Another hundred-year brand from Japan, suffered a quality defect, the crisis of performance loss. A hundred years is like a curse, becoming a hurdle in the history of the development of many foreign brands of home appliances.
Toshiba, which has a history of 143 years, has experienced full-scale outbreaks in recent years and is experiencing unprecedented pressure. A large number of products have quality defects and have been recalled. Financial scandals have been exposed, reputational crises have been encountered, management shakes up, and assets are sold at discounted prices... Currently, This veteran foreign-owned household electrical appliance company has lost ground in the Chinese market, its share in the global market has rapidly declined, and its competitive advantage is gradually losing.
A few days ago, some consumers responded to the "Securities Daily" reporter that the Toshiba recalled laptop batteries could not be replaced in the Chinese market. According to rough statistics, Toshiba has carried out many years of large and small assaults on notebooks, washing machines, and other products with hidden dangers. Dozens of recalls, and mostly 'avoid' the Chinese market.
'Flammable' Laptop Battery Continued Recall
The problem has not been solved for two years
Recently, the operator's World Wide Web released the “315 Digital Product Quality Attention Report” and disclosed a list of unqualified companies. It is reported that this list of data comes from the national quality supervision and management department, including the industry and commerce, quality inspection, consumer associations and other departments. Data show that The battery problem is the safety hazard that has emerged the most in the past year. Toshiba has been publicized by the AQSIQ due to the risk of fire in the battery.
It is reported that Toshiba laptop recalled several times because of battery problems. After the recall, its battery problem has not been effectively solved and the problem is still expanding.
In January 2016, Toshiba Computer Network (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. announced the recall of some imported laptop batteries. The reason was that during use, the battery was overheated and there was a risk of burning.
Three months later, sources said that due to the risk of overheating and melting of the lithium-ion batteries used, Toshiba announced the recall of up to 100,000 notebook computers. These laptops with problematic batteries are related to Toshiba's 39 series of multiple models.
In August of the same year, Toshiba announced that it may cause user burns due to overheating hazards. The company recalled about 41,000 notebook computers in Europe and the United States. Toshiba China Public Relations said that the same types of products in the Chinese mainland are not recalled, suggesting that consumers Upgrade yourself.
Subsequently, Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. expanded the recall of some Toshiba laptop batteries. The number of batteries affected in the recall of mainland China was 5,244.
However, the incident did not subside, and the situation is still expanding. In January last year, Toshiba laptops in the United States also began recalling laptops due to battery problems. It can be seen that the Toshiba laptop's battery problems have not been effectively resolved. After Toshiba's sale, Also become a frequent object of consumer spit.
'I have recalled this type of notebook because of the hidden dangers of the battery abroad. I sadly reminded me. 'A Toshiba consumer club's consumer told the Securities Daily reporter, 'I made several phone calls in China to contact Toshiba. After the sale, they haven't solved it till now.
In response, a Toshiba salesman stated: 'Toshiba has never recalled notebooks in the Chinese market, but it is currently recalling a batch of batteries, and this recall started from the previous year. Currently Toshiba recalls products in the Chinese market. Lots and models are far less than other markets. 'However, he told reporters that if consumers want to replace the battery for free, they need to report the bottom number of the notebook and the battery number together, and can only be processed after verifying that the conditions for changing the batch are met.
Toshiba laptops have been deployed in the Chinese market for many years, and the situation has continued to occur. It entered the Chinese market as early as 1995, and it took down 8% of the market share in less than a year. It soon became China's notebook leader, but The good times did not last long. It lasted for less than four years. Toshiba’s frequent recalls of quality problems continued. However, Toshiba's attitude toward the same defective product, “a difference between China and foreign countries,” often caused dissatisfaction among consumers in the Chinese market. Consumers are in court.
In 2004, Toshiba officially announced the recall of 650,000 problem notebooks... In the following year, Toshiba’s notebook share fell sharply in the Chinese market, and it was squeezed out of the first camp of notebooks. Toshiba’s product quality issues are treated differently from them. The attitude has also begun to spread on other product lines.
Recall up to dozens of times
Chinese market has been 'leaky'
According to an inquiry by the “Securities Daily” reporter, in addition to laptops, Toshiba’s batteries, color TVs, washing machines and other products have been recalled due to quality defects many times over the years. The number of recalls has reached dozens of times, and most of them are not related to the Chinese mainland market. .
