Craige Fleischer, director of mobile communications at Samsung Electronics SA, discusses the best and safest option available to South African consumers when it comes to grey imports
Fleischer argues that consumers should opt to buy their products through authorised local channels.
“Over the past few years, the grey market has become increasingly problematic; in part because of the growth of online stores offering products from international markets at a discounted rate,” said Fleischer
“Yet, it raises the very real issue of ‘buyer beware’ as consumers do not understand the negative impact these items can have on the product and overall brand experience when they go this route.”
In some instances the consumer receives a financial benefit from purchasing devices through unofficial channels, instead of the recommended Brand Experience Stores or approved retail and online outlets.
“If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Yes, grey imports are often a little cheaper than purchasing products via approved vendors, but they do not offer nearly the same number of advantages to the local customer,” he remarks.
There are two categories of grey products. Firstly, you get those that are genuine products but are imported without the legal sanction of the manufacturer or their authorised distributor.
And secondly, there are those products that are not genuine or fake, but are branded as the real thing. This creates a negative brand experience as the quality of the product is not comparable to the real product. Ultimately, it is in the consumer experience of the product that the impact of buying grey products is more keenly felt.
“Authorised products purchased through approved channels benefit from all the advantages of the local eco-system of the manufacturer. Think about all the latest software upgrades that are optimised for our mobile networks. Grey devices simply do not work as they should on cellular networks,” added Fleischer.
