Sometimes it’s easy to feel like the algorithms that control what ads are presented to us are maybe a little too good. I say this because recently I’ve been getting a lot of Alibaba ads for a particular EV – the Ora Ballet Cat, which is a shameless and bold update of the original VW Beetle – for a shockingly low price of $755. This hits three of my most deep-seated fetishes: classic VW Beetles. shameless knockoffs, and unsettlingly cheap Chinese electric cars. I had to look into what was going on here, because this all seems far, far too good to be true. And, I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler, but it seems it is too good to be true! It’s all kinda horseshit!
I suppose I really shouldn’t be all that shocked that something advertised on Alibaba isn’t absolutely rock-solid, bet-your-grandma’s-life-on-it-true, but this still feels a lot more blatantly bait-and-switchy than I’m used to. I feel like when I see an absurdly low price for a car on Alibaba I’m inclined to at least check, because, remember, my Changli was only about $930. Of course, that was before an extra $300 or so for lead-acid batteries and it’s also worth reminding everyone that the Changli is a 1.1 horsepower little jokebox and this Ora is, by all specs and reports, an actual, real car.
So, what the hell is going on here? Look at these ads that I’ve been fed, just in the past few days:
This one has come up a lot, and you can see what it’s so eye-catching: four cars, one that’s a tiny Chinese EV for $8,000 and then three Beetle-like Ora Ballet Cats for $755! If that isn’t catching your attention in some way, I think you may want to check your pulse. Remember, the Ora Ballet Cat isn’t like that little $8,000 tiny-ass shitbox there – it’s a much more substantial and luxurious car! I mean, look at this lady; do you think she’s going to be caught dead in something cheap?
Of course not. Or what about this fancy woman:
Look at her! There’s so much classy dripping off this picture it’s probably increasing the resale value of your phone every minute you keep it on screen!
So how the hell are they selling these for $755? I looked for other Ora Ballet Cats for sale and saw a few that were priced much more in line with reality, at about $18,000 to $20,000 or so:
I clicked through one of the $755 ads to try and see if the truth would be revealed, and found that the $755 price was a story they seemed to be sticking with:
Look, I can even pick a color! Of course, it’s saying “shipping solutions for the selected quantity are currently unavailable” though even if I increased the number to 10 or 20 Ora Ballet Cats, it still said that.
I can get pretty far here with it never suggesting it’s anything other than $755, which, again has to be bullshit. So, I started an order request with two of these ads, which puts me in chat-contact with a representative, so I could finally get some answers. Here’s the first one, my exchange with Yu Doris of the Zhongqi International Trade concern:
So, as you can see, it’s not $755, it’s $7,255 which is still like 1/3 of what the car normally sells for but is also ten times the price they’re advertising. And when I noted it’s not the price in the ad, I was just met with a simple “no.” Okay, Doris, fine. Happily, I don’t have to order 144 of them, which is how many pieces in a gross, just one piece. But do I believe that one Ora Ballet Cat is only $7,255? No, I don’t. I mean, they already lied about the price, why should they stop now?
Next, I spoke with Kieth Yang, of Ghangzhou Zhongda Automobile Traders, who had a very different actual price:
Keith, you lying sack of crap! $22,000 is nothing like $755! It’s likely the most fair and honest price I’ve actually had quoted for the Ora Ballet Cat, but I’m still cheesed over about this $755 business!
Now, I never really expected that the Ballet Cat would be $755. Of course not. But I’m still not happy that it’s somehow just fine to make up a completely absurd, fabricated price and just have that be okay somehow, and then the actual price doesn’t get told to you until you actually start the ordering process. Does this actually work for any of these companies? Wouldn’t the people who genuinely think they can get these cars for $755 be pissed to learn that’s not the case, and once they know, they’re not even likely to be shopping in a price range so much higher than what they initially expected, right?
Anyway, this is all stupid, and perhaps is a good reminder to take what you see on Alibaba and other similar sites with a big salty grain of salt. Yes, there are absurdly cheap EVs to be had from these sites – I know because I have one – but it’s not exactly a real car in the sense of what this Great Wall-subsidiary Ora Ballet Cat is, and that’s because, even on Alibaba, you get what you pay for.
“So, as you can see, it’s not $755, it’s $7,255 which is still like 1/3 of what the car normally sells for but is also ten times the price they’re advertising”
Unfortunately a lot of jackass sellers do that. It’s very common on Facebook Marketplace where a lot of dealers will list a “price” that is actually just the monthly payment… with no mention of how many months.
It’s even worse when they advertise cars that don’t actually exist and it’s just a ploy to get you on their lot.
“Yep, I’m looking at it right now, and I’ll hold it for you to drive over.”
—————–
“Oh, I didn’t realize that had just sold, but I’ve got something else you’ll really like. Just 84 payments of $100 more than the other car was listed for and it’s yours!”
And, yes, you can have up to 6 co-signers!
There is at least some logic there with the monthly payment. This $755 business isn’t even based on anything.
