It's the International Day for Protecting Consumers' Rights and Interests again on March
15th.
This year, the China Consumers Association has set the theme for consumer rights protection
as "Improving Consumption Quality". For the industrial vehicle industry, "improving consumer
quality" is not only about the smooth buying and selling of equipment, but also about production
safety, operational efficiency and corporate reputation.
Although the quality of mainstream brands has been steadily improving, the "hidden diseases"
that infringe upon users' rights and interests have not yet been eradicated, which deserves the
vigilance of the entire industry.
1. Cutting corners:
Up to now, there are still users reporting problems such as abnormal counterweights and
inconsistent information on nameplates with the actual items. This type of equipment not only
poses a risk of overturning, but also has a significantly shortened lifespan due to cutting corners,
resulting in high maintenance costs in the later stage.
2. Information barriers in second-hand transactions:
Some merchants deliberately conceal the true age and accident history of their vehicles and
"package" old equipment as premium cars to sell to users from other places. Due to the lack of an
authoritative third-party inspection and evaluation system for second-hand forklifts, once users fall
into a trap, it often takes a lot of time and effort to protect their rights.
The rights and responsibilities of the leasing model are ambiguous:
In lease contracts, the handover status of equipment, daily maintenance responsibilities, and the
qualifications of operators are not clearly stipulated. Once a malfunction or safety accident occurs,
it is not uncommon for both the lessor and the lessee to shirk responsibility from each other.
In the face of the above-mentioned chaos, national and local regulatory authorities are shifting
from "post-event penalties" to "pre-event regulation + in-event traceability". This year, many
regions have launched special regulations for forklift sales and leasing units, requiring enterprises to
establish full-process sales ledgers to ensure that the sources of equipment can be traced and their
destinations can be tracked.
Meanwhile, the State Administration for Market Regulation has been continuously promoting the
implementation of the main responsibility for the safety of special equipment. The penalties for using
forklifts that have not been regularly inspected and for operators operating without licenses have been
significantly increased.
The warning effect of typical cases is beginning to emerge. Not long ago, in a certain place, a fatal
accident occurred due to a forklift provided by a leasing company that had not been registered for use
and its safety device failed. Eventually, the relevant responsible persons were held criminally responsible.
This serves as a reminder to the entire industry: the bottom line of safety must not be tested, and the
red line of law must not be crossed.
Improving the quality of consumption requires every professional to unite as one. Industry associations,
media, regulatory authorities and enterprises should join forces to promote the establishment of basic
norms such as assessment standards for second-hand equipment and model lease contracts, making the
consumption environment for industrial vehicles more transparent and orderly.Consumption is the engine
of economic growth, and quality is the soul of consumption.
On the path towards high-quality development in the industrial vehicle industry, let's forge ahead with
craftsmanship and integrity, jointly shining "Made in China" brand and creating tangible value for our users.
