Buick, Hyundai dealers in China sorry for appalling ‘newsjack’
Dealerships used an image of an abducted and murdered child to show off their safety features.
BrandChannel.com has the story of a Chinese Buick dealership that, in the wake of a child abduction in Jilin Province last week, posted a picture of the child on its Webo page—Weibo is essentially China’s version of Facebook or Twitter—with this message:
“A few thoughts following the Changchun stolen car incident: When buying a car it’s completely okay to choose higher technology. Tianhe Buicks carry the OnStar GPS system, allowing the lockdown of a stolen vehicle at any time and place. An easy heart, a piece of mind, likewise why not buy a completely safe Buick!!!!! Sales Hotline: 024-86547880 86547881 QQ:521279389 2523275273 www.inthbuick.com.
After the dealership posted this, it was revealed that the child, who was taken from a Toyota RAV4, had been murdered. Users on the site were outraged at the dealership’s insensitivity, to say the least. On Wednesday, the dealership, Liaoning Tianhe Buick, apologized for the emotional damage it brought to the victim’s family.
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