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Dhananjay Shah of Pureview Technologies points out that some partners sell
14.1" monitors claiming it is 15" and charge a premium for the
increased dimension. Anjali Berlia of Sujata Electronics argues that though her
company did sell monitors with a viewable are of 14.1" inches as 15"
ones, it was out of ignorance.
Vendors claim 14.1" as 15"...
Several vendors sell their 14.1" LCD monitors by informing customers
that it is 15". Partners and customers buy these products, without
measuring the actual dimensions of the product, because they have faith in the
vendors. But this is an unethical practice and it should be discontinued. It is
also against the user's interest as he is taken for a ride.
Buyers complain about price of 14.1"...
Some vendors sell their 14.1" monitors at premium, claiming that it is
15". Therefore, when sellers like me, approach customers with genuine
14.1" monitors and quote them a price slightly lower than or at par to the
prices mentioned by these vendors, there are not many takers. They feel
that they are being over-charged, though it is actually the other way round.
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| “People buy LCD monitors without measuring the actual dimensions, because they have faith in the seller" |
Dhananjay Shah
MD, Pureview Technologies |
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Difficult for end-user to spot the difference...
It is difficult for a customer to spot the difference between a 14.1"
and a 15" monitor, because they look the same. Only, those partners or
users who are technically-inclined might actually calculate the dimensions and
realize the difference. The onus is therefore on the vendor to inform and
educate the buyer about the current size of the monitor.
Doubling profits by false claims...
Vendors who sell the 14.1" claiming that it is 15" can almost
double their profit as 15" are in high demand at the moment in the market.
This is what entices most of them get into this line of business. Sometimes,
even 13.3" models are positioned as 14.1", which are sold at the price
of the latter.
Tactic used by fly-by-night operators...
Usually, fly-by-night operators import the 14.1" monitors in bulk,
brand them as 15" products and sell them to partners at 14.1" prices.
But they convince partners that these are 15" models and partners feel they
have got a good bargain. But once these operators have dumped their goods, they
vanish. And then the dealers have no one to approach for any post-sales
support.
Sellers ignorant of dimensions....
Often, sellers who sell 14.1" as 15" LCD monitors are ignorant
about the actual dimensions of the product. We experienced this ourselves when
we were selling Touchmate which had a viewable area of 14.1" but a
frame-to-frame dimension of 15", as we were not aware of this technical
difference. When it was pointed out to us, we decided not to distribute the
product as 15".
Price not sole criterion for purchase...
Price is not the only reason why customers will go for an LCD monitor. There
are other qualifying factors like warranty, branding and customer support. A
customer will pay a premium for a 14.1' LCD monitor if he thinks that the
vendor offers good overall value. But at the same time, if someone is knowingly
selling a 14.1" monitor as a 15" one, and charging a premium only
because of the dimension, then it is highly unethical.
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| “Often, sellers who sell 14.1" as 15" LCD monitors are ignorant about the actual dimensions of the product” |
Anjali Berlia
MD, Sujata Electronics |
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End-users well aware today...
Customers today are well aware of the products they want to buy. You can't
fool a customer into buying a product, by making false claims. If the customer
realizes that you have lied to him, then you have lost him for life. And vendors
who have long-time plans will not indulge in such acts. However, it is the duty
of the seller to educate the customer about the nuances of the product,
including its dimension, while making the sale.
Ethics should be every channel's practice...
The onus of ethical business practices rests on each and every member of the
channel and not just the distributor or vendor. These may sell the product as
14.1" to their partners. But if dealers want to make higher margins by
selling the monitors as 15", then there is nothing that the vendor or
distributor can do in this instance.
Self-education must for channel...
Partners should take it upon themselves to educate themselves about the
intricacies of the product they are selling as well their principal. They should
do business only with those companies which have long-term business policies and
should not trade with principals who are only interested in dumping products,
even if partners can make good margins in the bargain.
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