On November 12, a social media influencer known as “Panpan” posted a video detailing a troubling experience she had while purchasing a vehicle from a BYD dealership in Changsha. The influencer recounted how, on November 10, she paid the full amount for the car, but when she went to pick it up, the dealership informed her that the vehicle had been stolen. When she requested a refund, the dealership refused her request.
In the video, Panpan expressed her disbelief, stating, “You didn’t even give me the car keys. If you had, then I would be responsible for their safekeeping.” Despite her logical argument, the dealership stood firm in its decision not to issue a refund. To make matters worse, Panpan mentioned in the comments section that a representative from the dealership claimed the surveillance cameras were not working during the theft.
The incident sparked a wave of ridicule from netizens in the comments section. One commenter quipped, “You haven’t even received the car, and you’re already entering the ‘help me’ phase.” Others expressed their bewilderment: “I can’t wrap my head around this. The car was stolen from the dealership?” Many criticized the dealership’s practices, pointing out that it was the dealership’s responsibility to safeguard the vehicle and that their carelessness had put the customer in a difficult position. Comments also reflected a growing frustration with the dealership’s attitude, with some calling out BYD for its “arrogance as a national brand.”
Local residents in Hunan also chimed in on the discussions, with one individual noting that they had recently visited the dealership and had plans to make a purchase the following week. However, after hearing about Panpan’s experience, they decided to reconsider and chose to look at a different automotive brand.
According to Ms. Xiong, who is the victim in this case, the day of the incident coincided with her father-in-law’s 60th birthday. She and her family had traveled from their hometown to the BYD dealership in Changsha to celebrate this special occasion with a new car purchase. After paying approximately 140,000 yuan for the vehicle and its insurance, they were waiting for the new car to be washed and had protective film applied when the sales staff suddenly notified them that the car had been stolen.
“The thief was roaming around the dealership for quite some time,” Ms. Xiong recounted to reporters. She explained that dealership employees had left the vehicle’s keys inside the car, allowing the thief to drive away with it. Fortunately, the dealership was able to use tracking technology to recover the stolen vehicle shortly after, and the thief was apprehended and taken to the police station. “When the thief was caught, he was wearing a BYD uniform,” Ms. Xiong noted.
Given the circumstances, the family ultimately decided against purchasing the vehicle from this dealership. They eventually negotiated and received a full refund; however, they are still in discussions regarding the refund of the insurance payment.
In response to the incident, staff from the BYD dealership claimed that the police had opened a case regarding the theft and emphasized that the thief was not an employee of the dealership. They stated that the uniform he was wearing had been purchased online rather than provided by the dealership.