EPSON CRACKS DOWN ON UNAUTHORISED PRODUCT

[Anonymous]

Epson  cracks down on unauthorised product sales(AUSTRALIA)
Epson has launched a program designed to stamp out unauthorised sales of point of sale (POS) products, following incidents where agents had imported products not designed for the Australian market.
Its One  Epson  program formally authorises its Australian POS product distributors DH Technology, POS POS, and Unique Micro Design in Australia and Cash Flow in New Zealand.
There had been incidents in the past where some resellers had sold products that had not been configured for, or did not have the necessary regulatory approval, for Australia and New Zealand markets. This had affected end users, said Mike Pleasants, marketing director at Epson.
These grey market products could have differences in firmware or lack a C-tick approval, he said.
POS products in question could include receipt printers, touch-screens, and invoice printers, according to Pleasants.
“It’s a program which says if you buy from a One  Epson  distributor or reseller, you’re assured your getting an  Epson  Australia product designed for the territory,” Pleasants said.
While acknowledging that grey marketing was not illegal, Pleasants said the program addressed grey market products coming into Australia that were not suitable for this market.
Epson said it recognised the urgent need to educate the market about the benefits of buying through authorised distributors and resellers.
“For example,  Epson  Australia provides an easy to use product serial number checking system that will tell a reseller or customer if the product they are buying has been supplied by an authorised  Epson  distributor,” said Jason Whiley, business manager of business systems for  Epson  Australia.
“The One  Epson  program then provides a guarantee to customers that products from an authorised  Epson  distributor comply with all local regulations and will get full technical support from  Epson  Australia,” he said.
The announcement follows Epson’s warning to its channel last month to steer clear of potential counterfeit inkjet cartridges after Victorian police found people were selling them on eBay.

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December 7, 2005 at 10:45 AM