The low threshold for second-hand home appliance business brings many hidden dangers. Photographed by Cui Ru Mai.
â– Reporter of Express, Cui Ru Mai
In recent days, the hot and humid weather has quickly increased the demand for "cold consumption" such as refrigerators and air conditioners. However, the high prices of cooling appliances in the market have deterred many consumers. To save money, many consumers have no choice but to turn their attention to the second-hand appliance market. According to my investigation, due to the unstandardized actions during the process of recycling, processing, and reusing second-hand appliances, the safety hazards of second-hand appliances are concerning.
Second-hand Cooling Appliances Are In High Demand
In the scorching summer, seasonal appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners become essential equipment for people to stay cool. However, cooling appliances that cost over 2000 yuan are not something everyone is willing to spend money on. Many consumers prefer to buy second-hand air conditioners and other appliances from second-hand appliance stores. Especially migrant workers and students have become the main consumer groups in the second-hand appliance market.
Recently, after visiting large second-hand markets such as Caihongqiao, Shagangxu, and Naxia in Zhongshan West District, I found that the business of second-hand appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators is very booming during the high-temperature weather, with some shops even experiencing a "one-machine-hard-to-find" situation. The bosses of several shops told me that since the start of summer, the rental and sales business of old air conditioners and refrigerators has been prosperous, with better business as the temperature rises. Currently, air conditioners with power ratings of 1 horsepower (hp) and 1.5 hp are almost impossible to find in the market, with only higher-powered air conditioners available for transactions.
Unclear Origins of Second-hand Appliances
At the Caihong Old Goods Market in the west district, I saw that several electronics shops were filled with all kinds of old appliances inside and outside. Among them, air conditioners and refrigerators have become the "mainstay" of second-hand appliance shops, not only placed in the most prominent positions in the store but also making up a large portion of the second-hand appliances in terms of quantity. However, these second-hand appliances mostly have "unclear origins." Although their outer shells look new, they do not have any "second-hand" labels or indicate their usage lifespan. When asking the shopkeepers about the age of the second-hand goods, they often casually mention a time and state that these appliances were just recently collected from the market. Consumers can easily tell the newness or oldness upon seeing them, so there's no need to post relevant labels.
A shop owner revealed to me that these appliances that should have been eliminated are recycled by collectors, sold to second-hand goods recovery stores, and then undergo processes like painting and assembly to re-enter the second-hand market looking like new appliances. After being refurbished, these second-hand appliances, due to their cheap prices, make many restaurants and rental houses important "shelters" for these outdated appliances.
Many Hidden Dangers, Difficult Repairs, Become Complaint Hotspots
Although second-hand appliances are cheap, they hide tricks and numerous safety hazards, leading to issues like returns, exchanges, and repairs of second-hand appliances becoming hot topics of consumer complaints. Mr. Luo, who rents near Minhu Road, recently bought a nearly new Gree air conditioner from the second-hand appliance market. However, after using it for not long, the air conditioner started producing loud noises and had poor cooling effects. He then approached the shopkeeper hoping for repair or replacement, but the shopkeeper kept finding excuses. Helplessly, he had to spend 200 yuan himself to get someone to repair it.
According to industry insiders, currently, most rented appliances are either second-hand goods or refurbished machines, which more or less carry safety hazards. Some have aged wiring that could lead to serious consequences like fires. Additionally, there is currently a lack of corresponding regulations for second-hand appliances, and many second-hand appliances do not come with after-sales services. Even though some second-hand appliance operators use promises like "3-month warranty" to attract consumers, it is hard for them to honor these commitments.
Low Threshold for Second-hand Appliance Business
Why does the second-hand appliance business still have room to survive despite its significant risks? According to my understanding, because legitimate enterprises offer relatively low acquisition prices (a regular old air conditioner can only be sold for 50 yuan), most citizens will not hand over their second-hand appliances to formal recycling departments for scrapping. Instead, they sell them to scattered second-hand goods collectors, ultimately flowing into the second-hand market. The threshold for engaging in the buying and selling of second-hand appliances is very low; one only needs approval from the industrial and commercial department, without any relevant environmental qualification recognition, thus lacking meaningful supervision.
Brother Qiang, who has been repairing second-hand appliances for many years, stated that the quality and performance of second-hand appliances naturally cannot match those of new ones. Therefore, second-hand appliances cannot be inspected according to the standards of new appliances, and the country also lacks quality inspection standards related to second-hand goods. Hence, according to relevant laws and regulations of industrial and commercial administration, the industrial and commercial and consumer association departments find it difficult to handle complaints regarding quality issues of second-hand goods and clearance items due to the lack of quality inspection standards. Unless merchants sell second-hand goods as new goods and are recognized by quality supervision departments, the industrial and commercial departments can only claim rights for consumers under the grounds of "fraud."
Related reports: During the summer vacation, the leasing of second-hand appliances in Xi'an has warmed up, but the lack of standardization poses hidden dangers. The recycling of old electrical appliances is regulated, and the buying and selling of second-hand appliances will be registered under real names. China plans to establish archives for the buying and selling of second-hand appliances.
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