"Told to Clean, but Crashed Into Furniture"...Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner Faces Legal Dispute
Lawsuit Filed Over Malfunctioning Obstacle Avoidance System
500 Yuan Compensation Rejected
An incident occurred in China where a luxury piece of furniture worth approximately 1 million yuan was damaged due to a malfunction in the obstacle avoidance system of a Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner, leading to a legal dispute.
According to local media outlets such as Sina Finance on August 20, a resident of Shanghai, identified as Mr. Di, filed a lawsuit for damages against Xiaomi and the sales platform after reporting that his furniture was damaged due to a failure in the obstacle avoidance function of his Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner.
Mr. Di purchased the robot vacuum cleaner earlier this year from the official online Xiaomi store. However, within about two weeks of use, he noticed numerous scratch marks on various pieces of furniture throughout his home and determined that repeated collisions by the robot vacuum cleaner were the cause.
He claimed, "All the damaged furniture consists of high-end brand products imported directly from Europe," and that the total value exceeds 1 million yuan (approximately 200 million KRW). In the video he released, the robot vacuum cleaner can be seen failing to avoid furniture and repeatedly bumping into it.
Subsequently, a Xiaomi service engineer visited the scene and confirmed, through inspection, that there was a defect in the obstacle avoidance function. The company offered compensation of 500 yuan (about 103,000 KRW). Mr. Di, however, refused the compensation, stating, "Some of the furniture is now discontinued, and the official repair estimate alone amounts to 375,000 yuan (about 77 million KRW)," choosing instead to pursue legal action. This case has been filed with the Jing'an District People's Court in Shanghai, with a hearing scheduled for September 15.
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Attorney Sishuhui stated, "Manufacturers should not only promote the advantage of 'cleaning with no blind spots,' but should also clearly notify consumers of potential furniture damage risks during cleaning and provide preventive measures in the product manual or related materials." He added, "Failure to fulfill this duty of caution and warning could work against Xiaomi in the court's assessment of liability."
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