A VIDEO in which a woman complains about the difficulty of returning a rented power bank in Shenzhen went viral on the short video platform Douyin, exposing a common problem faced by many. The video, posted by Ms. Liu’s husband Hou on May 27, shows a smashed power bank as Liu recounts her story.

“On the afternoon of May 26, my mother rented the power bank somewhere near the Futian Railway Station and later couldn’t find the place where she borrowed it, so she asked me to return it for her,” Liu said. Her husband readily accepted the task, but it was not as easy as he had thought.

“I tried for more than two hours and traveled nearly 50 kilometers around the city, but still couldn’t locate a power bank cabinet to return it because it was too late, and many venues had closed for the day,” Hou said.

“My wife also tried calling the customer service hotline of Shenzhen Laidian Technology Co., Ltd., the company that operates these power bank cabinets. However, the calls were answered by an automated system, and we were directed to their mini-program to find information ourselves.”

The following day, Hou went to the East Shenzhen Railway Station to return the power bank, following instructions from the company’s mini-program, only to discover that the cabinet was nowhere to be found. “It seems that the information provided online was inaccurate because it was not updated timely,” he said.

After the video went viral and the incident was widely reported in Chinese media, Liu said that a service staffer from the company helped her resolve the issue without charging additional fees. “They waived the 199-yuan (US$27) deposit for not returning it,” she said, adding that the power bank lay in ruins after she smashed it in a fit of anger.

A service representative of the company advises people to return the power bank to the original rental location if possible. Alternatively, they can mail it back to the company if all the slots at the cabinet are full; however, the delivery fee must be covered by the sender, while the company won’t charge any additional rental fees.

People in Beijing, Anhui Province, and other regions of China had similar complaints. According to an investigation by a Beijing-based newspaper, it is easier to return power banks at shopping malls, supermarkets, and food chains, especially those operated by popular brands like Energy Monster. The report indicates that returning a power bank borrowed from a random street-side store could pose more challenges.

A TV report also revealed that some operators hire part-time workers to refill the empty slots at the cabinets, making it difficult for customers to return the power banks.

Chen Yinjiang, a lawyer based in Beijing, suggested that any extra costs incurred due to difficulties in returning power banks should be borne by the operators, not the clients.

“If the cabinet is full, and clients cannot return a power bank when they no longer need it, the additional rental or delivery fee should be covered by the operators,” he said.

(Li Dan)