Dirty diesel fuel in the car: what to do? The IP case (Api)
If you have dirty diesel in your car, you can get a refund and take legal action. That's how. Facts and advice on the sidelines of the IP case (Api group). The article from Energia Oltre
'Dirty diesel' is one of the main causes that can cause considerable damage to our cars.
According to the website of the Consumers Union , “the diesel problem can derive from various factors, such as: problems deriving from an incorrect refining process; failure to clean the tanks from residues or water; any fraud by the manager, consisting in watering down the diesel fuel. Obviously, repairing damage deriving from dirty diesel fuel involves very high costs ".
THE IP CASE (API GROUP)
Similar cases have recently occurred as in Bologna and Milan where for example the IP of the Api Group was sentenced to pay compensation thanks to the legal assistance provided by a consumer association.
WHAT THE COMPENSATION COVERED
“The compensable damage is both that for spare parts and labor, and the expense for the tow truck and for any replacement vehicles (such as a rental car) used while the car is being repaired. If the problem occurs while traveling, you can also ask for compensation for the higher expenses incurred for returning home (eg train ticket) or for extra nights in the hotel. Very often the petrol stations have insurance coverage for this type of damage, so the request will be forwarded to the insurance company whose expert will contact the injured party to view the car and parts and submit them to a party's appraisal ", reads the website Federconsumatori Emilia Romagn a.
LEGAL PATHS
For this reason, consumer associations such as Unc and Confconsumatori or Federconsumatori – but not only – ask to contact them to evaluate the possibility of taking legal action.
KEEP RECEIPT AND FUEL
“If you have paid by credit card or debit card it is important to keep the receipts to prove the effective use of the pump and to have evidence to present in the event of a dispute. It is also useful to collect the statements of any witnesses and, in extreme cases, contact the Police Forces to draft a report. Before completing the repair, it is advisable to keep a tank with the fuel collected during the work and, obviously, to have the invoice issued by the workshop with the details of the intervention carried out ”, reads Ansa .
THE PREVIOUS, THE IP CASE (API GROUP)
As mentioned, in the past there have been cases of 'dirty diesel' which then led to the reimbursement of the motorist. As the Corriere della Sera Milano Edition recalls, "the justice of the peace of Cremona, Beatrice Ghillani, sentenced Ip Services srl (belonging to the Api Group, ed ) to compensate the damage to the motorist who remained on foot after refueling at a fuel pump. Piadena-Drizzona, in the Casalasco area. He will have to pay her 1,270.56 euros, to which are added 73.20 euros for the recovery of the car and 15.01 euros of unusable diesel, plus legal interest, the reimbursement of the costs of technical office consultancy and legal costs. The facts date back to January 17, 2019 ".
THE CASE OF BOLOGNA
While previously another case had occurred in the Bologna area, asIl Salvagente recalls: “Diesel was 'cut' with chlorine, which fraudulently ends up in fuels. The Justice of the Peace of Bologna thus granted 1,100 euros in compensation to the motorist assisted by Confconsumatori and sentenced the operator of the distribution system ”. The same magazine in the July 2021 issue had confirmed the presence of dirty diesel fuel thanks to a series of analyzes carried out on diesel in 30 plants between Turin, Rome, and Naples-Caserta in which it had found in 5 cases "a non-compliant product because probably more volatile substances or even industrial solvents had been added ”.
“The motorist had turned to Confconsumatori Bologna, which, clashing with the refusal of the distributor to recognize the damage, had started a lawsuit assisted by the lawyer Roberta Li Calzi. During the lawsuit, various checks were carried out which confirmed the presence of chlorine in the fuel, not covered by the legislation that specifies the requirements of the diesel fuel on the market. The case was recently concluded: the Justice of the Peace of Bologna sentenced the distributor and the management company of the plants (both in default) to compensate the damage of over one thousand euros in addition to legal costs ", as can be seen from the sentence published by the same consumer association.
(The article was published on Energia Oltre )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/gasolio-sporco-auto-cosa-fare/ on Fri, 04 Feb 2022 06:45:11 +0000.