AMW warns against deliberate misinformation on social media

As the nation anticipates the uplifting of the restrictions of vehicle imports, there has been a multitude of social media posts deliberately promoting speculative pricing on new vehicles that will be imported. Associated Motorways (Pvt) LTD. (AMW), a leader in Sri Lanka’s automotive industry, and sole distributor for Suzuki and other leading automotive brands, has expressed its growing concern about the spread of this misinformation.

AMW has closely monitored the market in order to calculate the likely pricing of new vehicles. These prices are based on factors such as, import duties & Taxes, VAT, exchange rates and logistic costs. Unfortunately, many of the prices currently being shared on social media are significantly understated with the intention of driving down the used vehicle market. It is widely believed that this false information is being spread by individuals belonging to what is referred to as the ‘Registered Car Sales Mafia’. These parties could be trying to artificially lower the value of registered vehicles.

Virann de Zoysa, Director at Associated Motorways (Private) LTD. shared his thoughts on the issue, stating, “It is unfortunate that malpractices like the sharing of misinformation is running rampant. We must be careful not to fall prey to scam artists, especially now, given the prospect of the importation of vehicles. It is imperative that any potential misinformation be verified by a reliable or authorized party.”

The following selection of vehicles and projected prices will be available exclusively from AMW, the Suzuki Alto K10 1L, Automatic at LKR 6,700,000, Suzuki S-Presso 1L, Automatic at LKR 6,900,000, Suzuki Celerio, 1L, Automatic at LKR 7,100,000 and the Suzuki Fronx, 1L Turbo Automatic, at LKR, 10,750,000. Additionally, vehicles such as the Nissan Magnite, 1L, Automatic at LKR 7,600,000, Nissan Magnite 1l Turbo, Automatic at LKR 8,500,000, Nissan Almera, 1L, Turbo, Automatic at LKR 12,600,000 and the Nissan Urvan (13-seater) at LKR 16,100,000, will also be available.

AMW emphasizes that terms and conditions will apply to the aforementioned selection of vehicles and that customers should wait for information on pre-bookings exclusively from AMW which, will be released only after official Government announcement on vehicle import restrictions being lifted has been made.

AMW urges all customers to be cautious and vigilant about misleading information that is found on social media. AMW is committed to providing the most accurate information on a timely basis. The company stresses the importance of relying solely on verified sources of information, such as official communications from AMW and other authorized distributors, as this is paramount with considering price projections and purchases of vehicles.

Furthermore, it is important to recognize and understand that the deliberate spreading of false information on digital platforms can have serious legal consequences. As per local law, the sharing of false information, especially with the intent of deceiving the public, may constitute an offense.  AMW encourages all customers to act responsibly when sharing unverified information on social media. If customers are in doubt about the accuracy or authenticity of the information being shared, it is imperative that it be verified by trusted sources such as the authorized distributors.