Xiaomi apologises for misleading UK customers with £1 flash sale

The first round of flash sale in the UK had just three units each of Mi 8 Lite and Mi A2. In the second flash sale, Xiaomi had only two units of both the smartphones.

Xiaomi made its debut in the UK on November 8. (REUTERS)

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.

As customers logged in to purchase the two listed smartphones, the website immediately read 'Sold Out', BBC reported. Two rounds of the flash sale took place but the smartphones went out of stock as soon as it started.

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.

 

@ASA_UK I did not see any terms and conditions during the promotions. The so called terms and conditions and also the number of phones available for sale was made up after user complaints about the #clickbait campaign.

is this being investigated?????

— CRYpto Batman (@LOLpundit007) November 12, 2018

 

Not only did they hide the terms and conditions at the bottom an only on the website, but those terms stated it was "first come, first served". They've now said it was a lucky draw. It wasn't a sale or a "crazy deal", it was a random draw.

— Daniel (@webdpontes) November 13, 2018

 

It did more damage than it did good. There were much better ways a launch could of been handled.

— T-SaVVy (@LickerOfWind0ws) November 12, 2018

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.

 

A statement to our Mi Fans: pic.twitter.com/Ij2jmrinaN

— XiaomiUK (@XiaomiUK_) November 12, 2018

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.