“I purchased a Xiaomi light-emitting diode (LED) TV worth 500,000 won, but within less than a year, the screen cracked and it broke down. I applied for after-service (AS), and a week has passed, but the AS representative only said they needed to discuss with Xiaomi, and even after two weeks, the AS has not been processed.” (Consumer A, who purchased a Xiaomi LED TV)
“Since March, although the AS policy was strengthened to have representatives directly collect broken products, I received a response stating that I needed to send the product to the AS center via courier. Consumers are required to prepare the wrapping and cushioning materials for courier shipping, and I am considering whether to give up on AS.” (Consumer B, who purchased a Xiaomi robotic vacuum cleaner)
Recently, there has been ongoing discontent among domestic consumers regarding the after-service (AS) policy of Chinese company Xiaomi, primarily on online communities. Xiaomi, which established its Korean subsidiary in January and announced its full-scale market entry, pledged to strengthen its AS policy and to establish a direct AS center in the first half of this year, but consumer responses have been lacking.
According to industry sources on the 3rd, there are consumer complaints that the AS for Xiaomi TVs and robotic vacuum cleaners is delayed or that the procedures are complicated.
Xiaomi operates 38 AS centers in Korea, consisting of 14 repair centers and 24 installation service centers. Interactions can be conducted in-person or via courier, and onsite service is provided for large home appliances like TVs. Unlike Samsung Electronics, which operates over 300 direct AS centers in Korea, and LG Electronics, with over 120 direct AS centers, Xiaomi has entrusted all its AS centers to SK Networks Service.
Compared to domestic corporations, Xiaomi has lacked the capacity to respond to AS requests, leading to ongoing complaints about its AS. Consumer C, who purchased a Xiaomi tablet worth 350,000 won, said, “After the tablet broke, I submitted the AS request via courier, but I was informed that it might take about a week due to high volumes of courier shipments. However, after two weeks, I still had not received a response, and when I inquired again, there was no reply.” They added, “Ultimately, I received a response saying I had to apply for an exchange with the defective judgment report, and it took 20 days for all procedures to be completed.”
Consumer D, who purchased Xiaomi's Bluetooth earphones, said, “I contacted customer service to get directions to the nearest Gwangmyeong Center for AS, but when I went to drop it off, they didn't have the stock, so my AS could not be processed. I had to move to the Guro Center where the stock was available to proceed with the AS.”
As consumer complaints continued, Xiaomi strengthened its AS policy by having representatives collect products directly starting in March. Along with this, Xiaomi announced plans to open a direct AS center in the first half of this year to enhance consumer convenience, although the specific timeline is reported to be undetermined.
Consumer E, who purchased a Xiaomi robotic vacuum cleaner, pointed out, “While I applied for product collection via AS visit, I have to prepare my own box that matches the product's specifications, cushioning materials, and various documents, placing a considerable burden on the consumer.”
An industry insider stated, “Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics view AS as a key pillar of their market strategy. This is because Korean consumers value AS as much as product performance.” They added, “While Xiaomi aggressively targets the domestic market with its pricing policy, without proper AS support, it will be difficult to improve its market share.”