Reviewing a product is not an easy task, especially when you have a large community behind you. Establishing cordial but firm relations with brands is essential to maintain credibility and avoid getting hung up on them. But this principle seems not to have been respected by Cheshiji, an influencer followed by 6.5 million people on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
A biased comparison of Chinese and Norwegian prices
On 2 June 2022, Cheshiji stated that Nio was charging abnormally high prices in China for its ES8 large SUV. According to him, the same model would be much more affordable in Norway. This simple statement was more than enough to arouse the anger of Nio, who sued Cheshiji in April, arguing that the claims were completely false. Indeed, the court noted that the prices given in the vlogger’s video did not correspond to the manufacturer’s official prices.
Cheshiji admits mistakes but refuses to apologise publicly
According to the court, the failure to verify the figures misled many Internet users and, above all, damaged Nio’s reputation and credibility. This kind of action is highly reprehensible in China. However, before taking legal action against Cheshiji, the Chinese brand indicated that it had been in contact with the influencer on several occasions. The vlogger admitted his mistakes, but refused to publish an explanatory video correcting the errors.
As a result, Cheshiji was ordered to pay €38,000 in damages to Nio. The brand has announced that this sum will be used for charitable purposes supporting school aid and poverty reduction.
