Counterfeit luxury cars "Old Man Happy" are popular in rural areas: for 10,000 yuan, you can drive away a "Mercedes-Benz BMW"; after restrictions are lifted, it can reach 80 km/h, and it comes with fake license plates.

Blue Whale News, March 12 (Reporter Lu Pengpeng) “Baoliu, Benz G-Class, Rolls-Royce in your pocket, Bentley causing trouble…” In recent years, these jokingly named old scooters have become increasingly common on rural streets. They are dressed up as fake luxury cars but cost only a fraction of the real vehicles.

Blue Whale investigation found that on social media, many sellers promote “factory direct sales” and sell these vehicles to rural elderly people. Behind these old scooters, there are widespread issues such as inability to legally register, exaggerated range claims, inconsistent quality, and lack of safety certification, leaving consumers with no way to defend their rights after purchase.

Poor quality, false advertising, no after-sales support

Many consumer complaints about old scooters

Before March 15, multiple consumers reported to Blue Whale that their elderly family members’ online purchases of old mobility scooters had serious quality problems.

Lili (pseudonym) told reporters that her father bought an old scooter online in February for 17,500 yuan. However, upon receipt, they found that the vehicle had no contract, no invoice, no certificate of conformity, and no manufacturing labels. The battery’s range was severely exaggerated, the materials used were poor, and during a test drive, the vehicle broke down immediately.

Moreover, the seller’s after-sales support was virtually nonexistent; repeated contact attempts were met with evasion.

Similar cases are numerous. A search for “old scooter” on Black Cat Complaint yielded hundreds of complaints, mostly about false advertising, poor quality, and lack of after-sales support.

Social media drives fake luxury cars

Porsche 9,000, Mercedes 12,000, ads with discounts

Blue Whale noticed that most of these old scooter sellers are active on social media platforms, posting videos to attract traffic under the banner of “factory direct sales.”

Opening their profiles reveals a wide array of fake luxury cars, resembling Mercedes, BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, priced between 8,000 and 20,000 yuan.

Sellers claim the vehicles are equipped with four-door electric motors, multifunctional mechanical steering wheels, multimedia screens, high-definition reversing radars, automatic transmissions, and promise nationwide free shipping and cash on delivery.

When Blue Whale contacted these sellers as a consumer, they openly used names like “Mercedes G-Class,” “BMW X5,” “Rolls-Royce Cullinan” to promote, claiming to have hybrid models with a range of over 100 kilometers, priced at 35,800 yuan.

Sellers said that if the buyer agrees to have the manufacturer place a two-year advertisement on the rear of the vehicle, they can enjoy a significant discount, reducing the final price to only 12,800 yuan.

Claims of road registration and speed limits

Can be unlocked to reach 80 km/h

When asked about safety and roadworthiness, sellers clearly responded: the vehicles come with certificates of conformity, can be registered and driven on the road, and are equipped with “old mobility vehicle” license plates and insurance.

Blue Whale observed that most of these scooters are factory limited to speeds of only 30-40 km/h, but some sellers claim they can unlock the speed limit to reach up to 80 km/h if needed.

This speed far exceeds the original design speed of these scooters and surpasses the structural, braking, and safety standards of such models. When a plastic-bodied electric vehicle without airbags or crash tests runs at 80 km/h, it ceases to be just a “mobility tool” and becomes a moving hazard.

It is worth noting that during undercover investigations, not all sellers hide this information intentionally. Some warn that these are low-speed electric four-wheel vehicles that cannot be registered, depending on local regulations. “If the regulations are strict, then it’s no problem; just understand this before buying,” one seller admitted. The so-called “license” is just a fake “old scooter” plate, not an official license.

Blue Whale learned from conversations with multiple sellers that most buyers are rural elderly, and these transactions often lack formal contracts. Payments are usually transferred to personal accounts, and there have been cases where buyers paid but never received the vehicle.

Increased regulation and covert production

The old scooter industry shifts to hidden manufacturing and sales

Old scooters, also known as “laotoule,” are popular among the elderly because they do not require a driver’s license, registration, insurance, and can provide shelter from the rain and wind. They are widely used in rural areas.

Around 2007, companies like Reading, Yujie, and Fulu emerged in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, forming an industry with an annual output of 1 million units. However, due to frequent safety accidents, most of these companies either transformed or disappeared.

Today, most remaining old scooter manufacturers operate covertly. Due to compliance issues, agents often hide manufacturer information, making it difficult for consumers to identify responsible parties when seeking rights protection.

Regulatory authorities have also begun to intervene due to safety concerns. In 2022, the Public Security Bureau of Luoyang, Henan, issued a notice stating that from January 1, 2024, electric (gas-powered) tricycles and low-speed electric four-wheelers are banned from all roads within urban areas. Beijing’s traffic management bureau also announced that from January 1, 2024, illegal electric tricycles and four-wheelers are not allowed on roads or in public places.

According to the “Road Traffic Safety Law” and related regulations, electric tricycles and four-wheelers are classified as motor vehicles. However, most “old scooters” do not meet the technical safety standards outlined in GB7258-2017 and cannot be registered or licensed for road use.

Despite this, many sellers promote their vehicles as “road-legal” or “able to be registered.” The so-called “green plates” they refer to are actually illegal old mobility vehicle plates.

When vehicles that lack legal road rights are marketed as compliant mobility tools to rural elderly, consumers face not only financial risks but also safety hazards. In case of accidents, they could be held liable for unlicensed driving, increasing the danger.

In summary, the illegal production and sale of old scooters continue to pose significant safety risks, with authorities gradually tightening oversight and enforcement.