Surge in order transfers after Xiaomi Auto YU7 GT launch as merchants exploit “reactivating cancelled orders” for cashback

Demand and a quick secondary market

Xiaomi Auto (小米汽车), the EV arm of Xiaomi (小米), launched the YU7 GT on May 21 with an official price of 38.99万元 (RMB 389,900). Test‑drive reservations jumped and weekend slots quickly filled. But within days, second‑hand and car‑forum platforms were reportedly flooded with "order transfer" listings for the new model — merchants advertising “official channel, transfer supported” and “RMB 5,000 cashback” to entice buyers. Fuel for speculation — or a loophole being monetized?

How sellers say the scheme works

It has been reported that some dealers are using so‑called “废单激活” (reactivating cancelled orders) to recreate a one‑for‑one refund: an original buyer’s 20,000 yuan deposit is allegedly refunded once a new buyer takes the locked allocation, and sellers then promise to rebate 5,000 yuan to the new purchaser. Reportedly, merchants provide “waste‑order” accounts to place orders in the Xiaomi Auto app; after delivery, the refund flow lets merchants extract a cashback margin while advertising a reduced effective deposit for buyers.

Conflicting confirmations from staff and official stance

Multiple Xiaomi Auto sales staff acknowledged the mechanics in conversations with media, saying such a refund path exists in practice but that the company cannot police private side deals — “we can’t vouch for the middlemen’s 5,000 yuan,” one salesperson said. Xiaomi Auto’s official customer service, however, told reporters that “废单激活” is not an official company policy and that offline stores running such promotions are outside the automaker’s guarantees. It has been reported that sellers in the market include original owners offloading orders and scalpers who hoarded allocations early.

Consumer risk and regulatory backdrop

Consumers face clear risks: private transfer deals carry fraud and enforcement gaps, and buyers may be left without official recourse if a promised rebate disappears. The episode underscores how China’s frenzied EV market and tight allocation mechanisms can spawn secondary‑market workarounds — and it comes as regulators in China intensify scrutiny of unfair sales practices and scalper behaviour. Will platforms and automakers step in to close the loophole, or will third‑party transfers become another fixture of new‑car mania?