Chinese Bloggers Smash Siemens Refrigerators in Protest

A popular Chinese blogger and Internet celebrity has led a protest against German company Siemens. The demonstration saw a group of netizens publicly smashing their refrigerators that they say are fault products.

Luo Yonghao has nearly 1.2 million followers on his microblog--a Chinese Twitter-like service. Recently, he's used this platform to express his anger over what he says are faulty products in his home, from the German homeware company Siemens.

Other likeminded netizens assembled in front of the company's Beijing headquarters, displaying disappointment with their fridges by destroying them. With hammers and a good deal of enthusiasm, they made quick work of the products.

The main complaint was that the refrigerator doors were difficult to close, and that Siemens has not responded to repair requests. Indeed, many were angrier over the company's perceived lack of responsibility than about the products themselves.

[Geng, Protester]:
"We used to think that Siemens refrigerators would work well and German products would be quite sturdy. But it really has this minor problem. It's a minor problem, so it's okay if it acknowledges it, but it shouldn't deny its problem and say consumers aren't using its products properly."

Siemens representatives have so far continued to say that, rather than a product flaw, what was at issue in the current controversy was just "different consumer expectations."

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