Volkswagen is making up for its emissions scandal like an absent father atoning for a missed birthday — with gift cards!
If you are one of the 482,000 people who purchased a small diesel-powered VW that emits far more nitrogen oxide than originally advertised, you will soon receive $1,000 in gift cards and vouchers, reports the Associated Press.
An anonymous VW dealer told the AP that the thousand dollars will be doled out in the form of one $500 Visa debit card that can be spent on anything and one $500 voucher for oil changes, service, or merchandise from licensed VW dealers. The company said it will also provide free roadside assistance on their diesel vehicles for the next three years.
From 2009 and 2015, VW sold four-cylinder diesels equipped with secret software that switched on pollution controls during government testing but repressed them when the cars were actually on the road. The Environmental Protection Agency believes the cars emit 10 to 40 times the legal limit for nitrogen oxide. VW has already invited every owner of an affected car to trade in their little ozone-destroyer for $2,000 and a new vehicle. The vouchers and gift cards would provide an additional $1,000 and come with “no strings attached,” meaning owners could take the money and still participate in class-action lawsuits against the company.
