Volkswagen offers a few employees amnesty in exchange for information on

Volkswagen AG, reeling from an expanding scandal involving diesel cars it has admitted it rigged to pass us pollution tests, announced Monday that owners of the vehicles will receive $1,000 in what the company calls a “goodwill” gesture.

Monday’s offer comes on top of an existing promise to offer $2,000 U.S.to current VW owners to trade in their cars for new models.

The package also has a business goal – by offering credit in addition to the cash, VW ensures that customers will need to make more trips to the dealer, which will reap $500 in revenue and get an opportunity to sell another vehicle.

Other angry VW owners who wrote to CNNMoney used terms like “slap in the face” and “scandalous” to describe the apologetic payout, which will come in the form of a gift card that can be used anywhere.

They will also get another card worth $500 which can be spent only on purchases or services at VW or Audi dealerships and free 24-hour roadside assistance for the next three years. Owners can avail of the offer without giving up their right to file a lawsuit against the company.

Affected VW owners must go to a specially-made webpage and put in information such as vehicle ID number (VIN) and name of the unit owner.

Profits at Porsche, which owns a controlling stake in Volkswagen, have plunged in the wake of the emissions scandal at the VW auto group. This followed revelations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in September that VW cars had been equipped with software created to fool emissions tests.

The embattled carmaker says the offer has no strings attached and doesn’t require signing away rights, but is part of an effort to earn back trust.

The average auction prices of VW diesel models have dropped almost $2,100, or 16.1 percent, since the EPA announcement.

“Volkswagen customers are very sophisticated and will see these little gift cards for what they are – much too little, much too late”, Hilliard said. VW later disclosed that “cheat” software was installed in up to 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.

In an email to AFP, Volkswagen confirmed the letter and said its staff would decide on its response “after an internal deliberation”.

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