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Why millions of drivers in Spain can claim back €2,000+ on their cars

The Local (news@thelocal.com)
The Local ([email protected])
Why millions of drivers in Spain can claim back €2,000+ on their cars
The average claim compensation is expected to be about €2,500 for affected vehicle owners. Photo: Justin Sullivan/AFP

If you bought a car in Spain between 2006 and 2013, you could be entitled to claim back at least €2,000 after authorities picked up on fraudulent behaviour at hundreds of car dealerships across the country.

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The dealerships, in coordination with major car brands including Citroen, BMW, Fiat, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen, among others, shared pricing information that effectively created a market ‘cartel’ and overcharged an estimated 10 million buyers between 2006 and 2013, who reportedly paid between €2,000 and €9,000 more than they should have done.

The average claim compensation is expected to be around €2,500 for affected vehicle owners.

All the car manufacturers involved besides Volkswagen have been fined a whopping €171 million by Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission, and the recent ratification of these fines by the Administrative Litigation Chamber of Madrid has opened up the possibility of millions of buyers claiming back compensation on their purchases. 

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To claim, you need legal documentation proving you bought the vehicle between these dates, and most buyers are being compensated around 10 per cent of the purchase price they originally paid.

If you bought a car in Spain during this time period, the organisation ‘Group of People Affected by the Car Cartel (AACC)’ is working to make the process easier, confirm your vehicle was purchased from one of the fraudulent dealerships, and help you proceed with your claim.

Fill in their form and see if you are eligible to claim, and a full list of distributors and models affected can be found below:

  • AUTOMÓVILES CITROËN ESPAÑA, S.A. 
  • B&M AUTOMÓVILES ESPAÑA, S.A, distributors of MITSUBISHI in Spain.
  • BMW IBÉRICA, S.A.U.
  • CHEVROLET ESPAÑA.
  • CHRYSLER ESPAÑA, S.L. which distributes CHRYSLER, JEEP and DODGE models in Spain
  • FIAT GROUP AUTOMOBILES SPAIN, S.A. distributors of FIAT, ALFA ROMEO and LANCIA and since July 2010 CHRYSLER, JEEP and DODGE models in Spain.
  • FORD ESPAÑA, S.L.
  • GENERAL MOTORS ESPAÑA, S.L.U. distributors of the OPEL brand in Spain.
  • HONDA MOTOR EUROPE LIMITED, SUCURSAL EN ESPAÑA, S.L.
  • HYUNDAI MOTOR ESPAÑA, S.L.U.
  • KIA MOTORS IBERIA, S.L.
  • MERCEDES BENZ ESPAÑA, S.A.
  • NISSAN IBERIA, S.A.
  • PEUGEOT ESPAÑA, S.A.
  • PORSCHE IBÉRICA.
  • RENAULT ESPAÑA COMERCIAL, S.A.
  • SEAT, S.A.
  • TOYOTA ESPAÑA, S.L. distributors of LEXUS and TOYOTA in Spain.
  • VOLKSWAGEN AUDI ESPAÑA, S.A., distributors of AUDI, SKODA and VW models in Spain.
  • VOLVO CAR ESPAÑA, S.A.

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