Yes you bought a car between 2006 and 2013 You may be among those affected by the cartel of car manufacturers that have been convicted in Spain of bad practices. First, we are going to recall that the Competition Chamber of the Council of the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) issued a Resolution confirming that there was a “car cartel” that affected the normal operation of the market.
This cartel was made up of the main car manufacturers (Nissan, Mazda, BMW, Honda, Mercedes, Ford, Volvo, Peugeot and, basically, all the recognized companies in the sector, which have almost the entire market) and for 7 years this group Self-styled “The Brands Club” carried out strategic and commercial exchanges of sensitive information to mutually benefit from market control in the automotive sector.
The Organization of Consumers and Users, also known as OCU, figures in more than 4 million people who could have been affected by the car cartel. From the law firm Arriaga Asociados they believe that those affected could reach 10 million.
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You can ask for compensation if it corresponds to you
In this article you will learn about two web pages that you have at your disposal to find out if you are entitled to receive compensation (this can be up to 9,000 euros) and also how you can claim it.
It was in 2013 when the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) concluded that up to 34 car brands (some no longer operate in the Spanish market) had formed a cartel to exchange confidential information that conditioned the market and gave them more power than to any manufacturer that was not part of its structure. The CNMC imposed fines on them in 2015, after accusing them of using this exchange of information to control the distribution and after-sales market.
If your car is one of these brands:
Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lancia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen, Toyota, Volvo.
And if you bought it between 2006 and 2013, You may be entitled to receive compensation from the manufacturing company. The reason for this compensation is that thanks to this cartel, the companies raised car prices jointly. Therefore, they should return the extra cost that each buyer has paid. It could be between 10 and 15% of the value of the vehicle, but each model is different.
Specifically, after the confirmation by the Supreme Court of the Court’s rulings and also without these companies having the possibility to present new appeals, There is an open court that the association of users and affected parties are willing to take advantage of. Various groups and law firms are now encouraging those affected to show that they bought their car when the cartel was running, to claim compensation.
According to article 1968 of the Civil Code, the term is one year from the publication of the sentence of the Supreme Court.
This is how the OCU calculator works
One of the tools that you have at your disposal to know if you are entitled to a refund of your money is the OCU calculator.
#Cars Did you buy a new car between 2006 and 2013? You may have been the victim of an illegal price pact between dealers.
🚗Check in the calculator if your car is affected and claim your money 👇 https://t.co/9bwZ3qZ2Rr– OCU (@consumidores) November 28, 2021
Access this link, lower the page and you will have the opportunity to indicate the make of your car, the dealer and the year where you bought it. They also recommend you register on the web and leave certain information so that they can give you more information.
This is the website of the Association of the Affected
In addition, the AACC or Association of Those Affected by the Car Cartel was created a few years ago. Too there you can find a section where to include the information of your vehicle to check if it has been affected.
Click on this link and the information they ask you is what is the brand, model and year in which you made the purchase. When you enter this information, you will receive the information if it corresponds to you or not. If so, you can include your personal data and the Association will give you more information on how to proceed with the claim.