India is one of the largest markets for smartphones in the world, and in this region, OnePlus is a popular brand. But with such a large market, there are gray markets and unofficial channels that are selling these devices. So here’s why you should always stick to official channels alone.
1. Where to buy official OnePlus products?
Before getting into the ways to avoid unofficial channels, here are the proper routes to buy OnePlus phones and other OnePlus branded products. The Chinese company first started with an online-only model, but has since expanded its presence in offline markets as well. OnePlus sells its gadgets from its official website in India (OnePlus.in), along with major e-retailer Amazon.
But you can also get it from the company’s own brick and mortar stores, which it calls the OnePlus Experience Stores. Furthermore, popular chain retailers like Croma and Vijay Sales also sell their smartphones. Apart from this, there are also authorized offline retail outlets. As of May 2024, OnePlus devices will be available across 63,000+ JioMart Digital retail stores in India. Their products are available on Reliance Digital stores as well. You can head to OnePlus.in to see the list of all authorized stores/Experience Stores/Mini Stores in the country.
2. Avoiding the gray market
In a recent report, it was revealed that 80 percent of online exclusive smartphone sales in India end up in the gray market. This is basically when a group or an individual buys the devices in bulk and resells them at marked up prices. They act as wholesalers and create artificial stock shortages to sell these devices at an inflated price to retailers. The practice contributes to tax evasion, which is expected to be evaluated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A number of smartphone makers are affected by this issue. This includes popular Chinese companies like POCO, OnePlus, iQOO, and Realme.
3. How does this affect you, the consumers?
Customers are vulnerable to a bunch of issues due to this gray market. Purchase from unauthorized sellers online and offline carries the risk of receiving counterfeit products, or devices that have been tampered with. This leads to them facing issues with warranty claims later down the road. So getting these devices serviced becomes a major issue. Meanwhile, the official listings bring exclusive deals and offers that are only available via authorized retailers. So make sure to stick with the aforementioned official channels.