As early as four years ago, Toshiba had announced that it had decided to make overhaul of a total of more than 583,300 washing machines for a total of 30 types of washing machines that had been produced due to a self-ignition accident in the washing machine. The recall did not involve China.
In fact, Toshiba recalled the products produced in the past 6 years. The production date spans a long period, and a considerable part is sold to the Chinese market. At the same time as the recall, its similar products with quality risks are still being sold in the domestic market.
In February 2009, a Toshiba TV set caused a vertical line on the accused screen, causing consumer complaints and demanding Toshiba to recall the defective TV. Toshiba did not recognize that the fault was a product defect, and said that the company’s internal No recall information, China does not have a system for recalling TV products.
Industry economic observer Liang Zhenpeng said: 'Toshiba's consumer electronics line is rapidly shrinking, its lack of input and supervision is not in place resulting in frequent quality problems, Toshiba's aftermarket system in the Chinese market is also seriously out of touch. At the same time, China's recall system is not perfect It also gives the company an opportunity to 'empty'.'
In fact, the implementation of 'double standards' by Toshiba and other companies has caused concern in the market in China very early on, and people in the industry also frequently make suggestions on the recall system and quality system construction.
According to statistics, in order to speed up the establishment of China's consumer product recall management system, in March 2014, the Law Enforcement Administration of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine initiated the legislative investigation and drafting of the "Management Measures for Consumer Product Recalls," including general consumer products including children's products and electronic and electrical products. Involved in the scope of recall management.
It is reported that the "measures" use objects include both domestic production companies, as well as companies that import consumer goods from abroad to sell domestically. That is to say, imported home appliances that are sold by foreign household appliance brands in the Chinese market cannot be opened if they are involved in a defective global recall. The Chinese market must be forcibly recalled. In addition, it also clearly specifies that the producer is the main body of recall of defective consumer goods and should bear the necessary expenses incurred by consumers for the recall of consumer goods.
China's recall system started late. Existing recall systems still have low penalties, and defective product recalls lack a sound management system. Therefore, how to improve the legal system of defective product recalls, improve its legal hierarchy, and expand the scope of product recalls? The clear division of product recalls and the availability of laws are the main ways for the development of China's future recall system.
Liu Buychen, an expert in the home appliance industry, stated: 'A lot of foreign-funded enterprises have problems with their products. They tend to avoid the Chinese market when recalling. This shows that foreign-funded enterprises have their own problems in dealing with problems, and also reflect the loopholes in the implementation of China's recall system. It's hard to imagine that an international company would say 'this recall is not applicable to China' when it recalls globally, unless the company wants to bid farewell to the Chinese market.'
He believes that there are also a series of problems in the implementation of the recall system by local Chinese companies. At present, there are very few companies that have voluntarily recalled and the recall action has been slow. At the same time, the definition of recall standards by local companies is also very vague. The standard product, must implement the recall? No one can speak clearly. '
Appliance business has been split
Semiconductors are hard to choose
Toshiba's frequent product quality and after-sales problems also exposed Toshiba's internal problems in terms of control and governance.
Toshiba, which has been established for 143 years, is a representative of Japanese manufacturing industry. It created many myths in the history of Japanese manufacturing. Many of Japan’s classic consumer electronics products were manufactured by Toshiba, such as radar, transistor TV, and microwave ovens. Laptops, DVDs, etc.
Due to fierce market competition, lack of innovation, and frequent product quality issues, Toshiba’s consumer electronics products have gradually declined in the market. After that, Toshiba suffered from the “most serious brand image damage in history” – management. Accounting scandals. This caused Toshiba’s performance to be fatally hit. Its television, computers and refrigerators business was in a downturn. Toshiba began large-scale layoffs to improve its earnings.
In November of last year, Toshiba transferred 95% of Toshiba Image, a television business company, to Hisense. Prior to this, Toshiba awarded Midea the 80% equity interest in its white power business entity, which received a number of Toshiba white patents. It has been speculated that Toshiba will re-sell its notebook business. Asustek and Lenovo are potential intent parties. Toshiba has denied this.
After a series of transformations, Toshiba will place its hopes on semiconductors. Toshiba’s internal management of the semiconductor business, which contributes 90% of its operating profit, sounds different in Toshiba. However, Toshiba will continue to maintain its huge investment in semiconductor business. There may also be a continued deterioration of finances and even a crash.
At the moment, Toshiba ushered in a crucial moment of survival.
"The Securities Daily" Original link http://epaper.zqrb.cn/html/2018-05/07/content_298385.htm?div=-1
