Xiaomi apologises for misleading UK customers with £1 flash sale

Xiaomi just last week entered the UK market and already it has irked many customers with its flash sale model. The company had put two of its phones Mi 8 Lite and Mi A2 on flash sale with an attractive price of £1, similar to it Re 1 flash sales in India.

Xiaomi's UK Facebook page was swarmed with comments from angry buyers. The webpage code for Xiaomi's flash sale was also analysed by a user who found out that it was optimised to show "sold out" soon as it began.

It was later discovered in the terms and conditions page the fine print of the flash sale. The first round of flash sale had three units each of Mi 8 Lite and Mi A2. In the second flash sale, Xiaomi had only two units of both smartphones.

Xiaomi UK later tweeted apologising for the misunderstanding. Xiaomi had first named this promotion 'crazy deal' but later changed it to 'flash sale'. The company hosts flash sales across other markets on a first-come first-serve basis with limited units in stock.

Xiaomi UK's sales and marketing head Wilkin Lee clarified that winners were randomly chosen through a lottery. Customers were still furious with the company not revealing any of the said disclaimers during the sale.

While Xiaomi defends its stand in the flash sale confusion, the company could face concerns from the UK advertising watchdog. Complaints went to the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK and the regulator is deciding whether to take this forward or not.