By Xiu Ying
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Many people were happy with Xiaomi’s arrival in Brazil through official channels. At the opening of the branded store in São Paulo, people were queuing for 45 hours for a chance to buy discounted products from the producer. Everything seemed very promising, but the Chinese brand has now found trouble not long after its opening.
The Consumer Protection and Defense Foundation (Procon-SP) published a note on Tuesday, June 25th, stating that it had conducted an inspection at Xiaomi’s store in São Paulo on June 19th, and found issues.
“In the store, located in the São Paulo Ibirapuera shopping mall, the following was found: products with information exclusively in a foreign language; products without an instruction manual in Portuguese; products without source information in Brazil (importer); products with safety information exclusively in a foreign language.”
These are requirements of the Consumer Protection Code. As a result, the store was notified and “after an administrative procedure, it may be fined for the infractions committed.”
Mundo Conectado website also showed that several branded products were being sold without the correct certification by the National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL): there were even cases of different products with the same certification number. Smartphones are not involved here, but rather another of the Chinese brand’s operation in Brazil, the technological products that range from “smart” lightbulbs to smart wristbands, such as the famous Mi Band.
Although they are not telecommunications items, any device sending Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signals must pass regulatory certification.
The DL importer, officially representing Xiaomi in Brazil, commented that “the products sold via official distribution go through approval procedures with ANATEL and everything that relates to this is being handled directly with the regulatory body,” without providing details on the stage of the approval process.
The company’s statement ends by saying that “all products eligible for approval go through the appropriate testing procedures in accredited laboratories and are under the applicable radio frequency standards in Brazil.” He also said he was aware of Procon’s visit and that its products are “in the final process of adjustment”, without providing further details on the subject.
Regulatory Agency ANATEL, however, states that “issuing the approval document is a mandatory prerequisite for marketing and use of telecommunication products eligible for approval by Anatel” and that failure to comply with this requirement implies “a violation of the Agency’s regulations.”
The Agency also said that the fine for those selling unapproved products could reach R$3 million (approximately US$784,000) and that such products could impact the health of users and interfere in services, should they violate the rules.