Tech Companies Suffer From Gray Market Boom
from the such-is-life... dept
A new study says that tech companies are losing almost $5 billion in the "gray market" as their products are being sold through unauthorized channels. Of course, I'm not completely against the gray market products, so long as people understand that they're getting products that won't come with a warranty or support. That's basically the price they pay... Unfortunately, though, the study says that people don't necessarily realize this, and then end up blaming the manufacturer. The more interesting point, however, is that as many as 60% of people who buy through the gray market don't get any discount on the product. In other words, they're getting ripped off by not finding out what they're buying or who they're buying from.
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