"Have Money to Buy a Benz but No Money to Charge?"... Backlash Against 'Theft Charging'

Photo by Online Community BobaeDream Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A car owner is facing backlash for so-called "stealing charging," where they illegally charge their car using an outlet in an apartment underground parking lot.

On the 30th of last month, a post titled "Stealing Mercedes-Benz" was uploaded on the online community BobaeDream. The author reported this situation that took place in a corner of the apartment underground parking lot, stating, "They were stealing electricity by plugging into a power strip connected to a telecom device."

He criticized, "They had the chance to buy a Mercedes-Benz, but apparently never learned the basic principle that stealing is wrong," adding, "Using electricity without permission is also stealing. It's called stealing electricity." He further mentioned, "I informed the management office. They said they would take action."

Photo by Online Community BobaeDream Capture

In the photo revealed by the author, a black charging cable connected to the back of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle is plugged into a power strip linked to the underground parking lot.

This led to a flood of criticism from netizens, such as "Make sure to report it to the police," "It would have been better if they showed a personality matching their car," "This damages the Mercedes-Benz image," "They have money to buy a Mercedes-Benz but not to pay for charging," and "There was someone like that in our apartment too. There are quite a few people like that."

One netizen pointed out, "(This car) is not an electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid. When the electricity runs out, it switches immediately to gasoline," adding, "I drive the same car but would never do such a thing. Even if you fully charge, it only costs a few thousand won. Are you stealing just to save that?"

Later, the author added, "As you requested, I reported it. The car has been gone for a long time," and "The management office has organized the wiring. I will share the results once they come out."

Meanwhile, according to the police, if a vehicle is charged without permission and without paying the electricity bill, it can be punished on charges of theft.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.