On March 13th, news broke that in the beginning of 2024, BYD took the lead in launching a "price war" for new energy vehicles, slashing the price of the Qin Plus DMi to 79,800 CNY.
Following suit, SAIC-GM Wuling, Changan, NIO, Leapmotor, XPeng, and other automakers joined in one after another, with over a dozen announcing price reductions, the majority focusing on new energy pure electric and hybrid models.
While this might seem like good news for consumers, for those who had just purchased vehicles, it feels like a betrayal.
Reportedly, a man in Xi'an experienced the ultimate betrayal when he meticulously selected a hybrid vehicle, listed at 132,800 CNY on the official website. After various discounts, the bare car price came down to 107,200 CNY.
He completed the installment process around 5 o'clock in the afternoon and drove the car away by 7 o'clock, only to discover upon arriving home that the salesperson had posted on social media around 4 o'clock announcing the launch of the new model, with the same version he purchased now priced 17,000 CNY lower.
The man stated, "I signed the contract at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, but they had already held a press conference to adjust the price at 3 o'clock, without informing me."
BYD Initiates Price War
In response to such actions by businesses, legal professionals state that if dealers sell vehicles without being informed by the manufacturer, it can be understandable.
However, if they are already aware of the new pricing policy and exploit the time gap to continue selling at the original price, it clearly violates the principles of honesty and trustworthiness. Consumers have the right to request a refund of the price difference.
Several legal experts also suggest that such actions by merchants may constitute fraud, and consumers can demand the annulment of the vehicle purchase contract.
In such situations, experts advise consumers to be informed about the historical prices of high-value goods when making purchases. This helps avoid being misled by sudden changes in prices by merchants. Additionally, staying updated on manufacturer updates is crucial, as discounts are typically offered on older models when new ones are launched. It's also important to negotiate and secure a price guarantee policy, not solely relying on verbal assurances from sales personnel.
