Volkswagen dealers in the US have filed a class action lawsuit against the auto concern, accusing the company of violating dealer agreements. The proceedings began in the federal court of Virginia. The plaintiffs were Sunrise Imports LLC dealerships from New York and Curran Volkswagen Inc. from Connecticut, representing the interests of the brand's dealer network.
The reason for the lawsuit was the sales strategy of the revived Scout Motors brand. According to dealers, the company is actually a division of Volkswagen, created to circumvent existing agreements with the dealer network.
The main complaint concerns the sales model of future Scout electric vehicles. The company plans to sell the Terra pickup and the Traveler SUV directly via the Internet, without the participation of car dealerships. Buyers will be able to place an order on the website and make a prepayment without visiting a dealership.
Production of Scout vehicles is scheduled for 2027. At the same time, more than 150 thousand preliminary orders have already been collected for the new models.
Dealers believe that this sales scheme will deprive them of income from transactions. This is not only about commission from the sale of cars, but also about related services, including loan processing, insurance, service and repair.
According to the plaintiffs, potential losses to the dealer network could reach billions of dollars, taking into account the growing demand for electric vehicles. The lawsuit also states that Volkswagen is using the Scout brand as a legal mechanism to circumvent obligations to dealers who have been involved in the development of the concern's business in the US market for many years.
