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Flipkart says vendors can't deny warranties [DNA : Daily News & Analysis (India)]
[October 23, 2014]

Flipkart says vendors can't deny warranties [DNA : Daily News & Analysis (India)]


(DNA : Daily News & Analysis (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Hitting back at consumer electronics manufacturers which have been dissuading buyers from purchasing products on e-commerce platforms, Flipkart said it allows sale of only original products covered by replacement policies and manufacturers' warranties.



"Original products with an official invoice with all taxes paid cannot be denied warranties," spokesperson at India's largest e-marketplace operator said responding to dna queries.

Calling the e-marketplaces as 'not authorised resellers' of their products, consumer electronics manufacturers including Sony, LG, HP, Nikon, Lenovo and Dell on their respective websites have said they cannot vouch for the genuineness of products sold on these e-marketplaces and hence the consumer's right to warranty coverage and support on those products could be impacted. In other words, these consumer electronics manufacturers are saying they won't take responsibility if something goes wrong with the product being bought from the e-marketplaces that are offering them at significant discounts.


In an advisory dated October 6, 2014, LG India informed customers that it "has not authorised any e-commerce company / web portal to sell LG product(s) - television and audio products, home appliances, air-conditioners and mobiles in India for and/or on behalf of the company. The company does not take responsibility for the genuineness of an LG product(s) sold through any of the e-commerce companies/web portals in India, and thus the company retains the right of not extending additional services/warranties to such LG product(s). LG product(s) can also be booked online directly at the company's website (www.lgbrandstore.com/in) which is the authorised website for online purchase of all LG product(s) in India." On the issue, Samir Kumar, Amazon's director of category management, said, "We ensure vendors on our marketplace are selling genuine products and if any vendor isn't, we will take them out of our network. Brands and manufacturers are obligated to honour the warranty if products sold are genuine.

eBay India said sellers who put up the listings of their products are governed by what they state as description and specification for their items, which at times may include manufacturer's warranty as well. "We have rarely come across instances where manufacturers have refused to honour warranty services. In case a buyer claims manufacturer warranty for a product purchased from a seller on eBay India, the buyer is expected to coordinate with authorised service centre of the manufacturer of the product to avail the warranty.

"If such an instance does occur, then as a responsible e-commerce player, we coordinate with the seller and the buyer to arrive at a resolution," said Girish Huria, spokesperson, eBay India.

He said manufacturers denying honoring warranty on the ground that a consumer has not purchased their product from the authorised outlet of the manufacturer (even if such purchase falls within the warranty period) ultimately affects the interest of consumers. Retail industry experts say it's a matter of public interest litigation and customers/consumer groups can take the consumer electronics manufacturers to court for not extending warranty/guarantee on products sold on e-marketplaces.

"It does not matter what price I have paid or for that matter where have I bought the product from i.e. offline, online or e-marketplaces. The companies are obliged to give warranty/guarantee on all the products manufactured by them. The only exception can be if the customer has bought a fake product," said Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director, Technopak, a consultant. However, among few consumer electronics companies supporting the e-marketplaces are Samsung India, Panasonic India and HTC.

Manish Sharma, managing director, Panasonic India, said, "As a philosophy, for us the customer comes first and e-tailers provide us with one more channel to cater to customer needs and focus on customer satisfaction." Rajiv Mishra, vice-president (media), Samsung India said, "A key stakeholder in our growth strategy, the interest of our business partners is of prime importance to us. We have been able to successfully manage expectations across channel partners by ensuring that their interests are well taken care of and will continue with the same strategy in the future." Credit:Ashish K Tiwari (c) 2014 @ 2014 DILIGENT MEDIA CORPORATION LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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