What are the detailed standards for returning or exchanging cars under the new automotive three-guarantee policy?
1 Answers
The new regulations clearly stipulate that within 7 days from the start of the three-guarantee validity period for a household vehicle, if there is a quality issue requiring the replacement of the engine, transmission, power battery, drive motor, or their major components, consumers can choose to exchange the vehicle or request a refund by presenting the purchase invoice and the three-guarantee certificate. The seller must provide a free exchange or refund. The new regulations also introduce corresponding compensation requirements for consumers requesting a refund or exchange. It is explicitly stated that consumers must pay a usage compensation fee to the seller when exchanging or returning a household vehicle. The compensation fee is calculated as follows: Compensation Fee = Vehicle Price (yuan) × Mileage (km) / 1000 (km) × n. Here, the usage compensation coefficient 'n' is determined and clearly indicated on the three-guarantee certificate by the manufacturer. Compared to the 2013 version, the new regulation adjusts the compensation coefficient 'n' from the range of '0.5%-0.8%' to no more than 0.5%. This change lowers the upper limit of compensation fees that sellers can charge consumers who qualify for the '7-day refund or exchange' policy, thereby reducing the financial burden on consumers. The new regulations impose stricter three-guarantee responsibilities on businesses. Under the new policy, when sellers process a refund or exchange, they must compensate consumers for vehicle registration fees, decoration costs, and related service fees. Manufacturers, sellers, and repairers are prohibited from restricting consumers' freedom to choose maintenance and service providers and cannot use this as a reason to deny three-guarantee responsibilities. Additionally, the new regulation reduces the threshold for exchanging a vehicle due to repeated repairs from 'more than 5 repairs for the same issue or a cumulative repair time exceeding 35 days' to 'more than 4 repairs or 30 days' within the three-guarantee period.
