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Chinese customers who pre-ordered Xiaomi‘s electric vehicles are facing unexpected payment demands, as the company now requires full payment before the cars are even assembled, contrary to its earlier promises.
According to Sina Tech and Auto Sohu, some Xiaomi sales consultants have informed customers who made reservations that their orders will be “halted from production” if full payment is not made within 30 days, regardless of the long wait for delivery, which could be another 22-25 weeks. Some customers have even been warned that their orders will be canceled, resulting in a loss of their 5,000 CNY (approximately $700) deposit.
Xiaomi’s purchase contract stipulates that customers must make full payment within 7 days of receiving the payment notice. Xiaomi can send this notice at any time, based on “production plans or business conditions.” Failure to comply is considered a “serious breach,” resulting in deposit forfeiture and order cancellation.
This policy contradicts Xiaomi’s earlier statement on its official WeChat account, where it assured customers that they could pay after inspecting the vehicles.
Xiaomi has not yet responded to inquiries about this issue from Sina Tech.
According to Auto Sohu, most other electric vehicle manufacturers, such as Tesla and Nio, allow customers to inspect the cars before making full payment. In contrast, traditional automakers like BYD and Geely typically follow a deposit-then-payment model.
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