14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, the media exploded with news of Xiaomi's entrance on the US market, something that we've been waiting for for quite a while.
Although the Chinese company hasn't confirmed such a move yet, at least one carrier in the country has started to sell Xiaomi smartphones through its official retail channels.
US Mobile announced a few days ago that it will offer Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones to those who wish to try out these devices that can't be bought outside China.
Soon after US Mobile's announcement, Xiaomi sent a statement of its own that denies any relation with the US carrier and debunks news about its entrance in this market.
“Recent reports have indicated that Xiaomi products will be available in the U.S. Xiaomi only offers a small selection of accessories for sale in the U.S. through Mi.com.
“There are no plans to sell smartphones through any authorized distributors in the U.S. US Mobile is not authorized to sell Xiaomi products in the U.S.”
US Mobile followed up with a statement of its own in which the carrier informs customers that it did nothing illegally when it listed Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones on its online store, especially that major retailers like Amazon and eBay are already selling these devices for quite some time.
“Amazon, Ebay and other US marketplaces offer Xiaomi, Meizu and countless other brands. The challenge with such marketplaces however is that you don’t always know whom you’re dealing with.
“The concern is that if something goes wrong with your phone or if you have any service related questions, you are stuck without a warranty to back the device,” says US Mobile in a statement.
US Mobile offers warranty on these devices locally in the US
US Mobile claims that it has teamed up with third-party distributors that sell and ship Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones, so the carrier can offer customers warranty and support on the devices locally in the US.
So, US Mobile customers can call the carrier's support service for any service-related issue or send the phone back to US Mobile for repairs.
The carrier also states that it has never claimed that it's an official distributor and that it will continue to work with Xiaomi and Meizu distributors to bring these smartphones to the US market.
Also, the listings on the carrier's online store highlighted the fact that these smartphones are “sold and fulfilled” by third-party partners.
Even though US Mobile has since pulled all Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones from its store, the carrier announced that as soon as these smartphones are certified by other carriers on their network, they will enable distributors to sell these devices through its online store once again.