Generally, after hearing the car manufacturer's promise of three lifetime warranties, new car owners will often applaud, while old drivers will ask "what are the conditions"?
In recent years, many new energy vehicle companies are keen to provide more comprehensive after-sales protection for car owners, competing to launch lifetime or long-term warranties, but often set some restrictions. Car owners should pay special attention when using their cars to ensure that their cars can enjoy the above policies, otherwise they will miss the warranty opportunity.
Recently, it was reported that BYD has adjusted its after-sales policy, allowing car owners to carry out maintenance outside the "three electrics" system in regular repair shops. That is, if you choose to maintain or repair at a non-BYD authorized service store or do not use the original spare parts, if it does not cause the failure and impact of the relevant parts of the "three electrics" system, the lifetime warranty rights and interests of the "three electrics" system will not be affected.
SAIC Volkswagen has also recently cooperated with Tmall Car Maintenance to export the original standard parts and services to maintenance chain enterprises through the method of "after-sales quick repair and quick warranty authorization + supply cooperation with accessories products".
Named for a warranty dispute over a hidden clause
At present, many new energy brands have set the conditions for enjoying the lifetime warranty of the "three electrics" system more "rigorously", in addition to only the first owner enjoying, non-operating vehicles, but also requiring the car to be maintained in the 4S shop in accordance with the maintenance cycle specified in the "User Manual"; After 4 years or 100,000 kilometers, it must go to an authorized center for maintenance; The vehicle warranty object is the original genuine spare parts; The total mileage of the vehicle for any 12 consecutive months does not exceed 30,000 kilometers; Accident repairs must be done in 4S shops, etc. That is to say, if the maintenance does not use the original parts or does not follow the maintenance cycle specified in the "User Manual" in the BYD authorized service store, then the owner will lose the lifetime warranty rights. Previously, some car owners were determined by the manufacturer's customer service to trigger the exemption clause because they replaced the tires at a repair shop other than the authorized repair shop, and refused to continue to provide the three-electric lifetime warranty service for the vehicle.
From the perspective of car owners, the above-mentioned overly harsh warranty clauses are not intended to provide users with protection, but are intended to keep users in their own system and obtain more after-sales income.
In April last year, the Dongguan Municipal Consumer Council issued a consumer reminder mentioning that according to the analysis of recent complaints, manufacturers and sellers false publicity, concealment of consumer rights information, product and after-sales service quality are hot spots for new energy vehicles, including the concealment of battery warranty restrictions and other important information.
The Dongguan Municipal Consumer Council particularly emphasized that consumers should pay attention to the manufacturer's lifetime warranty conditions, especially the setting of restrictive concealment clauses. Nowadays, a variety of attractive "lifetime" after-sales service policies such as "lifetime battery warranty", "lifetime free traffic", "lifetime free maintenance", "lifetime free roadside assistance service" and "free charging service" have widely appeared in the new energy vehicle market and become a tool for car companies to optimize customer experience and even marketing. However, the restrictive and hidden clauses behind it are very easy to cause consumer disputes, and the content of the lifetime warranty service of different brands is different, and the lifetime warranty of the battery is not the "three-electric" system warranty, and consumers need to carefully understand before making a decision before buying a car.
Adjust the after-sales policy "killing two birds with one stone"
In the eyes of industry insiders, BYD's adjustment of the after-sales policy this time is obviously to take into account the poor experience brought to the car owner in the previous warranty terms, so some restrictions have been relaxed, and the choice to adjust at this time node is for a reason.
Wang Hao, founder and CEO of Coppola Automotive Consulting Services (Qingdao) Co., Ltd., told reporters that under the background of the new energy vehicle market entering a new stage, the intensification of product competition, and the increasingly fierce market competition, all automobile brands in the current market are actively or passively joining the user competition, using all kinds of tricks to obtain the right to speak in the market.
Although BYD has become a leading brand in the global new energy vehicle market, it is not "sitting firmly in the Diaoyutai". On the one hand, in the face of the fierce catch-up of many traditional domestic car companies and the differentiated competition of new car-making forces; On the other hand, it is also necessary to deal with the encirclement and interception of international brands.
In such a competitive environment, how to strengthen the brand's occupation of users' minds, consolidate market influence, and further obtain the "pricing power" in the industry is a problem that must be considered at present. Although BYD's authorized distribution service system has been relatively developed after years of development, from the actual situation, it is mainly to serve product sales, and the authorized service network still has room for improvement in after-sales operations such as user service radius and service functions.
Wang Hao said that BYD now proposes to adjust the after-sales service policy, which can play the role of "killing two birds with one stone": on the one hand, it will facilitate user services, further enhance user reputation and brand recognition, and continue to "add points" to the competition in the front-end product market; On the other hand, in addition to the original relatively complete service network, continuing to release service management authority can further establish the threshold of back-end services and raise the competitive barriers for other car companies.
