Volvo car owners in China have been fitted with fake Bowers & VVilkins speakers
A scandal has erupted in China over counterfeit products in Volvo cars. According to the Sohu publication, as part of a promotional campaign, a local dealer installed additional equipment on the customer's Volvo S60. However, after comparing the sedan with other S60 samples, the owner noticed some peculiarities inside the cabin. So, instead of the original Bowers Wilkins sound system, speakers labelled "Bowers VVilkins" (with two "V's" instead of a "W") were installed. And the crystal transmission shifter was not illuminated.
Here's What We Know
When the owner contacted the dealer for clarification, it turned out that the salesman didn't speak English and couldn't tell the difference between the "VV" and the "W". The dealer refused to replace the car's equipment, insisting that the speakers provided high-quality sound. When a disgruntled customer shared his situation on social media, it turned out that this was not an isolated case.
The speaker with the misspelled name. Source: Sohu
As reported by JoongAng Ilbo, other Volvo owners in China have also found speakers labelled "Bowers VVilkins" or even "Bovvers Wilkins" in their cars. It is still unclear which Volvo models are affected and whether they were all sold by the same dealer.
Following the negative reaction on social media, Volvo's Chinese division released an official statement on Weibo on 12 February. The company apologised for the inconvenience, said it had launched an investigation and promised to strengthen supervision of authorised dealers to protect the interests and legal rights of every customer.
Sources: Sohu, JoongAng Ilbo
