暴力催收？海尔消金遭万人投诉，回应称「行业共性」

Core Viewpoint - Haier Consumer Finance has been fined 2.05 million yuan for exaggerated marketing, improper collection practices, and misappropriation of credit funds, marking the largest penalty in the consumer finance industry in the past three years [1][12]. Regulatory Actions - The Qingdao Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Supervision Administration imposed a fine of 2.05 million yuan on Haier Consumer Finance for issues identified before 2021, including misleading marketing and improper collection practices [1][12]. - The company’s former general manager, Huang Yinghua, was fined and banned from holding office for two years due to these violations [1][12]. Customer Complaints - There have been over 16,166 complaints on the Black Cat Complaints platform, primarily concerning "violent collection" and "threats" [3][8]. - Many borrowers report harassment from collection agents, even after negotiating repayment extensions [5][7]. Legal Issues - Haier Consumer Finance has accumulated 100,400 lawsuits, with 98.93% of these cases being initiated by the company as plaintiffs, primarily related to financial loan contract disputes [16][18]. - The number of lawsuits surged from over 7,000 to more than 34,000 in a single year, indicating a significant increase in legal actions against the company [15][18]. Company Response and Industry Context - Haier Consumer Finance acknowledges the issues in its collection practices, stating that these problems are prevalent across the industry and that the company is committed to continuous improvement [4][10]. - The company claims that while "violent collection" is not permitted, legal collection practices are necessary for overdue accounts, although they cannot guarantee optimal solutions for every overdue borrower [3][10]. Financial Performance - Despite the legal challenges, Haier Consumer Finance reported significant growth in financial assets and net income from 2022 to 2024, with total assets increasing from 211.25 billion yuan to 293.48 billion yuan and net income rising from 17.1 million yuan to 31.68 million yuan [16][18].