VietNamNet Bridge - The lack of transparency of e-commerce websites and the diversification of supply sources have misled customers.

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Many customers have complained that they ordered ‘genuine iPhones’ on e-commerce websites, but received products with JP/AA or B/A codes, not VN/A, the model reserved for the Vietnamese market.

LT, a customer, said he ordered an iPhone 7 32 GB on Adayroi, a well-known e-commerce network in Vietnam. The information on the website showed the iPhone products available on adayroi were imported and distributed by FPT, a prestigious technology firm. 

However, when T took an iPhone to FPT Shop for maintenance services, the officers refused to provide services and told him to take the product to Apple’s authorized maintenance center.

T said his iPhone is a ZP/A product, from Hong Kong, not VN/A, the product reserved for the Vietnamese market.

A representative of FPT Shop said FPT Shop only sells iPhones at its shops and on the official website, not on any other website. He affirmed that FPT Shop only provides maintenance and repair services if the products are sold by FPT Shop.

The lack of transparency of e-commerce websites and the diversification of supply sources have misled customers.
Meanwhile, Adayroi said there was a mistake in ad information on the website. The network will check the information on iPhone 7 and give details about supply sources and maintenance centers so as to avoid misunderstandings. 

The problem is that Adayroi said it sold ‘genuine iPhones imported by FPT’ distributed by ‘FPT Trading’, but said the maintenance was at ‘FPT Shop’

It also promised to help customers settle problems if they want VN/A products, but mistakenly ordered products for other markets.

Similar cases were also reported in late 2015 with iPhone 5S. At that time, large retail networks such as The Gioi Di Dong and FPT Shop imported consignments of products from different sources, but applied the same maintenance policy for VN/A products.

Analysts commented that Vietnamese users are confused with ‘genuine’ concept. Apple products available in Vietnam, no matter whether they are imported through authorized distributors or carried to Vietnam by travelers, are made by Apple and have the same quality.

However, there are differences in products designed for different markets. The products for the Japanese market, for example, are designed in a way which do not allow users to turn off the camera sounds with the aim of avoiding furtive shooting.

Meanwhile, ‘genuine’ in Vietnamese mind, means the products sold by authorized resellers in Vietnam through retail chains such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop, Vien Thong A and Mai Nguyen. In case of iPhone, ‘genuine’ is understood as iPhone with VN/A code, imported directly from Apple.

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Kim Chi