Multiple Xiaomi automobile customers have taken to social media platforms claiming they are being required to pay their remaining balance weeks or even months before vehicle delivery, contradicting the company’s previous public statements that customers could verify their vehicles before making final payments.
According to reports from Chinese media Sina Tech and Auto Sohu, Xiaomi sales representatives have been informing customers who have already paid deposits that their orders would be “suspended from production” and their original delivery schedules would no longer be valid unless they pay the remaining balance within 30 days.
Some customers report being told their vehicles are still 22-25 weeks away from delivery, yet they’ve received payment notices with warnings that failure to comply would result in order cancellation and forfeiture of their 5,000 yuan (700 USD) deposits.
When contacted by Sina Tech about these allegations, Xiaomi officials declined to comment.
The controversy stems from Xiaomi’s purchase agreement, which states that customers must pay the full remaining balance within seven days of receiving a payment notice. The agreement gives Xiaomi the right to request payment at any time based on “vehicle production arrangements or sales situations” and classifies non-payment as a “fundamental breach of contract,” allowing the company to cancel orders and retain deposits.
Customers have pointed out that this clause must be accepted to complete the purchase process, with many questioning whether it constitutes an unfair contract term.
This policy appears to contradict previous statements on Xiaomi’s official public WeChat account, which explicitly stated that the company supports paying the balance after vehicle inspection.
Auto Sohu notes that most other electric vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla and Nio, allow customers to inspect vehicles before making final payments, while traditional automakers like BYD and Geely typically use a down payment model with the balance due at delivery.
Editor’s comment
The delivery cycle for Xiaomi’s cars (whether SU7 or YU7) is too long, resulting in a poor experience. Perhaps Xiaomi is doing this to force some queued customers to cancel, thereby speeding up deliveries for more committed customers.
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