The case, although not rare (because all of us have already done it, although not with this level of magnitude…), it is undoubtedly worth mentioning: a Chinese businessman spent years collecting money to buy a BMW.
Once a substantial part of the 400,000 yuan (just over 51,000 euros) that the car cost had been saved, he went to a dealership, chose the car and handed over, as first payment, a substantial down payment — not by check, not even in banknotes, but using millions of five-handed coins, the equivalent of five cents in euros!
The case, which takes on a whole new dimension when compared to what most of us can do, for example, when paying for a coffee, a newspaper or even a car wash, just with coins, was, moreover, news in the Daily Mail newspaper. With the diary specifying that the businessman in question ended up paying, straight away, 70,000 yuan — close to 9,000 euros. Everything, really everything, in coins!
As for the reasons that allowed him to gather such an (unspecified) amount of coins, or even if this was the result of man's profession, who is presented only as an entrepreneur in the wholesale sector, the newspaper does not explain anything. Saying only that, at least, from the dealership, no problems were raised regarding the method of payment - even though, the video accompanying the story confirms, those responsible for sales were forced to spend several hours counting the coins to the hand! Not even having stopped going to the client's house, at the end of the count, to return 10 boxes of coins, which, certainly by mistake, had been handed over.
Revenge… or urgency to buy a BMW?
For the rest, there is also the question whether the entrepreneur would not have some kind of dispute with the concessionaire. Since, even before heading to the stand, he could have passed through a banking institution, to try to exchange the amount in notes or even another method of payment - it's just that nobody takes us out of our minds, to force a team of sellers spending hours counting coins, just as an act of revenge!…
However, if that is the case, it remains to be seen whether the entrepreneur will be able to enjoy his new BMW in peace, without receiving the due "change"...