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Ofo users are trying anything to get their deposit money back

Huge lines at their headquarters and letters in English from users desperate for their money

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This is the “2018 Ofo Beijing bike club”, Weibo users joke, referring to the big crowd at Ofo’s Beijing headquarters. (Picture: Weibo)
This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Two years into the bike-sharing boom, Chinese users are now turning their back on one of the industry’s stars.

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Hundreds of people lined up at Ofo’s Beijing headquarters yesterday to ask for their deposits back, Chinese media reported. Users flocked there after one Beijing newspaper reported that people who went straight to Ofo’s offices to apply for a refund got their money back.

For months, users said that they haven’t been able to get their deposit back from Ofo, as the company ran into financial troubles and extended the wait time for refunds from 3 days to 15 days.

Users of “bike-sharing” apps, which in fact are more like bike rental, have to put a deposit in the app before using a bike. In Ofo’s case it’s 199 yuan (US$28.84), while Mobike used to charge 299 yuan (US$43.33) before it was acquired by Meituan and dropped the deposits. 

“It’s not big money, but it makes me mad,” one Weibo user said, “It’s like having your money stolen.”
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Lines stretched from Ofo’s office on the fifth floor to outside of the building, according to video reports. Queuing users were reportedly equipped with food and water in case of a long wait, and said in videos that they will come back the next day if they don’t make it inside. But they don’t get their money back on spot either -- Ofo logged their information and promised them that they will receive the refund in three days. 
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