On the evening of March 28th, Xiaomi car prices were announced. According to official Xiaomi data, within 24 hours of listing, there were 88,898 reservations. Lei Jun said at the press conference: “The 5000 yuan deposit can be refunded within 7 days.” On the 29th, a netizen named Mr. Chen uploaded a recording, stating that he accidentally triggered the lock order button and couldn’t get a refund on the deposit. Many automotive reviewers also expressed that Xiaomi has redefined what a “reservation” means. Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News reporters experienced the Xiaomi car ordering process and found that the 5000 yuan was indeed a deposit, not a reservation fee.
Unable to refund the 5000 yuan? Journalists experienced the car purchase process online and found that 5000 yuan was indeed a deposit
After Xiaomi SU7 prices were announced, a netizen named Mr. Chen uploaded a video call with Xiaomi sales. In the video, Mr. Chen stated that he accidentally triggered the lock order button, causing the order to be locked, and claimed that he wanted to reconsider, demanding a refund. Mr. Chen believed that Lei Jun clearly stated at the press conference that “the 5000 yuan deposit can be refunded within 7 days.”
The journalist did not interview Mr. Chen and could not verify the authenticity of the video. On the afternoon of March 29th, reporters from Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News came to the Xiaomi Center Automobile Experience Store near Yongchu Road in Jianye District, Nanjing. At this time, many citizens were in the store preparing to schedule test drives. “Is it true that the 5000 yuan deposit cannot be refunded?” The reporter, posing as a consumer, consulted a salesperson about the situation, and the salesperson responded that it shouldn’t be believed, there are always critics.
Subsequently, the journalist downloaded the Xiaomi car APP and entered the ordering process. After selecting the relevant configuration, they entered the payment deposit page. At this point, it was necessary to read the “Xiaomi Car Purchase Agreement”, and only after checking the acknowledgment box could the deposit be paid. After canceling the order, the notification sent by the Xiaomi car APP showed that the deposit would be refunded to the original payment account within 7 working days.
Deposit will be refunded to the original account within 7 days
“Big reservation” or “small reservation”, confusing consumers
Regarding the 5000 yuan deposit and the data that the number of reservations exceeded 50,000 within 27 minutes after the press conference, some automotive reviewers stated that Xiaomi has redefined what a “big reservation” means.
Some automotive reviewers stated that the general consensus in the industry is that a small reservation requires a deposit and can be refunded or modified, while a big reservation locks the configuration and cannot be refunded. “Paying 5000 yuan without locking the configuration should be understood as a ‘small reservation’.” However, Xiaomi referred to this situation as a big reservation. Lei Jun stated at the press conference that big reservations could be refunded, so some consumers locked the configuration. Once the configuration is locked, it becomes a “big reservation” in the traditional sense, and according to regulations, the deposit cannot be refunded.
Xiaomi’s official response: As of noon on March 29th, a total of 469 cases of requests for cancellations and modifications have been received
On the evening of March 29th, Xiaomi Car Official Weibo posted an explanation of why the big reservation could be refunded within 7 days. According to industry practice, there is usually a cooling-off period for big reservations, ranging from 1 to 3 days, during which reservations can be canceled or modified. Once the configuration is confirmed and the order is locked, the vehicle enters production. Considering the large number of reservations for Xiaomi SU7 test drives, and to further protect user rights and provide more ample time for test drives and consideration, we have extended the cooling-off period until April 30th.
While big reservations can be refunded within 7 days, we also offer the option to actively lock the configuration. Once the configuration is locked, it means the order is completed, and the vehicle enters the production stage, and the configuration cannot be modified again, and the deposit cannot be refunded. As of noon on March 29th, our customer service system has received a total of 469 cases of requests for cancellations and modifications.
In the Xiaomi Car APP purchase process, there are three reminders about the inability to refund after actively locking the configuration, and a direct pop-up reminder when finally “locking the configuration”. We also hope everyone understands that before locking the configuration, please choose carefully.
Lawyer: Consumers need to understand the different legal meanings of deposits and reservations
Wei Wei, a lawyer from Beijing Jing Shi (Nanjing) Law Firm, said that generally, regardless of whether it is the party paying the reservation or the party receiving the reservation that leads to the termination of the contract, the reservation should be returned. After the deposit is paid, if the party who paid the deposit breaches the contract, the deposit generally will not be refunded. Afterwards, the journalist provided screenshots of the “Xiaomi Car Purchase Agreement” to Lawyer Wei for review. After reviewing, Lawyer Wei stated that the “Xiaomi Car Purchase Agreement” does not clearly inform consumers of how long the cooling-off period is, and under what circumstances the deposit should be refunded.
At the same time, Lawyer Wei also stated that the “Xiaomi Car Purchase Agreement” mentions that “You should carefully read the content of the ordering instructions on the ordering page. According to the content of the ordering instructions, the period for modifying the configuration or applying for a refund after paying the deposit is the cooling-off period. If you pass the cooling-off period or choose to skip it on your own, you no longer have the right to modify the configuration or apply for a refund.”
So, what exactly is included in the ordering instructions? The journalist did not find “ordering instructions” in the online ordering process, only “deposit instructions”. The “deposit instructions” clearly state that you can modify the vehicle configuration at any time within 7 days (168 hours) after paying the deposit. After 7 days (168 hours), the vehicle order will be automatically locked, and you can also proactively lock it in advance. After locking the order, the vehicle will be arranged for production, the configuration cannot be modified again, and the deposit will not be refunded.
Lawyer Wei believes that only from the deposit instructions, consumers are not clearly informed of their right to apply for a refund within 7 days. This situation can easily lead consumers to only know how to modify the configuration but not know the specific conditions for applying for a refund of the deposit. Once the so-called “cooling-off period” is missed, the deposit cannot be converted into a reservation fee.