
“Skoda informed us that the planned delivery from March 2024 was postponed to December 2023 due to increased production and that we could then receive the 4,500 euros instead of the planned 3,000 euros.
The car dealership, on the other hand, now says that I will not receive an environmental bonus because the first target delivery date was in March 24 and I am therefore not eligible for it.
Skoda customer care
In an interview with this editorial team, Skoda Germany says that customers can always contact customer service if they have any questions.
If necessary, individual solutions can be examined.
The email address is: kundenbetreuung@skoda-auto.de
Violation of “ethical principles”
Stefan Schmiedt, another affected customer, said in an interview with this editorial team that he had even contacted a lawyer.
He informed him that they could check whether there was a violation of ethical principles here.
There is no breach of contract, after all, Skoda Germany has not made any legally binding promises.
In addition, it was public from the outset how high the dealer share would be - even if this was apparently not discussed directly with the dealers.
“If you lie once, you won’t believe it.
Skoda is clearly damaging its reputation here,” says Schmiedt.
Skoda, on the other hand, sticks to its position.
According to the press spokesman, there is nothing that can be done about how “some customers interpreted the press release.”