Porsche Photo: VCG

In response to the incident involving the abrupt closure of the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Porsche Center in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province, Porsche China on Thursday issued a statement, extending its apologies for the inconvenience and concern caused to the car owners and other consumers. 

The company said in a statement shared with the Global Times that it will actively promote a proper resolution of the matter and prioritize the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

The apology followed reports from several netizens on social media that the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Porsche Center had been found empty, after it suddenly closed, leaving customers unable to contact the sales staff and managers, resulting in losses ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan for each customer, the National Business Daily reported.

The Zhongyuan district bureau of commerce in Zhengzhou said on Wednesday that relevant departments have formed a special task force and are undertaking preliminary investigation to verify the situation and protect consumers' rights, according to a report by the National Business Daily.

The company said it was "highly concerned about the abnormal business situation" at the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Porsche Center, and that it was working on-site with the police and relevant departments "to verify the facts," according to the statement.

In recent days, additional posts from affected customers on Xiaohongshu alleged that the dealership had been vacated - showroom vehicles at the Zhengzhou Zhongyuan Porsche Center were reportedly removed and employees, including sales and management, were unreachable. 

A letter to customers sent by Xiao Meng, a sales consultant at the store, indicated that the store was operating normally on Monday. However, upon arriving at work on Tuesday morning, employees found the company was deserted, completely unaware of the situation beforehand. Furthermore, some customers had paid deposits that were never processed, while employees reportedly remain unpaid, the National Business Daily reported.

Porsche China so far has not provided further details about the cause of the reported disruption.

Global Times