We’ve been getting more details about the HTC Touch Diamond and when you’ll be able to get it. It seems that the devices Expansys are selling for £494.95 are indeed imports and not UK stock. These devices also seem to be more expensive than they should, and Expansys have just deleted a thread about the grey imports in their forum (luckily it’s cached by Google here). The official line from HTC is that any HTC Touch Diamond handsets on sale outside of Hong Kong will be grey market imports from that country. These devices were not ordered directly from HTC or their distributors. It also seems (based on forum posts) that the devices can’t be registered on htc.com and some are sending the units back.
Devicewire have also posted a notice today that the official UK models will be delayed a few weeks, however I’ve had information that the HTC Touch Diamond is currently rolling off the assembly line for European countries and will be in stores in just a few weeks.
Read on for more info on this – we’re a little surprised that Expansys are selling grey imports into Europe after being found guilty of selling imported HP handhelds from Malaysia and selling them in the UK in 2005. EU Trademark law treats products imported from outside Europe and sold as UK stock as counterfeits.
Link – Devicewire delivery notice – Special Report Have a read of this realbusiness.co.uk article with Roger Butterworth from Expansys.
The interesting part states..
“Butterworth’s other bugbear is legislation and red tape. In 2005, Expansys fell foul of the law when it was found guilty of importing Hewlett-Packard handhelds from Malaysia and selling them in the UK.
“I thought it was perfectly legitimate but there’s a quirk within EU trademark law that treats products imported from outside the European Economic Area as counterfeits. It’s utterly ridiculous.”
That legal wrangle took more than a year to sort out: “We settled for next to nothing but we spent over £200,000 on legal fees,” says Butterworth. “We don’t do any grey import into the EU now but it means that we’re having to charge our European customers ten per cent more.”
Expansys are definitely selling this as a “UK” model..
Not only is the pricing higher than it should be, but if you’ve purchased the HTC Touch Diamond from Expansys and you’re in the UK then (if we’re reading all this right) it means Expansys have broken the law again?
Have a read of the earlier HP issues at the register.co.uk