Vietnam’s VinFast burst onto the scene, swiftly establishing operations and selling electric vehicles in the U.S. However, since its arrival, concerns have been raised about the quality and readiness of their cars, as most press reviews have been overwhelmingly critical (well, except for those Pina Colada-sipping YouTubers). Nevertheless, the company has now unveiled a special aftersales policy aimed at providing peace of mind to its customers.
VinFast will straight up pay American, Canadian and Vietnamese customers if their EV breaks down. As you might expect, there are limits and a bit of small print that come with this offer, but the automaker will give U.S. owners US$300 or more if their vehicle suffers a serious quality issue. Canadian owners will receive CA$480 (equivalent to US$363 at current exchange rates – woo hoo!) under similar circumstances.
The Vietnamese company is organizing payable problems into three categories. A “Type 1” issue entitles a customer to US$100 (or CA$160 in Canada) for every issue that inconveniences them, but does not impact the use of the vehicle.
Read: VinFast Issues First U.S. Recall For VF 8 Infotainment Screen That Could Go Blank
A Type 2 issue is where the US$300 (or CA$480 in Canada) payout comes in, and involves a problem that renders a vehicle inoperable. The company says that this money is in addition to its roadside assistance policy, and it will provide the money for every Type 2 issue a customer experiences.
If the problem takes more than three days to fix, then that’s a Type 3 issue, and it entitles customers to another US$100 per day (starting on the fourth day) that the vehicle is being serviced by VinFast, which ought to get technicians working quickly. In Canada, owners will get CA$160. However, VinFast says that it will only pay as long as it is working on the vehicle. If it takes you a couple of days to pick up your EV after they’re done, that’s on you.
The automaker reserves the right to judge what kind of issue is being experienced by a customer, and the payout will be made as either cash (in the form of a bank transfer or check that is subject to all applicable taxes) or a service voucher.
VinFast adds that it will not pay customers in the following cases: hardware upgrades or scheduled software updates, accidents, vehicle damage caused by the customer, issues occurred while the vehicle was being used in a manner not in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, or issues that cannot be reproduced by VinFast.
The automaker also clarifies that this is a short-term warranty policy that can end at any time with seven days notice. The policy will be available as of June 15 in the U.S. Vietnam, and Canada. Once it starts delivering vehicles in Europe, the policy will also be available there.
Vinfast’s U.S. Special Aftersales Policy
- Type 1 issues cause inconvenience(s) that do not impact the use of the vehicle. Eligible customers will receive USD 100 for each Type 1 issue they experience.
- Type 2 issues render a vehicle inoperable. In addition to providing roadside assistance, VinFast will provide eligible customers with USD 300 for each Type 2 issue they experience.
- Type 3 issues require a repair time of more than three days. From the fourth day onward, eligible customers will receive USD 100 for each additional day that their vehicle is being serviced by VinFast.
Vinfast’s Canadian. Special Aftersales Policy
- Type 1 issues cause inconvenience(s) that do not impact the use of the vehicle. Eligible customers will receive CAD 160 for each Type 1 issue they experience.
- Type 2 issues render a vehicle inoperable. In addition to providing roadside assistance, VinFast will provide eligible customers with CAD 480 for each Type 2 issue they experience.
- Type 3 issues require a repair time of more than three days. From the fourth day onward, eligible customers will receive CAD 160 for each additional day that their vehicle is being serviced by VinFast.
