Apple Warns Nigerian Consumers on Grey Market Dangers

Core group Africa, Apple’s official value added distributors for sub-Saharan Africa has advised Nigerian consumers to avoid buying grey Apple products from unauthorized resellers, as these products do not honour warranty agreement and deny consumers of the full buyer’s benefits.

Rutger-Jan van Spaandonk, Chairman, Core Group Africa, who made this appeal while addressing press men in Lagos recently, noted that countless technology consumers and buyers of Apple products in Nigeria who fail to purchase the devices through official channels like the Apple iStore, Ikeja Mall and other authorized resellers are denied of the full Apple experience like outright product replacement in cases of factory fault, authentic two-year warranty,  after sales support, access to well trained personnel, device set-up training and others.

He stated that Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad and MacBook are the most desired in emerging markets especially in the smartphones segment because Apple has revolutionized the mobile computing industry and delivers the most amazing experience consumers have ever had with technology.

‘For our customer, Apple devices are investments and we always striving to ensure they get great value for money. Because we understand this, we want Apple customers to purchase our devices with guaranteed peace of mind and access technology that truly impacts lives,” Spaandonk noted.

He explained further that, grey products are a rampant situation in which marketers smuggle non-counterfeit but mostly refurbished products into the country without the permission of the intellectual property owners or paying all necessary taxes and customs duties.

Though a grey product tends to be cheaper, it is not in the customer’s best interest. It is usually not the standard version, has no record with manufacturer’s exports, neither are there provisions for warranty, spare parts, consumer education, product set-up and after sales support.

The sellers do not pay custom duties or make false declarations at entry point.  

‘Though the combination of economy strapped consumers seeking very low prices and unauthorized traders eager for huge profits present this compound problem to both brands owners and the government at large, the undiscerning consumers are the worst hit.’

“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure our customers get the most out of their Apple products and experience. They are also excited about the fact that Apple iOS device offers free system upgrade annually to the latest operating system. That is like getting a new phone every year. This is why consumers who use genuine Apple products do not try anything else.”

The Core Group boss illustrated further that buying grey product is like having an unregistered birth in your country which would lead you to be tagged an illegal migrant and denied of all benefits of authentic citizenship. When you require it the most, grey would disappoint you and deny you the best Apple experience because the products did not go through the official channel.

He noted that the company is having talks with relevant officials and agencies towards collaborating to check the issue of grey and fake. He enjoined Nigerian consumers to patronize only official Apple dealers and the iStore to get the best value for money.

“We appeal to Nigerians to patronize the iStore and the authorized resellers to get the best value for their hard earned money, enjoy authentic warranty documentation and experience and help generate genuine revenue for government. We are already in talks with relevant officials and agencies towards collaborating to check the issue of grey and fake.

“Quality conscious Nigerian consumers should enjoy the amazing Apple store experience as well as obtain full peace of mind. With the full two years warranty offered by Apple iStore and the world class sales and technical team, Nigerians should resist the temptation of buying grey products from unauthorized resellers.” Added Spaandonk.

Core Group Africa is the official Value Added Distributor (VAD) for Nigeria, Ghana and Angola and acts as the dedicated full-service brand custodians, managing a brand’s presence from end-to-end, taking care of logistics, distribution, sales, marketing and support.

iStore, Ikeja Mall is the home of all official Apple devices and accessories offering customers with world class Apple products with genuine warranty, after sales support, spare parts, and training.