Kathmandu- Cimex Inc. Pvt. Ltd., the official distributor of BYD cars in Nepal, is under fire for charging an outrageous repair cost that almost matches the price of a new vehicle. The company that has also been accused of dodging taxes on electric vehicle imports, now found overcharging for after-sales services.
On September 20, 2024, the distributor issued a repair quotation of Rs 5.058 million (including VAT) for a BYD Atto 3 electric car that had sustained minor damage in an accident. Customers and experts were shocked by this cost. Service engineers say the repair should have only cost Rs 500,000–700,000, or at most Rs 1–1.5 million, even considering the higher expense of fixing electric vehicles.
Photos of the damaged car show it had only small dents and scratches. Despite this, the distributor claimed that 142 parts needed to be replaced, with some listed twice, making the total cost suspiciously high. The parts ranged in price from Rs 577.50 to an eye-popping Rs 2.195 million.
Breaking down the costs, the pre-VAT amount was Rs 4.476 million, and VAT added another Rs 581,988.50, bringing the total to Rs 5.058 million. For comparison, the Atto 3 Advanced version costs Rs 5.69 million, while the Superior version costs Rs 6.78 million in Nepal.
This has led to widespread criticism of Cimex Inc., with many accusing the company of exploiting customers with overpriced repairs. Such practices could discourage people from buying electric vehicles in Nepal, even though EVs are becoming more popular.
Adding to customer frustration, Cimex Inc. has not expanded its service centers despite selling more cars. After recent floods, many damaged BYD vehicles couldn’t be repaired because of a lack of spare parts. Some customers were lucky to get new vehicles through insurance claims for total losses, but others were left waiting for repairs.
Many are questioning why so many parts, including the expensive high-voltage battery, were replaced for such minor damage. Some suspect this might involve collusion with insurance companies to inflate repair costs.
As the controversy grows, people are calling for the government to regulate vehicle sales and after-sales services. Without proper rules, these practices could harm the reputation of electric vehicles and brands like BYD in Nepal.
