Up to tens of millions of yen per case…Big Motor’s self-inflicted “lawsuit hell” awaits it 《Part 9 of “The Pursuit Scoop
Lawsuits for damages have been filed in various parts of Japan against Big Motor's aggressive sales force. Victims who were tricked into buying a submerged car have already won their lawsuits: "I was truly appalled at how malicious the company was.
I think the verdict is a foregone conclusion. I would be happy if this trial can give even a little courage to other victims.
Mr. A, in his 50s, is the representative director of a pharmaceutical sales company in Gunma Prefecture.
On September 20, the Maebashi District Court, Ota Branch ruled in favor of Mr. A in his lawsuit against Big Motor. The Maebashi District Court fully recognized Ms. A’s claim and ordered Big Motor to pay approximately 3.2 million yen in compensation.
The case began back in 1919, when Mr. A purchased a Honda hybrid car from Big Motor for 3.5 million yen. He was told that the car had no accident history, but later found out that it had been submerged in water. He sought a refund of the purchase price. When interviewed after the verdict, Mr. A spoke of Big Motor’s zusan response.
A year and a half after I purchased the car, I had a problem with it not being able to back up due to corrosion and leakage of electrical components. At first, Big Motor denied that the car was submerged in water. Even after they finally admitted it, they said, ‘It’s been a year and a half, so we don’t know who submerged it,’ as if we were at fault.
What was even more surprising was the attitude of the person in charge after that. When I told him I was considering a lawsuit, he excitedly said, ‘Please sue us! He was so excited that I told him I was thinking of suing him. I was told that he would be evaluated as “aggressive enough to be sued. In fact, during the trial, he was promoted to manager.
The dishonest behavior continued.
When I told them I wanted to examine the submerged car in detail, they said, ‘We don’t want you to enter our premises without permission,’ and wouldn’t let me examine the car at all. On top of that, they countersued, demanding that I pay 1.8 million yen in late fees for a replacement car even though I did not return the car. Some people will get scared and drop the lawsuit if they are sued back. I felt they knew very well how to get customers to back down.”
In fact, there are many victims who are unable to raise their voices due to the hassle of lawsuits. One such victim is a company executive living in the Kansai region who lost two cars he had sent in for repairs to Big Motor,
He said, “I have been so dismayed by Big Motor’s insincere attitude since the negotiations that the company will not take any responsibility, that I am hesitant to sue them.
I am hesitant to sue,” he said.
On the other hand, there are also those who stood up after learning of Mr. A’s trial. In Osaka and Aichi prefectures, lawsuits for millions of yen have been filed against Big Motor, and if this trend accelerates, the company may be plunged into a “lawsuit hell.
I think there will be more lawsuits,” he said. I think there will be more lawsuits,” he said. “There are probably more than two victims who decided to sue when they heard about the trial. I also expect more lawsuits to be filed by subcontractors and other business partners. We have also heard of unpaid damages in the tens of millions of yen range, so I think the combined effect of these lawsuits will be a major blow.
The time has finally come to pay the price for disregarding customers and pursuing the supremacy of profit.
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From the October 13-20, 2023 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： Hiroto Kato
