Market swamped with fake computers

Badrul Ahsan | Published: April 05, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The local market is flooded with low quality and fake computers and accessories as a section of unscrupulous importers procure these items to get windfall, buyers and sellers have alleged.
Sellers say higher prices of branded items and dumping tendency of big importers have contributed to the growing demand of poor quality computer items among the middle and lower class buyers, resulting in the import of copied items, mainly from China.
According to the market operators at the city's IDB Bhaban and Elephant Road, prices of almost all branded computers and accessories vary more or less by 25 to 30 per cent in relation to counterfeit ones.
Price war among importers and retailers is also seen by them as a major reason behind such an unethical practice.
"You can import counterfeit computer and accessories of any brand from China at a much lower price than their actual prices. A section of importers imports such items and confuse the users about the real ones," Ahmed Sattar Babul, a showroom owner at the city's IDB Bhaban told the FE Friday.
He said customers are also partially responsible for the situation as they always try to snap up cheaper goods.
Mahmood Hassan, a senior marketing executive with Flora Limited, a leading importer, said most of their competitors offer prices less than their cost prices.
Anwar Parvez, a salesman of the Computer Sources, another leading importer and retailer of computers and accessories, said if a customer always tries to buy the low-priced one, then it is natural that the unscrupulous businessmen would capitalise on the situation.
He said a 500 GB HDD in many showrooms at the IDB Bhaban and Elephant Road has been selling at Tk5,500 which is three hundred times lower than their import price. "How long will you be able to compete with such goods?"
However, many traders, who do not import, partially blamed big market players for manipulation and also for a lack of knowledge of customers on computer items.
"Some corrupt businessmen are resorting to import of poor quality and counterfeit items for lack of knowledge of the customers on the items," proprietor of the SK Computers and Network, Jayanta Karmoker, at Elephant Road area said.
"Besides, market manipulation by the big importers through dumping of their products also forces new importers to sell low-priced items for their existence," Mr Jayanta added.
Md Zahid Hossain, proprietor of the Techno Care Ltd at city's IDB Bhaban said, "Due to use of new substandard and comparatively unknown computer accessories, complaints from customers have increased by around 30 per cent in recent days."
Another importer of such counterfeit toners at the city's Elephant Road area preferring anonymity said, "Big importers do not give us scope to do business fairly. They always try to force us to be dependant on them through dumping. So finding no other alternative; we have chosen the way to get rid of their circle."
Mihir Shuvra Bhattacharya, a customer, who went to a computer outlet for after-sales service of his computer, said angrily, "I have come to the shop more than four times in the last eight months for servicing. This cost me more than the price I saved by purchasing."
"I don't have any idea about the quality of computers. Even no salesman informed me about the quality of such items. So being a layman, it is not possible for me to know the exact quality of items," Mr Bhattacharya added.
Former president of the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) Mostafa Jabbar, called for unity of the small and medium businessmen to prevent such kind of syndication.
"In the open market economy, the big ones always try to eat up the smaller competitors. It is quite natural especially in the context of Bangladesh," Mr Jabbar told the FE.