“So, as you can see, it’s not $755, it’s $7,255 which is still like 1/3 of what the car normally sells for but is also ten times the price they’re advertising”
Unfortunately a lot of jackass sellers do that. It’s very common on Facebook Marketplace where a lot of dealers will list a “price” that is actually just the monthly payment… with no mention of how many months.
It’s even worse when they advertise cars that don’t actually exist and it’s just a ploy to get you on their lot.
“Yep, I’m looking at it right now, and I’ll hold it for you to drive over.”
—————–
“Oh, I didn’t realize that had just sold, but I’ve got something else you’ll really like. Just 84 payments of $100 more than the other car was listed for and it’s yours!”
And, yes, you can have up to 6 co-signers!
There is at least some logic there with the monthly payment. This $755 business isn’t even based on anything.
Sigh… I love this, I want one, and I’m not proud of it.
Sigh… I love this, I want one, and I’m not proud of it.
This is why China is no threat. They can’t even keep things straight.
Stop worrying about these Vinfast-level hack jobs. They’re not going to bankrupt GM and Ford.
This is why China is no threat. They can’t even keep things straight.
Stop worrying about these Vinfast-level hack jobs. They’re not going to bankrupt GM and Ford.
Pull a Pepsi Wheres My Jet and sue them to deliver at the advertised price. Would be a fun article at the end of it.
Pull a Pepsi Wheres My Jet and sue them to deliver at the advertised price. Would be a fun article at the end of it.
Maybe she spends all her money on fashion and can’t afford a nice car. Much like some people spend all their money on cars and can’t afford nice clothes.
Maybe she spends all her money on fashion and can’t afford a nice car. Much like some people spend all their money on cars and can’t afford nice clothes.
Regardless of price, I have to think that this would not be register-able in the U.S., so it’s curious that they even market ads here.
Good point. That’s the bigger issue here. They’d gladly take your $20k+ and it’s your problem once it gets here.
Regardless of price, I have to think that this would not be register-able in the U.S., so it’s curious that they even market ads here.
Good point. That’s the bigger issue here. They’d gladly take your $20k+ and it’s your problem once it gets here.
AliExpress is notorious for using a picture of what you really want, E.G. fancy headphones, and a ridiculous price, E.G. $1.49. When you click through, you’ll see multiple variations of the product, and there is a $1.49 item, but it’ll be like a 6-inch audio cable, and the headphones are $699.
I wonder what the $755 item is!
AliExpress is notorious for using a picture of what you really want, E.G. fancy headphones, and a ridiculous price, E.G. $1.49. When you click through, you’ll see multiple variations of the product, and there is a $1.49 item, but it’ll be like a 6-inch audio cable, and the headphones are $699.
I wonder what the $755 item is!
Wow! Ora took the gothic shape of the 1968 Beetle taillights, and made it in to the shape of “their” headlights. If that’s not brillant VW off ripping, I really don’t know what is! 😀
And isn’t a four door Beetle what we’ve always wanted?
Please get your rich friend Beau to buy one and place it on the Galpin parking lot next to the rotting red Jeep project, just to see how long that China “chrome” is going to last. And drive it a bit around now and then for Autopian content. Win-win situation 😉
Wow! Ora took the gothic shape of the 1968 Beetle taillights, and made it in to the shape of “their” headlights. If that’s not brillant VW off ripping, I really don’t know what is! 😀
And isn’t a four door Beetle what we’ve always wanted?
Please get your rich friend Beau to buy one and place it on the Galpin parking lot next to the rotting red Jeep project, just to see how long that China “chrome” is going to last. And drive it a bit around now and then for Autopian content. Win-win situation 😉
I was fully expecting $755 to be the actual price, but the car to be some model RC version of the real thing. See how the ads all have the word “Mini” in the text?
I was fully expecting $755 to be the actual price, but the car to be some model RC version of the real thing. See how the ads all have the word “Mini” in the text?
Huh, Chinese scam is a scam. Who woulda thought?
Huh, Chinese scam is a scam. Who woulda thought?
Ora is one of the worst-sounding name ever. Some of Ora vehicles have been sold in Germany. On the hatchback that is thinly coated with dirt, somebody added a few extra letters to the brand name: O R A L SEX.
Ora is one of the worst-sounding name ever. Some of Ora vehicles have been sold in Germany. On the hatchback that is thinly coated with dirt, somebody added a few extra letters to the brand name: O R A L SEX.
Looks like they are selling ballet tickets on Tickemaster now.
Looks like they are selling ballet tickets on Tickemaster now.
This thing is perfect! I want a Beetle, but don’t want to pay outrageous prices for an old car that requires old car labour (which I’m actually OK with, but can’t afford the time).
I wish VW would offer something like this but I understand why they won’t, doesn’t make sense for them, at least not on how modern cars are built.
I hope coach building to come back as soon as technology allows a modular chassis to be purchased from manufacturers, with all safety equipment, and then we can dress it up as whatever car we want.
Of course, don’t dress up as a 300SL or as a Ferrari 250GTO if you don’t want Mercedes or Ferrari to sue you and crush your car – they don’t want us unwashed masses sullying their precious brand…