---
title: "Volkswagen Thinks Giftcards Will Solve Its Dieselgate Woes"
description: "The Germans turn the tables and try their hand at appeasement."
date: "2015-11-10"
modified: "2015-11-10"
authors:
  - name: "Ben Keeshin"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ben-keeshin"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/834/volkswagen-thinks-giftcards-will-solve-its-dieselgate-woes"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Volkswagen"
---

# Volkswagen Thinks Giftcards Will Solve Its Dieselgate Woes

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/111015_vwgiftcard_hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

I’m split on giftcards. On one hand, they’re fairly impersonal, colorful, lame duck debit cards, in thoughtfulness only a single step above cold cash. *Damn it, Aunt Janet, how am I going to spend $45 dollars at Chili’s?* Then again, they’re a fine compromise between the troublesome freedom of a check—whose worth might well be spent on trash bags, socks or other pedestrian flotsam—and the immutability of a solid gift. You know, like a snowglobe or something.

It looks like Volkswagen can’t quite decide, either. To assuage the thousands of owners whose cars were equipped with [emissions-cheating software](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/412/dieselgate-the-fallout>), the company will be providing $1,000 dollars of plastic. One card, worth $500, will be a simple prepaid debit—a kind of, *Hey, we’re sorry, buy a roundtrip ticket to Tampa on us*. The second, also worth $500, will be redeemable only at Volkswagen dealerships. Because who doesn’t want to festoon themselves in apparel branded with the logo of the company that just shafted them? *Honey, turns out our new Jetta Sportwagen is worth bupkes. But check out this sweet [Tiguan lapel pin](<https://www.drivergear.vw.com/Product/Tiguan-Lapel-Pin-DRG06779-13561.htm>)!*

Short of buying back customers’ cursed cars, or reimbursing them for lost resale value, a thousand bucks seems like a reasonable gesture of goodwill. Redeeming carries no stipulations—that is, owners can still get the cards and shop Sunday, then turn around and join a class action suit Monday. And, of course, the dealer-specific card will be boon to dealerships, the blameless intermediary between Volkswagen and its customers, who nevertheless are suffering from the one-two punches of consumer anger and a stop-sale on all new and used diesel models. (Despite spending an average of [$4,750 in incentives](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/469/you-should-totally-buy-a-volkswagen-golf-r-right-now>) per car in October, sales stayed flat.) They need the cash, and the foot traffic.

After logging into [www.vwdieselinfo.com](<https://www.vwdieselinfo.com/>), owners can input their car’s information and, in four weeks, receive their compensation. It’s one small, expensive step down a long [road to recovery](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/272/how-vw-is-and-should-be-handling-dieselgate>). Much like the other tchochkes Target check-out line, giftcards won’t solve anything. But everyone loves a free lunch. (Yes, even at Chili’s).

Some incensed customers, like scorned lovers, will throw rationale out the window and chop up the dealer-specific cards in a fit of *I’m never wearing your Nirvana tee again!* That’s fine—why wear a swindler’s logo on your [forehead](<https://www.drivergear.vw.com/Product/Game-Day-Cap-DRG014023-9795.htm>)? Others, sad but optimistic, will layer on merch and use the unrestricted debit on a deep fryer for Thanksgiving’s turkey. Even in a compromised situation, a gift is a gift. And ‘tis the season for gratitude.

## Author
Ben Keeshin is a former staff writer for Maxim, and before that, contributed writing to the digital sides of Road & Track and Vanity Fair.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/BnKshn>)