The million-dollar punishment (you can re-read it here) is already assigned, but the "problem" for the brands is that this has established case law, and now the OCU, the consumer organization, is going to seek to pull it for the benefit of consumers who bought a new car between 2006 and 2013.
The OCU argues that anyone who bought a car from the "punished" brands (including the forgiven brands of the VAG Group) paid more for their car than they would have paid if the cartel between brands had not been set up. So it has mounted a joint action that will seek compensation in court for everyone who signs up.
So far, more than a thousand customers have signed up, but until October 31 is still open the deadline at the OCU to join the initiative. It remains to be seen if the courts give reason to the OCU, but considering that the CNMC has already ruled that the affected brands (Opel, Toyota, Hyundai, Audi, VW, Seat, Land Rover, Citroen, Mitsubishi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Volvo and Lexus) played by free market rules, there won't be much more to prove.
Another issue will be whether it can be determined what discount could have been achieved in the absence of the cartel. The brands will be able to argue that, despite the agreement to fix discounts, the Spanish car market is one of the most discounted in Europe, which could mean that the scales of justice will be in favour of the OCU, but users will be left with a ridiculous compensation.
There is still a long way to go to see how this all turns out, but for now, the OCU still has its doors open for you to sign up for its lawsuit if you bought a car between the aforementioned dates.
