business As a manufacturer, you create and sell many products. If you create office products such as computers, printers, and copiers, then you’re selling straight to other businesses. Amid these sales, you may realize that one of your products has gone bad. Maybe a component no longer works, it’s outdated, or it’s been recalled. Regardless of the reason, you can no longer sell this product. However, this doesn’t prevent people from trying to sell these products on the gray market. Keep reading to learn about the gray market for office products.
The gray market has a long history. Flea markets, closeout stores, and traveling computer fairs and expos were common sources for name-brand office equipment at low prices. Sometimes, those locations were legitimate, and other times they were shady. Today, the gray market has moved online, so it’s harder to sort the legitimate from the shady. Sometimes, the two can overlap. For example, a third party can sell name-brand office products on a legitimate E-commerce site without the manufacturers’ knowledge or consent.
The simple answer is only two words: financial savings. Everyone wants to cut costs, especially with inflation. Deals on outdated or refurbished products are especially attractive to people trying to cut costs. Unfortunately, temporary financial savings on business tech like computers, printers, and copiers don’t pay off in the long run when they malfunction for no apparent reason.
As mentioned, the biggest risk of gray market office products is malfunction. The product may bear a brand name, but the person who bought it on the gray market is not getting the product as the manufacturer intended. These products are ineligible for warranties. Other third-party tech assistants, such as a company’s IT department, may not even be able to help, depending on what the gray market seller did to the gadget. Even if the seller didn’t damage the product, your company got rid of it for a reason. You don’t want consumers to find out why.
Gray market office products are bad for manufacturers and the businesses that use them. When malfunctions and other problems happen, people develop a negative view of the manufacturer. If the gray market product stays within a business, users will have a limited point of reference for your products. If they notice a computer or printer always lags or freezes, they’ll avoid that brand in their personal life. They may even warn friends and company purchasers not to buy those products anymore. As the manufacturer, you could lose clients or potential clients because one business owner tried to save money on tech.
Obviously, you want to keep your off-spec products off the gray market. You don’t want them to end up on legitimate sites where people can purchase them, experience problems, and develop a negative viewpoint of your brand. To keep off-spec products off the gray market, you should destroy them. Disassemble products to salvage good components or upcycle functional parts. You don’t want an intact off-spec product falling into the wrong hands!
You’ve learned about the gray market for office products, so now you can keep your products far away. Destroying your products may sound extreme, but it’s the only way to protect your customers and reputation.
24World Media does not take any responsibility of the information you see on this page. The content this page contains is from independent third-party content provider. If you have any concerns regarding the content, please free to write us here: contact@24worldmedia.com
