Karaoke dispute leads to legal fight between BC tech company and client

A BC technology company got into a legal fight with a client after installing a karaoke system that the customer wasn’t happy with.

Karaoke usually brings people together, but in this case, it led to thousands in damages in a long legal dispute.

Aigo Technology told the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal that Xiao Hong Zhang didn’t pay their outstanding invoice.

Zhang, who filed a counterclaim, told the BC tribunal that the karaoke system’s quality wasn’t up to par as promised and was told she could return the equipment for a refund.

Here’s what the tribunal decided.

It all started in the fall of 2021 when Zhang purchased a karaoke system with speakers for $10,000 from Aigo. That price included installation and set-up, and it was installed on November 14, 2021.

Photos submitted as evidence showed many speakers, including four wall-mounted speakers, a soundboard, two mics and the karaoke machine itself.

On November 17, Zhang paid $5,000 towards the cost.

On December 11, Jun Ren, the owner of Aigo, went to Zhang’s house to teach her how to use the system.

Between May 2022 and April 2023, Ren tried to set up an appointment to adjust the sound quality, which Zhang wasn’t happy with. However, Zhang was not readily available for Ren to visit.

On April 8, 2023, Ren finally visited Zhang to adjust the system. Ren found that everything was functioning correctly, but Zhang still refused to pay the $5,000 balance.

Ren then offered two options.

Zhang could either pay $2,000 for the balance owed on the speakers, and he would take the karaoke system back, or he could refund $3,500, and he would take everything back.

She refused both options.

A member of Zhang’s family and Ren got into an argument, and Ren left.

The tribunal found that Ren’s offers, which Zhang rejected, were reasonable.

Zhang’s counterclaim was dismissed, and because she agreed to pay $10,000 for the system and only paid half of it, she was on the hook for the rest.

Ultimately, Zhang was ordered to pay $5,417.22, including the debt and tribunal fees.