BYD dealers in Thailand being probed by authorities after consumer complaints over unfair discounting

According to a report by Reuters, authorities in Thailand are investigating BYD’s dealers after a consumer complaint over aggressive discounting deemed to be unfair.

In a statement by the office of the Thai prime minster, it was revealed the investigation was triggered after a BYD customer alleged that a sales representative had proclaimed the customer’s car’s price would rise after a discounting campaign ended, but instead the dealership later reduced cut the price further.

“We have called the dealers to come in this week to clarify why they cut prices further and how they plan to find a solution for customers,” said Passakorn Thapmongkol, a senior official at Thailand’s Consumer Protection Board.

Other Thai customers have shared similar complaints on social media, with user Thanasit Chai saying, “the salesperson said that prices would increase after the motor show, but in the end, it was really reduced,” referencing the Bangkok Motor Show in March.

These complaints are likely to continue after Rever Automotive, the sole distributor of BYD vehicles in Thailand, cut prices of the Atto 3 by as much as 340,000 baht (about RM44k) this month to celebrate the launch of BYD’s new production plant in the country.

On July 5, a separate Reuters report revealed Thailand’s Consumer Protection Board has received about 70 complaints since initiating the probe. Thailand Prime minister Srettha Thavisin told BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu, who was present to officiate the plant, to better manage customer expectations about pricing and ensure local buyers were protected. Wang gave assurances that future pricing would be appropriate and affected customers would receive support.

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