BYD under the scanner after EV buyers complain about misleading discounts
PM’s Office Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai has instructed the Office of the Consumer Protection Board to conduct an investigation into the latest discount campaigns of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto.
Jiraporn said on Wednesday that she had ordered the bureau to consider whether the discounts of some EV car models of BYD Auto had violated the consumer protection act and the ministerial regulations that prohibit unfair advertisement of goods and services.
Jiraporn ordered the probe after many BYD customers cried foul that they were lured to buy the BYD Dolphin EV car on April 30, the last day of a 40,000-baht discount campaign, only to see the prices drop by 100,000 baht on the following day.
Many complained that the price drop just a day after they had purchased the cars in the previous campaign caused them severe trauma.
On July 1, BYD Auto announced discounts of BYD Dolphin models from 140,000 to 160,000 baht, compared to the discount of some 40,000 baht for the previous campaign that ended on April 30.
Many customers who made the purchase on April 30 said they were deceived by sales personnel that the prices would go up to the normal prices after April 30.
Also on July 1, BYD Auto discounted the prices of four BYD Atto 3 sub-models from 100,000 to 340,000 baht to the dismay of the customers who had purchased them shortly before the campaign.
On Wednesday the bureau’s secretary-general, Thasorn-ath Thanitthiphan, said he would invite representatives of buyers and BYD Auto to a talk soon to try to mediate the rifts.
