Will Honda be forced to cough up $1 Billion for mis-selling?

In the old days, it was the statisticians of the world who were accused of conning folk. The expression lies, damn lies and statistics, showed clearly where on the ‘line of truth' the number boffins lived. Now, without doubt, its the PR, marketing and sales people that stretch the fabric of reason. KitGuru fires up the trusty VideoScope for a peculiarly English story.

For those of you who are not sure, the UK legal system provides a thing called the ‘small claims court' which allows normal people to go after companies for relatively small sums of money. Most of these claims are for less than £1,000, but the court can hear claims of £5,000 or more. It's typically used by upset English people who want to prove a point about a product bought or repair requested. The US and other advanced nations also have a similar system.

Companies that defend a claim cannot ask for their legal fees if they win, so – in most cases – early settlement is the best way forward. But maybe not for Honda. Not in this case.

.
KitGuru says: This is a cracking story and one which we'll be following closely. At the time of writing, the courts in LA had orders a second hearing and a big class action suit is on standby. While Heather wants $10,000 to cover the gap between what she claims she was told would happen and her own experience, Honda has crossed its collective fingers and offered something more like $150.  Next hearing is on 25th January. Wonder if Honda execs will sleep this month?

Comments below or in the KitGuru forums.

Become a Patron!