Diesel Emissions Scandal Affects Volkswagen Salespersons’ Compensation

Not that long ago, Volkswagen’s “clean” diesel vehicles were found to be not as “clean” as customers thought. In fact, this Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal has not only affected the expectations of the consumer, but also the livelihood of Volkswagen salesman associates who sold the cars.

In 2015, Volkswagen was part of what many consumers called the “dieselgate scandal,” or the diesel emissions scandal.

During this diesel emissions scandal, it was discovered that Volkswagen had used a device on their diesel cars that allowed them to test “cleaner” during emissions testing. During real-world driving, the same vehicles emitted a high level of toxins. In fact, some cars’ emissions were found to be 40 times more toxic than what was permitted by the Clean Air Act.

In September 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to Volkswagen informing them that it had learned that half a million American cars were violating the Clean Air Act as a result of high toxin emissions.

The Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal showed that some supposedly “clean” diesel cars had been outfitted with a special device. This special “defeat device” was installed in the Volkswagen car’s engine software and could detect when the car was being tested for emissions.

When the defeat device detected that it was being tested for clean emissions, this defeat device could turn on controls that allowed it to test cleaner than when driving under normal circumstances.

Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal occurred because this device essentially “cheats” by purposefully giving a lower emissions grade than when the car is driven normally. It tricks both customers and regulation agencies into believing the cars drive all the time at the lower emissions rate.

Since this letter was given to Volkswagen, the automobile company has since admitted that the diesel emissions scandal has affected about 11 million cars around the world.

Volkswagen has said that there is a “notable deviation between bench test results and actual road use” in the cars that were affected. They stopped selling the Volkswagen cars with this defeat device. Additionally, Audi vehicles and Porsche vehicles were affected.

Diesel Emissions Scandal Leads to Drop in Sales

What has happened as a result is a drop in the sales of Volkswagen vehicles. This has affected customers and the income of the average Volkswagen salesman.

Because of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, the demand for “clean” diesel vehicles made by Volkswagen has waned. The value of these cars has also dropped.

The average Volkswagen salesman earns a living by selling Volkswagens from the dealerships. However, with fewer customers purchasing Volkswagens as a result of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, many Volkswagen sales people have experienced a drop in their sales commissions.

In 2014, the year before the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal occurred, Volkswagen’s sales totaled $221 million, and in 2013, the sales were roughly $215 million. After this revelation that Volkswagen was cheating customers and the public regarding their claims of low toxic emissions, sales dropped. By July 2016, sales fell 22% in the United States.

Volkswagen salespersons who were affected by the diesel emissions scandal can join a class action investigation with other sales people who have seen a drop in their commissions.

Join a Free Volkswagen Sales Commissions Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you worked as a Volkswagen sales representative when the VW dieselgate scandal broke and you saw a drop in your commissioned sales, you may qualify to join this VW sales representative class action lawsuit investigation.

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