Apple cashbacks on iPhone 15 series models leave many fuming
Apple has hit the headlines in India, ToI reported on April 10.
Offline mobile retailers in the country — represented by the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) – have been left fuming over what they termed as «discriminatory pricing» by the iPhone maker.
AIMRA is a forum representing 1,50,000 mobile phone retailers.
The retailers' body alleged that the exclusive cashbacks that the company is offering customers at its authorised showrooms are hurting offline retailers.
The company offers these exclusive showroom cashbacks on top-end iPhone 15 series models — iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max — at its stores.
AIMRA, in a letter to Apple, accused the company of not playing fair. The letter comes down heavily on Apple, calling this a «purely anti-competitive move favouring a few».
Apple introduced a cashback offer for its iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models on April 6. AIMRA says that Apple has authorised its stores and major retailers to provide a cashback of Rs 10,000 on these models. Other retail channels, however, are only permitted to offer a cashback of Rs 3,000 on the same models, AIMRA alleged.
In a report on its website, the Financial Express said that it has seen AIMRA’s letter to Apple, addressed to the company's India managing director, Ashish Chowdhary. In the letter, AIMRA’s national joint general secretary, Navneet Pathak, said: “It has come to our attention that LFRs and company's own stores are offering a substantial cashback of Rs 10,000 on 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models,
