An Iranian student in Xiamen bought a used motorcycle in January 2026 but couldn't transfer ownership due to an existing mortgage. Mediation ended with a ¥3,500 buyback.
Tags:Source: OT-Team(G), 厦门市集美区司法局
A dispute over a second-hand motorcycle has put an Iranian student and a local motorcycle dealer in Xiamen, Fujian Province, at odds, with the two sides initially unable to agree on who should bear responsibility for the vehicle's problems.
M, an Iranian student at a local university, bought a used motorcycle from a local dealership in January 2026. However, the motorcycle had an existing mortgage, making it impossible to complete the ownership transfer.
The dispute escalated in May when the motorcycle's insurance expired. M and the dealer disagreed over how the insurance should be renewed. After M called the police for help, officers mediated the dispute at the scene. The dealer offered to renew the insurance on M's behalf, but M did not accept the proposal, and the initial mediation failed.
The conflict intensified when M later reported the matter to police again, alleging that the dealer had deliberately concealed the motorcycle's mortgage status and committed consumer fraud. M demanded that the dealer buy the motorcycle back at RMB 7,000, which he considered the highest market price.
The dealer rejected the demand, arguing that M had been informed of the motorcycle's condition before purchasing it and had voluntarily bought it at a price below the market level. The dealer therefore refused to buy it back at the higher price.
After several unsuccessful rounds of direct negotiation, police officers directed both sides to seek mediation through the Qiaoying Subdistrict Comprehensive Governance Center. Because the case involved a foreign national and presented additional communication and handling challenges, it was transferred to the Qiaoying Judicial Office, which brought together professional mediators and the center's full-time mediation staff.
Language Barrier Complicates the Dispute
The first mediation session quickly reached an impasse.
M's limited Chinese-language ability made communication difficult, so the mediators used simultaneous-interpretation software to provide real-time bilingual communication and ensure that he could fully state his demands and views.
M remained emotional and insisted that the dealer had committed consumer fraud. He maintained his demand for a RMB 7,000 buyback, while also arguing that the motorcycle could no longer be used because it was uninsured and asking the dealer to compensate him for transportation expenses caused by the loss of use.
The dealer took the opposite position. It argued that the motorcycle had been in good condition when delivered and that M had already been informed that the vehicle could not be transferred. According to the dealer, the motorcycle was left unused because M had refused to renew the insurance, so the resulting losses should not be its responsibility.
The dealer offered only RMB 2,800, which it considered the motorcycle's market value.
With a RMB 4,200 gap between the two sides' offers and both parties maintaining their positions, the mediation stalled.
Separate Talks Help Break the Deadlock
To move the dispute forward, mediators adopted a combination of face-to-face and online communication.
Taking into account the student's schedule, they used WeChat and phone calls to communicate separately with the two sides. They also sent relevant legal provisions and proposed mediation solutions online, giving both parties time to reconsider their positions while keeping negotiations moving.
In discussions with M, the mediators explained that a claim of consumer fraud in civil litigation would require sufficient evidence. They also outlined the potential time and financial costs of taking the dispute to court and encouraged him to make a more realistic demand.
The mediators also took cultural differences into account, seeking to understand M's expectations and approach to consumer disputes while explaining China's rules governing second-hand vehicle transactions. They worked to address misunderstandings and ease M's anxiety over being unable to use the motorcycle.
For the dealer, the mediators highlighted the potential costs and risks of litigation, including additional expenses such as appraisal and legal fees. They also pointed out that mishandling a dispute involving a foreign customer could affect the dealership's reputation and customer base among international students.
The mediators urged the dealer to make a reasonable concession to resolve the matter quickly and return to normal business operations.
After multiple rounds of communication, tensions gradually eased. M eventually dropped his RMB 7,000 buyback demand, while the dealer agreed to raise its original offer. The gap between the two sides continued to narrow, bringing the mediation to a turning point.
Dispute Settled at RMB 3,500
The two sides eventually reached a mediation agreement under which the dealer agreed to buy back the motorcycle for RMB 3,500.
The amount took into account factors including vehicle depreciation, insurance-related losses and the responsibilities of both sides, according to the mediation center.
On the day the agreement was signed, the dealer paid the full RMB 3,500 buyback amount and covered the cost of transporting the motorcycle back to the dealership, arranging for staff to handle the transfer.
Both sides confirmed that the dispute had been fully settled and that no further rights or obligations remained between them.
After all obligations were fulfilled, M expressed his appreciation for the mediators' professional assistance.
What began as a cross-border consumer dispute involving a used motorcycle, a failed ownership transfer and sharply conflicting compensation demands ultimately ended with both sides reaching an agreement.
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