Xiaomi has found itself in a very peculiar position. The Chinese company is being accused of false advertising of the Redmi Note 2 as consumers have discovered that the device uses lesser known Chinese parts instead of the promised Sharp/AUO display and Samsung camera.
The accusation comes from angry consumers in China who received their phablets without the advertised components. Consumers were referring to the Redmi Note 2’s online promotion campaign that promised these particular components, and even went as far as to screenshot and post the information to back up their claims.
Other consumers have discovered that the additional 29 Yuan (about RM20) insurance, paid when they bought their phones, does not cover replacement of the device in the event of screens being cracked or water damage. Instead, it only covers maintenance, and did not function as originally promised in the advertisements.
Xiaomi has denied ever promising the Sharp/AUO display on the Redmi Note 2, and has instead said that it is possible that competing brands have been spreading false information. It is a strange claim as the company has not addressed the missing 13MP Samsung camera in the statement.
The Chinese company also addressed the allegations against its insurance service by saying that it reserved the right to determine if the phone had been damaged deliberately and would not qualify for a replacement. It sounds like Xiaomi is accusing the customers of breaking their phones to get new ones.
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 2 broke online sales records by shipping some 800,000 units in under two hours, but it looks like that success has come at a price. It’s not unusual to see complaints being leveled at technology companies, but using cheaper parts than what was advertised is extremely rare in this age of extra savvy consumers and easily shared information.
[Source: ZDnet]
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