VW Diesel Emissions Scandal Affects More than Just Vehicle Owners

When the VW diesel emission scandal erupted a couple of years ago, there was no doubt that VW’s reputation would be tarnished. When the news broke, VW vehicle sales took a turn for the worse.

To add insult to injury, the media attention failed to focus on the everyday VW salesperson, who also took a hit when the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal emerged.

Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal

During the infamous Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, also referred to as “dieselgate,” consumers found out that Volkswagen covered up the emissions diesel vehicle scandal by designing engines that would under-report emissions levels. More specifically, VW associates installed software on the vehicles to fool emissions testing machines.

This software caused the vehicles to perform differently under testing conditions for emissions versus actual on-road driving. Vehicles showed up as having acceptable levels of emissions on testing, yet the actual emissions on the road were significantly higher and were in violation of the Clean Air Act.

Once the public became aware of this knowledge, consumer confidence in VW plummeted. After news of the scandal broke in 2015, VW sales plunged 22 percent in the United States.

VW Salesperson: Salary Decrease Due to Dieselgate

While most of the media information focused on decreased consumer confidence and the loss in sales after the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, the local VW salesperson at the car dealership was largely ignored.

As consumer sales of Volkswagen vehicles began to decline, so did the salary of the local VW salesperson, as they are typically paid based almost entirely on commissions. The VW diesel omissions scandal caused the hard-working men and women employed as VW salespersons to lose income and their families to suffer.

Were You a VW Salesperson Impacted by the Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal?

Individuals who were employed as a VW salesperson who experienced a salary decrease after the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal may be eligible to take part in a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen to recover damages.

At this time, at least one known lawsuit has been filed as a class action from employees claiming a significant decrease in salary after the media released information about the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal.

The Volkswagen diesel omissions class action lawsuit stated that, as a VW salesperson, employees were affected by the actions of Volkswagen because they had a more difficult time selling not only the diesel vehicles that were named in the scandal, but also any vehicles in the Volkswagen brand due to their devaluation following the scandal.

The individuals in this class action lawsuit seek to recover losses they experienced as a result of the inappropriate actions of Volkswagen associates deciding to install diesel emissions software designed to cheat the testing systems.

If you were employed as a VW salesperson prior to the media release of details on dieselgate and you experienced a significant salary drop as a result of the scandal, you may be able to take legal action of your own. A consultation with an experienced attorney can help you decide if pursuing legal action is right for you.

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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