However, when the reporter asked a BYD dealer for verification, the person in charge of the store said that he could not determine whether the warranty policy had been adjusted, because he had not yet received a notice from the manufacturer.
Wang Hao believes that from the perspective of car owners, BYD authorized service providers have the advantages of good service environment, standardized management, and high brand trust, and authorized service providers will also retain customers through a series of means to enhance customer service stickiness in the store (such as providing car insurance services, maintenance preferential policies, strengthening warranty management, etc.), so the overall impact on its after-sales revenue will not be too large.
From the perspective of online car-hailing and taxi users, due to the special attributes and service characteristics of these vehicles, and the high sensitivity to service prices, for authorized service providers, reception and service will lead to a shortage of in-store service and management resources, high costs and low returns, and may be appropriately abandoned.
Fill the gap in the market and meet the original quality
Recently, SAIC Volkswagen announced that it has authorized Tmall to carry out its fast repair and quick warranty business. Up to now, SAIC Volkswagen has authorized 14 Tmall car maintenance stores in Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces to become after-sales maintenance service partners. According to the planning goal, the two parties will land 100 stores within the year and make every effort to build a nationwide network system.
The officially authorized Tmall car maintenance stores can not only undertake SAIC Volkswagen's after-sales quick repair and warranty services, but also have exclusive rights and interests such as direct supply of original accessories and original maintenance, effectively filling the blank market not covered by SAIC Volkswagen's dealer channel system. In terms of technical service standards, Tmall Car Maintenance Technology Academy will conduct training in accordance with SAIC's original construction standards to ensure that it meets SAIC Volkswagen's original maintenance standards.
Li Yi, general manager of Tmall Car Maintenance, told the "China Automotive News" reporter that at present, the main cooperation models between Tmall Car and SAIC Volkswagen are still limited to fuel vehicles, and the location of the store will focus on areas not covered by SAIC Volkswagen's 4S store network. In addition, including the internal furnishings of the store, the reputation of the store, the technical level of the technicians, etc., the Tmall Car Maintenance Headquarters will select the best on the basis of meeting the geographical location conditions.
As for how to ensure that the construction of the store meets the construction standards of SAIC's original factory, Li Yi said that most of the after-sales construction standards of SAIC Volkswagen are similar to the construction standards of Tmall car maintenance, and there are only differences in some details. For example, SAIC Volkswagen requires that when changing the oil, the oil must be drained and the oil screw must be replaced, and the screws must be replaced; When the ignition coil and spark plug are replaced, the ignition coil or high-voltage wire must be removed, and the ignition coil should be coated with grease. With a little training, the technicians of the Tmall car maintenance system can operate proficiently.
From the perspective of the ability to undertake the maintenance of new energy vehicles, at present, Tmall car maintenance stores across the country have the ability to conduct routine testing of new energy vehicles, and some stores have completed the upgrade of new energy capabilities, which can carry out vehicle "small three electrics" (electric power steering, electric air conditioning and electric power assistance) testing and maintenance, as well as regular maintenance of new energy vehicles per 10,000 kilometers and other projects.
In Li Yi's view, the reason why the lifetime warranty of new energy vehicle companies is not open to the independent maintenance system is that the maintenance frequency of new energy vehicles is generally not high, the parts that can be repaired are not much, the satisfaction of accessories is not high, and the standards are relatively lacking.
Second, manufacturers are worried that the maintenance technical ability of the independent maintenance system in the field of new energy vehicles is not enough, and it is unrealistic to carry out ability training in the short term.
Third, new energy vehicles are still in the stage of continuous improvement and innovation in terms of technology, and there is a large room for upgrading, so it is necessary to adhere to the rapid feedback loop of internal information. From the point of view of technical security, the time has not yet come to open up.
In the interview, industry insiders generally believe that it is the general trend for automobile companies to open up the warranty to the independent maintenance system. First of all, this is driven by the user's need for ease of service. Secondly, with the strengthening of national anti-monopoly law enforcement, it will also force car companies to release relevant authorizations.
"The new energy vehicle maintenance market will be initially formed in about 3 years, and it will enter a vigorous development stage in 5 years. The more vehicles are insured, the technical capabilities of the independent maintenance system will also increase. He said.
It is not easy to maintain independently with the light of a lifetime warranty
In Wang Hao's view, auto car companies have relaxed the warranty terms and given consumers more choices, but it is not easy for independent maintenance companies to enjoy this wave of dividends.
First of all, major automobile manufacturers have grasped the "trump card" of long-term warranty and carried out strong control over new energy vehicle services. At present, we have not seen the specific content of BYD's policy, but according to its long-standing practice, it can be basically judged that it will set heavy restrictions on services in unauthorized channels, or the above policies are only aimed at some special user groups, such as online car-hailing, users in areas with insufficient service network density in lower-tier cities, etc.
