Spanish high-end smartphone Zetta has been accused of passing Chinese smartphone Xiaomi devices as their own creation and selling them to consumers. This mobile device was known in Spain as the dveice that could compete with the iPhone, thanks to its specs and affordable price.
Zetta Hides Xiaomi´s Sticker
The fraud was discovered over the weekend when in the tech forum Forocoches, some users found out a sticker beneath the Zetta´s battery, which was hiding another sticker of Xiaomi´s phones, with its original serial code and logo. Later, many other users not only checked this was real, but also noticed that multiple models look exactly the same with the exception of Zetta's acorn symbol.
According to Techaeris, the Zetta´s business consisted of buying the cheapest Xiaomi models and selling them for a higher price, altering the phone´s appearance by adding some aesthetic modifications. This plan ended up being so effective that became a welcome product in Spain, because of its affordable price of $160 in store and $170 online, to the point where the smartphone shipped 1,200 units in the first month. The firm opened 7 stores around the nation as well.
Zetta Rebranded Many Xiaomi Models
The International Business Times explained that Forocoches users alleged that the Xiaomi Redmi 2 was rebranded as the Zetta Conquistador 4.7 SE, changing the price from $99 online to $204. Also, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, whose original price was $176, was rebranded as the Zetta Conquistador 5.5 Plus, for a price of $259.
Regarding this situation, consumer watchdog group FACUA ha claimed for an investigation into the company by local authorities, and called for refunds. For its part, Zetta has denied the accusations and expressed that the users' opinions in Forocoches were totally inaccurate.
"Regarding the demonstrations expressed in various forums and media, Zetta Smartphone states that the opinions expressed on the web about this brand are inaccurate," the Spanish phone company told through a statement in its official website, which went mysteriously offline over the weekend, as well as its Twitter account.
Although the Spanish authorities haven't made a statement about Zetta´s situation, the smartphone company could be prosecuted on allegations of fraud. This could be a bizarre ending for the mobile device which wanted to become the iPhone´s competitor in the Latin American nation.
