Post-Booking to Pre-Delivery
Now you have paid the booking amount, have the CRM booking number and cant wait to drive your very own Nexon. Suddenly you get a call from the dealership to make full payment, so that they can proceed with the registration formalities. Should you rush with your cheque book and ask them to register? Do read and save your hard earned money.
Dealers often call and tell you that the truck is at the outskirts of the city or they tell you that the car is their yard at the outskirts of the city. and tell you to make payment immediately. Don't fall for this trick.
If the above statement is genuine, they'll allow you to visit the yard and look at the car. Do it. Would you marry someone without looking at them in person? You won't right. So why should you pay money for a car that you aren't allowed to see. See the car in person and then pay.
The yard is usually well outside city limits for two reasons. a) Rent / land is cheaper outside city limits and b) Car-carrier trucks are allowed 24X7 outside city limits, so taking stock is easier without police / RTO intervention.
Common tricks used by dealers are "truck has started from the factory", "truck is enroute" , "truck is at the border of the state", "truck is outside the city limits", "truck is at the dealer yard " etc. Don't fall for these tricks and don't trust them blindly. They could be right but they could be wrong also. There are instances where dealer has lied to the customer and the truck location was just a gimmick.
After hearing the above, many people have trusted the dealer and paid. After payment, the same truck "met with an accident", "had a major mechanical failure", "axle broke", "Was stopped by police", "was seized by RTO", "Commercial tax authorities stopped the truck for checks", "authorities have stopped the truck for no reason and are demanding bribe" and the best excuse of all "vehicle arrived but your car was found damaged in transit when unloaded at the yard". You get the rift right :-).
Another common trick dealer says is that they wont allow anyone in their yard other than employees. Customers aren't allowed to drive inside yard. All you need to say is that you don't want to drive but just check the vehicle inside out. They are liable to show you the vehicle before registration.
Never pay a rupee more than the booking amount however pressure the dealers put. They would even threaten to give your car to someone else. Don't fall for this trick.
Check the VIN (vehicle Identification Number) and ensure the manufacturing date is current. Avoid old vehicles and those that have been parked for a couple of months.
Once your loan is approved, instruct your Bank/NBFC/Financier to disburse the money after your confirmation only. Do not give them a blanket go ahead to transfer when asked by the dealer.
Check the vehicle at the yard and note down the VIN number of the car and then mail the dealership to register that particular can in your name. If you don't capture VIN number, the dealer can give your car to someone else and you wont even know it. VIN number is unique to each car, so they cant cheat you.
Note down the odometer reading at the yard.
Check this VIN number on the day of delivery. There are instances where the dealer handed over the vehicle of a normal customer to someone with political, police or goon influence. Once you send an email, it becomes a record and they are legally liable if they err, be it knowingly or unknowingly. If dealerships want to please politicians, policemen and goons, let them do it with dealership's money and not with our hard-earned taxed money.
Once you have seen the vehicle and captured the VIN number, mail the dealer and ask them to proceed with registration. instruct your bank to release the payment. Financiers nowadays usually transfer the payment through electronic format to the dealer within half-a-day for pre-approved loans.
Clearly mail the sales executive and the dealership and instruct them NOT to stick the FASTAG sticker on the windshield. Ask them to hand it over to you in packaged condition. We cannot peel and re-stick the fastag sticker, if we decide to put front sun film like 3M CR70. If peeled, the FASTAG will be damaged and you would need to procure a new one by paying around 300/-, depending on your vendor.
Click here to download an excel copy of our exclusive Pre-delivery checklist
Nowadays, due to heavy demand of Nexon, Dealers are asking for payment even before the vehicle has left the factory. If one doesn't pay, dealers threaten that your booking would be given to the next person in que. What do you need to do in such a scenario.
Points to Ponder:
Invoice is just a piece of paper for collecting money from you and generating the invoice doesn't guarantee you'll get the car. There are hidden terms that invoice can be made null and void, without intimating the customer. Example, say your car is invoiced and is in transit. Let's say the truck was swept away in a flood and your car got damaged beyond repair due to flood. Now, what do you think is logical, giving a new car or giving the same flooded car, as it was invoiced to you. New car would be the obvious option. Just because it is invoiced, doesn't mean it is set in stone.
It is a customer's right to see the product that he is getting, before paying 10+ lacs. Dealer and Tata cannot push you to pay, without seeing the car or the car arriving at the yard.
If the dealer talks about delay in payment, tell them that the payment will be released in 2 hours of you doing the PDI at the yard. Electronic transfers happen in 2 hrs from the bank's side, upon your go-ahead.
Give the dealer and analogy - We can't marry someone, without looking at them in person. Similarly, we cannot pay 10+ lacs for a car without looking at it in person.
The dealer is asking money from you just to keep it in his pocket and rotate it. There is nothing that can be done by the dealer to speed-up your delivery. The challan, DD and all other charges are done only after the vehicle reaches the yard. It takes it's own sweet time to complete the formalities and deliver your car. Please do not expect speedy service just because you paid before-hand. Neither will the truck drive faster, neither will the dealer keep the demand draft and challan ready or neither will they keep the paperwork ready. It will take it's own time, just as you would pay the money post PDI. This is similar to Airtel Express stores. The name express indicates service might be faster but in reality they take their own time and there is nothing "express" about it.
The next steps:
Email Tata Motors customer care and mention your ordeal to them. Tell them it is customer's right to look at the product before paying for it. It is Tata or their representative's obligation to show the product you are paying for. Include facts like nothing can be done by the dealer till the vehicle reaches the yard and you will pay once the PDI is done(Cash or loan is the same). Their mail ID is customercare@tatamotors.com.
If you do not get a good response, email the customer care head Mr. Dimple Mehta (Contact details will be shared with TNOC members)
You will be routed to the Territory sales manager / Zonal Manager / Regional Manager. (Contact details will be shared with TNOC members)
They will help you out with the issue.
If you still face issues, you can reach back to Dimple.