By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian electric vehicle dealer yesterday slammed a rival’s accusations that it is “price gouging” consumers as “ridiculous” and impossible because all vehicle sales in this nation are price controlled.

Pia Farmer, partner in Easy Car Sales, told Tribune Business that the claims by EV Motors have no merit as the Government price controls imposed on vehicle margins and mark-ups prevent all auto dealers from passing excessive charges on to purchasers.

Asserting that her dealership has “never had any questions” despite receiving regular visits by price control inspectors, she described the allegations by the upstart dealership chaired by Sebas Bastian, the Island Luck chief, as “silly” and something that was easily refuted based on how Bahamian auto industry regulations function.

Ms Farmer spoke to this newspaper after EV Motors, stung by concerns she voiced earlier this week about its own practices and operations, accused Easy Car Sales of unfair pricing and engaging in anti-competitive behaviour to protect what it branded as a “monopoly”.

“Unfortunately, instead of competing fairly, our competitors have resorted to false, ugly and malicious misrepresentations, attempting to undermine our mission and protect their excessive profits,” EV Motors blasted in a statement sent to this newspaper.

“They have spread misinformation in a desperate bid to maintain the status quo, prioritising their financial gain over the interests of Bahamian consumers. Interestingly, notwithstanding their fear-mongering smear campaign, they have reduced their prices after years of price gouging the Bahamian consumers....

“The days of monopolies and price gouging practices are over. EV Motors is here to stay, and we will continue to champion a fair, sustainable, eco-friendly and consumer-focused automotive market in The Bahamas.” However, Ms Farmer yesterday hit back by arguing that price gouging on vehicle sales is impossible in the Bahamian auto industry because of government price control regulation.

“Any car dealer in this country knows there is price control on vehicles,” she told Tribune Business. “That claim is ridiculous. There is price control on the vehicles, and price control comes to visit us on a regular basis. How could we be gouging the market on car pricing? How could we be doing that when there is price control.

“That comment is ridiculous because there is price control on vehicles. Any claim of us cheating the Bahamian public is false because there is price control on those vehicles. Price gouging is such a silly term for anyone in our business. If you are in the car business you know we have price controls, and price control visits us regularly. We’ve never had any questions with regard to pricing.”

As for the rest of EV Motors’ statement, Ms Farmer replied: “Me thinks they protest too much.” Describing its response to her concerns as a “diatribe” and emotional reaction, the Easy Car Sales partner argued that it was more notable for what it did not say and what she described as its disguised admissions.

Ms Farmer argued that, besides confirming it is not the authorised Bahamas dealer for BYD and Geely, two brands for which Easy Car Sales has exclusive rights when it comes to new electric vehicles, EV Motors also affirmed - without directly admitting it - that it is not a provider of manufacturer warranties for the vehicles it is selling.

And she also noted that it did not refute her assertions that it is selling second-hand vehicles that were supposed to be for the Chinese market only and not sold into international jurisdictions such as The Bahamas.

“It’s a diatribe, very emotional, but there are some facts to discern from this statement,” Ms Farmer told this newspaper. “What can we glean from the diatribe? We glean that they are not the authorised BYD or Geely dealer. It would be good to let their sales team and marketing team know so they could be clear in their advertising. 

“BYD was there [at EV Motors] and had recorded what they were told. They have the information. They gathered the information. They came out having been told they [EV Motors] were the authorised dealers for BYD. It’s good that they admit in this statement they are not the authorised dealers for BYD and Geely.

“And they did not deny those are domestic Chinese vehicles sold for re-export,” Ms Farmer added. “They did not deny those were Chinese domestic vehicles, supposed to be destined for the Chinese market only, being resold in the Bahamian market. They are second-hand vehicles. They are not made for the international market

“They also do not have a manufacturer warranty from their manufacturer. Easy Car Sales has the manufacturer warranty direct from BYD. That’s why we’re the first port of call for the customer. That statement [by EV Motors] shows all that’s being provided by a local company is their warranty, not the manufacturer’s warranty. That validates the points that were brought up.”

EV Motors had accused Easy Car Sales of writing to banks and insurance companies to dissuade them from doing business with it. However, Ms Farmer told this newspaper that the letter was written by BYD to confirm Easy Car Sales was its sold authorised dealer in The Bahamas, and that the brand asked it to distribute the document to anyone who was relevant.

“BYD wrote a letter and asked us to send it to anybody who was relevant,” she added. “It was sent to anyone and everyone; the industry and businesses. We see it as our role to keep the public informed. Time is longer than rope and we will see how they go. We will continue to inform the Bahamian public so that they can make the best and most informed choice. Their diatribe is very aggressive, and has lots of claims and promises.”

EV Motors, in its statement, said it has “invested in excellence”. It added: “EV Motors was founded to empower Bahamians by providing affordable, eco-friendly, high-quality and stylish electric vehicles. Our vision is clear: To drive the ‘green revolution’ in The Bahamas by making sustainable transportation accessible to all.

“We are an independent Bahamian dealership, proudly offering a diverse range of electric vehicles at the best possible price to meet the needs of Bahamian consumers. We invest in excellence. We have invested in factory-grade parts, best-in-class warranties, cutting-edge diagnostic tools, repair facilities and globally trained technicians so our customers will enjoy the highest after-sales care and support standards in the industry.  

“Our repair centre will provide service to all electric vehicle cars, whether purchased from EV Motors or not, unlike our competitors, whose sole aim appears to be to ring-fence the industry to protect their profits.”