Unauthorised network reseller spams local IT professionals
- 17 June, 2011 08:34
- Comments 8
The Australian networking community found itself spammed recently by a reseller of secondhand Cisco, Juniper and Alcatel network equipment.
Numerous IT professionals received an unsolicited communication from West Gosford-based Network Re-Marketing Pty Limited (Networkr) titled ""Cisco/HP/Juniper/Alcatel / SFP EOFY Sale.
Despite the reseller priding itself as an “established reseller of used Cisco and other networking equipment” on their website, the direct mail from Networkr raised more than a few eyebrows among IT professionals.
“I was surprised, as I didn't think an Australian company would stoop so low as to send unsolicited email,” said an IT professional, who wished to remain anonymous.
“Any company who has dealt with the networking sector in Australia would know we frown upon the whole practice and would go to great lengths to never buy anything from them.”
The contents of the mail were limited to a short message - “We have the following equipment in-stock ready to be sent out. Each item comes with the Network Re-marketing 1 year RTB warranty. All prices are ex GST.” - and a list of used network equipment that are currently stocked and available to buy from the reseller.
The fact that the direct mail arrived without any prior solicitation was enough to send alarm bells ringing in the minds of some recipients.
“A certified Cisco reseller shouldn’t be stooping to unsolicited email,” the IT professional said.
“If it was solicited, for example through a previous business relationship with a subsidiary or perhaps the company name had changed, then they should have made it clear it had occurred.”
While most IT professionals are aware who their authorised partners are in the channel, those who don’t should be aware of the potential pitfalls of dealing with unauthorised resellers.
“Cisco takes the providing of partners and customers with reliable, high-quality network technology and services very seriously,” Cisco public relations spokesperson, Linda Horiuchi, said.
“Cisco recommends that our customers always purchase products from authorised sales channels as Cisco can offer no assurances to the quality, authenticity, or legitimate ownership of products bought outside the authorised channel.”
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Comments
F Gridley
1
I would be more than happy to purchase products from Networkr. We pay far too much for IT equipment in Australia, all the major vendors continue to gouge the local market and force resellers to pay for the right to sell their products. If the products from Networkr are legally sourced and the warranty is sound then they are providing the networking community a service. It's called competition folks!
As far as unsolicited email is conerned, alarm bells .. really?, just normal marketing activity if you ask me!
ben
2
sounds like those businesses making a fortune out of price fixing IT gear don't like the new competition and are defaming this new business. Very naughty ARN for letting this slip through as news.
Baysnet
3
OMG an email marketing campaign! Patrick this is a total beat up and you should try and avoid being so obviously led into print by "it Professional". We are a Cisco reseller and we couldn't care less what Networkr do to push their tin and our Cisco IronPort email security appliance can easily deal with their emai.
DJohnson
4
Perhaps the vendor can explain how and why the price that can be obtained for "New" and "Used" Kit is so much cheaper than the "New" and "Used" kit through authorised channels?
Why is it that you can buy New products from both EBay and from various authorised global websites for New equipment have a variation of more than 100% on the price?
If vendors like Cisco are the "Core of the Internet"? Why are they attempting to inhibit the global market based very much around the internet for their products?
This website is called Australian Reseller News, it is geared to communicate to the reseller, if resellers wanted a website called AVN (Australian Vendor News) which was propagated with Vendor driven agenda's including maximising margin for the vendor at the expense of the end user customer or the reseller then surely resellers would be on that site.
Start protecting your reader based, otherwise your advertising revenue will start slipping as people will not be coming here.
Mike Ryan - Brass Razoo Group
5
How many emails were sent and how many complaints did you receive Patrick? This must be a really slow news day buddy.
Why didn't this " IT professional, who wished to remain anonymous" have the guts to stand up for the general principal he is so disgusted with?
How many complaints were received?
By who?
How did networkr get his email address?
Ouch!
waegne
6
<quote>“I was surprised, as I didn't think an Australian company would stoop so low as to send unsolicited email,” said an IT professional, who wished to remain anonymous.</quote>
with a comment like that I would remain anonymous as well.
seriously, unsolicited email that actually has a point is a refreshing change to the normal spam received.
and if a company is able to sell products cheaper than other ripoff merchants then so be it and good on em.
peterhau
7
"If the products from Networkr are legally sourced and the warranty is sound then they are providing the networking community a service. It's called competition folks!"
(Using Cisco as an example) ah, but there is the rub. the warranty cannot be proven to be accurate without the serial number and a call to the Cisco TAC. If the product is registered to an end user, or has no warranty as standard, don't forget, Cisco give out 90-Days "Warranty". Don't confuse warranty with Smartnet, two different things. Even if you buy the kit from Networkr, you will still need to buy the smartnet maintenance, and I doubt they are selling that really cheap.
It is a buyer beware. if you buy it, it breaks and you can't get support on it, Networkr aren't the ones on the phone in the conversation between the client and you. Complaining to Networkr doesn't get you back onside with the client...
I will stick to the brand vendor and their disties. Oh, and don't forget, Cisco has refurb products, it is cheaper to buy than std "finished good" products, and the warranty at 90 days will still need upgrading with smartnet.
Stuart
8
What a load of rubbish. What on earth did he (Networkr) do wrong?
I work for one of the largest companies in Australia that employ over 20000 people and sit in the top 5 listed on the stock exchange. I do all the purchasing of I.T hardware and let me tell you that I always buy from unauthorized Cisco dealers in Australia as they offer products at 1 / 10th of the cost and 5 times as fast. of the time. How on Earth is it that when I deal with the Manufacturer direct i.e.: Cisco etc that they charge us more for products they actually make then that of the so called Unauthorized dealer who’s got equipment that’s travelled through several middle men’s hands? It just doesn’t make sense.
I would recommend everyone that buys I.T products to actually have a good look at the secondary market to find a dealer that is genuine. You would honestly be suppressed at the amount of money that can be saved. In our case its millions and millions and millions of dollars.
Authorized distributors are a waist of time. Don’t even bother. They over price everything. Let me tell you that a lot of companies are turning to the secondary market and it will not be long before the Authorized dealer turn around to the manufactures and say “Hey our sales is in decline, we are not selling what we did, what’s going on here?” It’s slowly starting to happen as I said we have already started doing it and I have recommended to other corporations personally that they do the same. With the global financial impact of late many companies are making expenditure cuts so savings is at the top of everyone’s agenda. Now that I know who they are I’m definitely getting in touch with them on our next I.T requirement. The market is changing and the secondary market will soon be the market of choice for the large end user companies, it’s only a matter of time and a big wake up call to the Authorized distributors supplying I.T products.