On August 6th, evening, FENBI published a letter titled "A Letter to FENBI Students" addressing recent controversy over product adjustments. Notably, the letter featured numerous blunt and self-deprecating statements, such as "It's not because we've had a moral awakening" and "We want to ride the hype," which quickly ignited discussions among netizens.
Regarding the price reduction of its 980 System Class from 1,280 yuan to 980 yuan, FENBI stated directly: "Why the price cut? Not because we've had a moral awakening, but because this product is becoming increasingly hard to sell under pressure from competitors. We had no choice."
FENBI admitted to imitating industry peers with products like "7+1," "Fen Shuashua," and "Big Pencil Case" launched last year: "We copied the names to ride the hype and to make these courses free for System Class and Drills Class users, hoping to devalue competitors' offerings." However, the plan backfired. "Instead, it highlighted their quality," they reflected, noting that sales fell rather than rose. FENBI reflected: "In business, you must have a pure intention. You can't always focus on competition; you need to create more value."
On the issue of shipping fees for study materials, which had previously angered students, the letter explained: "We wanted to provide free shipping, but after calculating costs, the printing cost for the full set of materials was over 100 yuan, plus shipping, it would be around 150 yuan. Since many bought it, we couldn't bear the expense." FENBI noted that charging only for printing and shipping costs, expecting praise, instead drew criticism. The letter also outlined specific adjustments for product price reductions, material shipping, AI course benefits, and compensation for existing students.
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