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Excellent well written, well researched article with some highly plausible postulates indeed. Worth reading I would say.

Neither of you posted the link here? Here it is:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...urrentPage=all

I personally feel (knowing a few authors myself) that taking out the publisher off this loop can't be bad at all. But then it requires several independent (e-Book) publishing options and a marketplace (Amazon will do) where such independently published works can be discovered and purchased.

I am not sure if you know it, but you can actually publish your works via Kindle publishing services.
The Amazon boys have taken things to a completely different level.

What does seem concerning is Amazon doesn't seem to be interested in the 'collaborate to publish' idea at all. The part about Kindle's VP (Russ Grandinetti?) dodging answering a pointed question about participating publishers in the Kindle Singles program is telling. Seems pretty much like an Amazon Vs publishing houses scenario. I wouldn't jump into judging either side, but the authors seem to be the losers in this tug-of-war.

The article also seems to give an impression that 'lesser known' authors are in a real bind about which way to take. Get published by Amazon but risk getting lost in a deluge, or approach an established publisher and risk not getting published at all. What's worse is the ones that went with the Amazon idea don't seem too happy post-facto.

A very interesting read, well researched and totally lacking partisan rhetoric.:thumbs up

I do (and the authors who I claim to know use this service as well). My point was that we need several more such Amazons so that future authors can shop around for better deals. There are small independent publishing houses, but none with the kind of visibility or reach that Amazon has.

I bought some filters from i2cworld and never had a problem. Maybe it's the value of stuff you order? I was actually surprised at the speed with which they delivered considering it was an overseas purchase and also, I got timely updates as well reg. the location of my package. Raccoon, would request you to share your experience.

PS: I think this discussion is more appropriate in the online shopping thread.

"E-commerce websites like Snapdeal, Flipkart and Amazon.in are not authorised Lenovo resellers. We encourage you to check your warranty entitlements when you buy from these websites," Lenovo said in the advisory on its website.


Source : http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/new...ome-editorpick

So, what happens if someone has purchased a phone from FK or SD? Will Lenovo not honor the warranty claim?

I remember reading a similar notification on Nikon India site few months ago.

Regards,

Read this news yesterday. I am amongst those who have bought Lenovo from Flipkart. I believe this is a fallout of FK/SD selling devices at lower prices than authorized by the company.

Question : What happens to devices sold before this statement was released ?

Bought the same stuff from them. Since I am in Bangalore, Raghavendra was kind enough to drop by my home to deliver the bulbs. What more, he brought a set of Night breaker unlimited, Night breaker plus and XtremeVision, and let me make sure they are genuine before I chose the NBU. Delighted.

Very nice! :)

I did not get the invoice for my purchase so sent him a mail requesting him for one. He sent me a copy of the invoice the same night. I am impressed with the level of customer support from these folks.

I remember reading something similar from Tissot for its watches. I guess one needs to make sure before buying from there online stores.

How exactly does one find a "GREAT" deal on ebay's global easybuy thing? Everything to me seems ridiculously overpriced than their Indian counterparts.

Flipkart and Amazon are marketplaces in India.

Or lets say, as per the FDI norms, they have re-invented themselves beautifully as Marketplaces where buyers meet sellers and vice versa.

As long as the products are sold by "Authorized Resellers" using Flipkart and/or Amazon as a mere "Marketplace Medium", of course, all standing warranties for these products should definitely apply.

The only grey area that I see right now is that when you buy the item, will you get a "Stamped and Sealed Warranty" or do they expect you to use the bill as the warranty?

If it is the latter, then Lenovo and others who are grumbling right now, are within their rights to refuse to honour the warranty, citing this notice.

An Anecdotal Aside:
For example, two years back or so, I bought a Samsung Microwave oven on Flipkart. The boxed item arrived home as a sealed piece and I opened it myself in front of the representative.
I asked him at the time about who would fulfil the warranty if required because the warranty papers were all nicely packed inside the microwave and were in pristine clean white condition, absolutely un-tarnished by a warranty seal/signature when I opened them!
He said to me that the bill itself acts as the warranty. I took him at face value and let it go. Thankfully that Microwave is still working perfectly well.

Another thing. The reason for all this friction is simply because all the physical stores/ offline resellers/retailers are up in arms because ostensibly, many of the products sold online through these sites, are heavily marked down and there appears to be a price war going on, with lots of under-cutting etc.

Questions that spring to my mind are;
1.Who is bearing the cost of this price war? Is it the re-seller who is listed on the market place?
2. Is it the Distributor who is supplying the reseller?
3. Or are these special prices like a sort of "loss leader" marketing investment being made by the "Marketplace Sites" themselves, in order to gain greater traction?

Most of the time the warranty card would be intact for the products brought from these online market places, but it would not be having any stamp or date mentioned. Never had a situation in which I had to claim warranty, but not sure if the OEM would honour that if a need arises.

A perplexing question is how a so called non-authorized retailer gets hold of an item which carries official import sticker ?

In case of flipkart, majority of the items are sold by WS-Retail, which seems to be a subsidiary or flipkart themselves.

Most Indian appliance retailers (even brick & mortar stores), refuse to fill in and sign warranty cards. Even if you insist and they oblige, 'Original Bill' acts as warranty for them ultimately.

And it's not isolated to any one type of vendor, I've had this said to me by a whole variety of retailers (cellphones, home appliances, car batteries, you name it). My battery vendor specifically warned me not to lose the invoice or he'll have nothing to do with my warranty claims, if any arise, signed/stamped warranty card be damned.