Thai NETA Dealers Slash Prices on NETA V II to Clear Inventory, Raising Questions About This Chinese EV Maker

Brickinfo News Agency – Bangkok, Thailand – Following a statement from NETA Auto (Thailand) Co., Ltd. on June 9, confirming no official NETA vehicle discounts and emphasizing purchases from authorized dealers, Kingkue EV Shop, a Facebook page promoting a NETA V II at 299,000 baht (9,100 USD), has provided its explanation. The owner of the page claims the price reduction is due to individual dealers clearing stock, with some reportedly planning to cease operations or switch brands, leading them to absorb losses.

Sarot Pansombat, an executive from Kingkue High Speed Co., Ltd. and Kingkue Number One Co., Ltd., the companies behind Kingkue EV Shop, posted on the page on June 10 at 8:10 AM. He clarified that the reduced prices are a result of individual dealer decisions to liquidate their vehicle inventory. He stated that some dealers were offering him 10,000-15,000 baht per vehicle to help sell their stock, but he never accepted any money.

“Some centers offered me 10,000 baht per vehicle, some offered me 15,000 baht, but I never received a single baht (if there’s proof, show it). I repeat, I never received money from any center. I only posted to help sell because I wanted to help. With some service centers, I even had to incur costs by offering additional warranties with a 50% repair discount. I did this hoping that when customers who bought from those centers had issues, the service center would recommend they come to me for repairs. That’s all I hoped for. NETA should talk to their own dealers, not me,” Sarot stated.

Regarding the purchase of a NETA V II at a price lower than NETA‘s official pricing through Kingkue EV Shop’s promotions, Sarot clarified, “As I said earlier, I don’t sell myself; these are shared posts. The vehicles I post about come from various authorized service centers. To say customers are buying from unauthorized sources would be incorrect because when customers pay a booking fee, it’s in the center’s name. They pick up the car at the center, and the financing is issued in the center’s name. So how can it be said that it didn’t come from an authorized dealer?”

Sarot acknowledged that taking a vehicle to an independent garage would void the warranty, which he stated is a common practice in the automotive industry. However, he highlighted a recurring issue for NETA users: the necessity of using independent garages due to official service centers’ inability to provide timely repairs or lack of spare parts. This has reportedly led to some users having their vehicles idled for nearly a year, impacting their livelihoods. Sarot emphasized that NETA should address these spare part and after-sales service issues promptly to assist affected customers, particularly those who rely on their vehicles for income. He indicated that he currently holds almost 100 Class 1 insurance claims, and without the support of independent garages, customers would face even longer waiting times.

Sarot Pansombat concluded, “I have consistently tried to help vehicle users, as you can see, because I am also a NETA customer. But I can fix my own car, so I just want to use my knowledge and ability to help others.” He affirmed that he would not abandon those facing problems if he could provide assistance.