Consumer protection board to investigate EV discount campaign

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai ordered the Office of Consumer Protection Board today to investigate Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD, as to whether its offering of substantial discounts to buyers of BYD EVs constitutes a violation of the Consumer Protection Act by being unfair to car buyers.

A buyer complained that he bought a BYD Dolphin vehicle on April 30, after the company offered a discount of 40,000 baht and he was told, by a sales representative, that the discount campaign would end in April.

The company then continued its discount campaign, by offering as much as 100,000 baht off the BYD Dolphin model. Moreover, on July 1st, the company stepped up its market campaigning with deep discounts of up to 340,000 baht on four new models of BYD ATTO 3.

Jiraporn said that the Consumer Protection Board will invite both the company and buyers, who feel they were unfairly treated, to the board’s office for talks, in an effort to mediate their disputes.

Buyers can also file complaints via the board’s hotline 1166, the www.ocpb.go.th website or the Damrongtham complaint centres in all provinces.