Consumer association calls for protection of car buyers' rights

The China Consumers Association said Wednesday that financial services in automobile sales should be clearly priced and forced transactions eliminated.

The association held a discussion Wednesday morning on the issues of financial service fees in automobile sales and car buyers' difficulties defending their rights.

The discussion concluded that car dealers fabricate required items to increase consumers' payments and fail to provide receipts or other certificates.

When disputes over quality arise, consumers often experience difficulties negotiating with dealers or lodging complaints.

It is the duty of car dealers to deliver qualified automobile products, and those who refuse to bear responsibility or compensate consumers for unqualified automobiles violate the law and will be punished, said the China Consumers Association.

The discussion heard that some dealers force consumers to purchase insurance or ask for financial service fees without issuing invoices, both illegal acts that should be severely punished according to the law, the association said.

During the discussion an unnamed womaen complained that she was sold a defective Mercedes-Benz car.

The woman said the engine of the CLS300 she bought from Xi'an, Shaanxi province dealership Lizhixing Co developed problems soon after she bought it March 27, but she failed to get a refund or exchange.

She also said she was asked to pay a "financial service fee" of 15,000 yuan to an employee without knowing what the money was for.

The association on Wednesday made a report on the dispute, saying netizens supported the female customer in defending her rights and called for Mercedes-Benz to compensate her.

The report also questioned the legality of the financial service fee and called for stronger market supervision in the automobile industry.

It also urged auto-dealers to respect and protect consumers' rights, saying that dealers should deliver qualified products and issue invoices, receipts and other certificates, strengthen employee training, and cooperate with investigations in the event of quality problems.

The woman on Tuesday night arrived at an agreement with the dealer, which included a replacement car and full refund of the financial service fee.

The company also invited the customer to visit Mercedes-Benz's factory and assembly line in Germany, offered her ten years of one-on-one, VIP service, and held a belated birthday party for her.