German auto giant Mercedes-Benz yesterday apologized to a Chinese car buyer after a video of her complaints went viral.
The woman, whose name has not been revealed, said she purchased a new Mercedes from an authorized dealer in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, only to discover that it was leaking oil on the showroom floor.
A video was posted showing her sitting on the hood of a car in the showroom angrily accusing sales staff of dodging her demands for a refund.
The woman also alleged in later media interviews that she originally wanted to pay cash for the car but was pressured by the dealership into taking out a loan that came with high fees.
"We're very sorry for whatever happened," said Hubertus Troskas, a board member and head of China operations for Daimler, Mercedes’ parent group.
"We have reached an agreement with the customer and she will continue to be a Mercedes customer," he added, speaking to journalists on the opening day of the Shanghai Auto Show.
Mercedes-Benz also said in a statement it has suspended the operation of the Lizhixing 4S dealer store in Xi'an. The company will terminate cooperation with the dealer if irregularities are found, it said. Third-party auditing targeting dealers will be conducted.