Secondly, the maintenance project of new energy vehicles is relatively simple, with low fees and small profit margins, which is "chicken ribs" for authorized 4S shops and independent repair shops. The real after-sales service return is the maintenance project. As long as the "three electricity" maintenance and warranty interpretation rights are in their own hands, where the user's maintenance is carried out has little impact.
Third, most independent maintenance stores do not have corresponding service advantages in terms of site facilities, personnel and technical capabilities, as well as the supply of spare parts and technical support from car companies. There should not be too many stores that can really undertake the stable car supply of car companies.
As Wang Hao said, the introduction of quality assurance and extended warranty by automobile manufacturers is not only a loss of money trading, this is like an insurance product, the various restrictions introduced by the manufacturer can be regarded as a means of risk control, risk control is good, to a certain extent, the manufacturer and the owner can benefit, if the conditions are too harsh, the interests of the owner are damaged, if the conditions are too relaxed, the manufacturer will generate additional expenses. Therefore, some car manufacturers have previously adjusted the lifetime warranty policy and launched extended warranty products that require a fee, and consumers can choose whether to accept the terms set by the manufacturer and purchase according to their own needs.
Yang Mingjiu, executive deputy secretary general of the Auto Maintenance Parts Working Committee of the China Automobile Maintenance and Repair Industry Association, believes that the lifetime warranty is a value-added product launched by automobile manufacturers to "give psychological comfort to car owners" as a selling point to increase user stickiness and drive sales. The lifetime warranty can also promote the deep binding between customers and 4S stores, bringing more revenue to dealers. At the same time, a lifetime warranty helps companies establish a positive image and thus gain a sense of recognition.
However, he also emphasized that for car owners, the "lifetime warranty of the whole vehicle" does not follow the car; The operating vehicle is not eligible for the "lifetime warranty of the whole vehicle"; "Vehicle lifetime warranty" is not a "vehicle" in the true sense; "Vehicle lifetime warranty" restricts the "freedom of maintenance" and once the vehicle company is delisted, the lifetime warranty is just a dead letter, these problems are not solved, and the lifetime warranty is just a gimmick.
Liberalization is the trend of the times, but it is difficult to achieve it in the short term
Nowadays, most of the new EV brands have functionalized their service channels, and laid out their after-sales networks in the form of authorized sheet metal spraying centers, maintenance centers, and delivery centers, and routine inspection and maintenance services for vehicles are often carried out in authorized delivery service centers.
For car companies, in the case of a recession and a large number of withdrawals from traditional authorized dealership service providers, it is possible to refer to the form of "maintenance and service separation" or "service center + satellite outlets" to open up cooperation to areas with insufficient service outlets. Wang Hao believes that how to choose the after-sales model mainly depends on the strategy and market development of various brand car companies.
In Yang Mingjiu's view, BYD and SAIC Volkswagen's open after-sales authorization can make the maintenance market more open, more inclusive, and more competitive, which has a far-reaching impact on the development of the mainland maintenance industry and even the automotive aftermarket, and is undoubtedly good news for car owners to maintain car consumption, and will play an important role in the sustainable and healthy development of the industry. This must be the general trend of the development of the auto repair industry.
Once car companies can open up after-sales authorization, it will accelerate the formation of a variety of various types of maintenance enterprises independent management, fair competition, consumers free choice, independent consumption, free flow of goods and factors, equal exchange of modern market system, car companies through the 4S store dominance and dominance will be broken.
However, Wang Hao pointed out that the "three electrics" system, as the key assembly of new energy vehicles, is the main source of maintenance profits for manufacturers and service providers. Unless its original service network coverage and technical capabilities are extremely insufficient, and the service cost is too high, car companies will not open up on a large scale in the short term.
In the long run, with a large number of new energy vehicles out of the original warranty period every year, due to the small number of authorized service channels and high fees of car companies, users have a strong willingness to seek independent maintenance channels after the vehicle is out of warranty. Even if car companies are unwilling to let go, in the case of strong market demand, parts manufacturers, insurance companies, and remanufacturing companies will increase their efforts to promote the construction and formation of the "second network".
At present, the "three electrics" parts enterprises represented by power batteries are authorizing a large number of independent maintenance service channels to carry out professional after-sales service. The top power battery, electric drive and other parts companies with high market share are constantly increasing the number and density of cooperative service networks.
The use of independent authorized parts maintenance service channels for parts manufacturers is to enhance their control and pricing power over services, and secondly, to significantly improve service efficiency, further reduce costs, and to be closer to customers. The main problem is that the business of these outlets is too single, and they are often attached to the warranty business assigned by a parts and components company, so there are problems such as low business saturation, low income, and thin profits, and the ability to develop sustainably is weak in the long run.
Wang Hao expects that in the future, the "three electrics" authorized service network will appear in a hybrid model of "multi-brand compatibility and multi-functional integration", and eventually evolve into a new professional branch of the new energy vehicle aftermarket.
Text: Chen Meng Editor: Jiao Yue Layout: Li Peiyang
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