China News Service, Beijing, July 28 (Wei Xianghui) Recently, Qudian has been on Weibo hot search for many times.
The founder Luo Min's label of "the originator of campus loans" in the past has been dug up again, and now the newly invested prefabricated food track has also been questioned.
So, what is the situation in the shop?
What issues should consumers be wary of?
Data map.
Image source: Qudian website
"The originator of campus loans"
Luo Min probably did not expect that a live broadcast of sauerkraut fish would involve so much dark history.
On the 17th, Luo Min partnered with actor Jia Nailiang and "Wonderful Flower" debater Fu Seoul for a 19-hour live broadcast on Douyin.
Slogans such as "Buy pickled fish for 1 cent" and "Free 500 iPhone 13s" have earned enough attention.
On the 18th, Qudian held a press conference, announcing its entry into the pre-prepared food industry.
The next day, Luo Min was on the hot search on Weibo because he was blocked by the Dongfang Selection live broadcast room.
Afterwards, Dong Yuhui, the anchor of Dongfang Selection, explained in the live broadcast: "The director has just graduated from college and has some personal grievances. He wants to block it. After listening to it, I think it is quite reasonable." Min's past history of "the originator of campus loans".
Qudian was formerly known as Qufenxiang, and its main business is what is known as campus loans for a generation of young people.
In 2016, the number of users of "Interesting Stage" exceeded 10 million, and the total number of students studying in various forms of higher education in the country reached 36.99 million that year.
At that time, there were frequent news about college students "naked loans", suicide or illegal collection due to loan interest installments.
In June 2017, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security jointly issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Standardized Management of Campus Loans", and online loan institutions engaged in campus loan business will all suspend the issuance of new campus online loan business targets, and based on their own stock Develop a clear exit rectification plan based on the business situation.
Soon, Qufenqi changed its name to Qudian, claiming that it had successfully transformed itself by taking cash loans as an opportunity.
In October of the same year, Qudian Group landed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its market value exceeded 10 billion US dollars, becoming the largest IPO of Chinese concept stocks in the US capital market that year.
Selling vegetables and lending money?
This year, after launching the live broadcast business, Luo Min also called it a "food company and a vegetable sales company".
But the elements of this company have connected many people to online lending and even pyramid schemes.
At the brand strategy conference, Luo Min said that in the next three years, it will support 100,000 users to start businesses and open offline stores, and it is expected to open 200,000 stores by 2024.
He called consumers who were interested in starting a business "business partners" and promised to provide development funds, no franchise fee deposit, and one-year interest-free loans.
During the live broadcast, he targeted Bao Ma as the target group of "entrepreneurial partners".
In addition, Luo Min also graded the fans, saying, "If the level is not enough, we will not give you this opportunity. This is a kind of belief logic." "We do not call joining, we call support, and support our users and fans to start businesses ."
The business model and marketing strategy of Qudian’s pre-made dishes have made netizens question its “reap the harvest of the mother after the students”, and some people think that the Qudian is dressed in the “sheepskin” of pre-made dishes, but in fact it continues to carry out the loan business.
Pre-made dishes sold at Qudian
Expert: Beware of the online loan model under the new Internet vest
In the past few years, various online loan platforms have attracted many consumers who are in urgent need of money, especially young people who are not deeply involved in the world. High interest, violent debt collection and other bad social impacts.
Liu Junhai, a professor at the School of Law of Renmin University of China, analyzed to Chinanews.com that judging from the publicly known investment conditions for the Qudian prefab project, the details of the relevant business model are not yet clear.
Therefore, consumers need to carefully study the specific franchise contract, and especially pay attention to whether there are unfair and heavy obligations, responsibilities and risk clauses in the contract.
He said that the country has been vigorously rectifying P2P online lending platforms, many of which have disappeared.
Consumers need to remain rational, cautious and determined, strengthen self-protection, be optimistic about money bags, and be careful of dishonest platforms wearing other Internet vests and swindling under the guise of innovation.
Xia Hailong of Shanghai Shenlun Law Firm introduced to Chinanews.com that the main business of Qudian previously included financial services such as loan assistance, that is, helping consumer finance companies, banks and other institutions to attract loan users, subject to the "Banking Supervision and Administration Law" Financial supervision of regulations such as the "Administrative Measures for the Pilot Program of Consumer Finance Companies".
In addition, with the entry into force of the Personal Information Protection Law and the Data Security Law, the online lending business is also facing new strict supervision in terms of personal information protection and data security.
He suggested that in addition to carefully reading and signing loan contracts, consumers should also pay attention to the amount of personal information obtained by the online lending platform, the purpose of use and the institutions to which the platform will transmit their personal information. If in doubt, they should consult the platform or Withdraw your personal information.
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