Is it possible to order xiaomi from the manufacturer directly. How to get a Xiaomi smartphone from China without customs clearance problems. How Xiaomi blocks the use of Chinese technology

With the growing popularity of Xiaomi, the number of stores offering its equipment has also increased.

Before buying smart home devices, everyone asks themselves the question: Where is it better to buy Xiaomi devices and not overpay too much, but also not be deceived.

Let's look at the most relevant stores, their pros and cons.

Xiaomi in the Aliexpress store

Perhaps the most popular way to buy Xiaomi equipment. A huge platform with various stores that have their own discounts and promotions.

Probably everyone at least once bought some small things from the site. Assortment list huge, this also applies to Xiaomi appliances.

Aliexpress itself does not sell anything, but only provides a platform for different companies and shops. If you enter a query in the main search, it will display a large number of results:

A large selection allows you to find the best deal, but you should not focus only on the price. The main indicator of reliability can be considered the rating of the store, the number of orders and positive reviews. It is also worth paying attention to the package of goods, especially if you decide to buy a set of devices:

The goods are sent only with full payment for the goods, you can pay with a bank card, QIWI Wallet, WebMoney or Yandex money. After payment, the seller sends the package and you just have to wait, usually delivery takes from 2 weeks to a month and a half. Please note that when choosing a delivery method, tracking information is available, then the parcel is assigned a track number that can be tracked on the official website of the Russian Post.

A little about the precautions, upon receipt of the parcel, be sure to weigh it and carefully examine the packaging for signs of opening. If everything is in order, take the parcel home. Record the opening of the parcel on video, this can be a decisive factor if the inside is not what you ordered. Aliexpress acts as a guarantor in the relationship between the seller and the buyer, in case of non-conformity of the goods, you can open a dispute for a partial or full refund.

The disadvantages of this store include long delivery and no guarantee for the goods.

You can definitely buy on Aliexpress. This is one of the most simple ways order goods in China.

Another Chinese store of various equipment and gadgets. It differs from Aliexpressa in that it is a separate independent platform, i.e. when buying from aliexpress, the price includes the platform commission and the commission of the seller himself, but there is no platform commission. This makes it possible to make the price of Xiaomi equipment more acceptable and affordable.

If you are afraid to buy equipment in some incomprehensible store, then feel free to discard these doubts. Gearbest recently celebrated its fourth birthday and during all this time the number of buyers from Russia has only grown. But despite this, the Russification of the store is done through a Google translator, which significantly reduces the quality of online shopping.

In terms of assortment, Gearbest is inferior to Aliexpress, but regarding Xiaomi equipment, the difference is insignificant.

Until recently, prices were noticeably lower than those of competitors, but with increased popularity, prices have caught up with similar stores. Before buying, it is better to monitor several sites and choose the most attractive price. Also on Gearbest are popular daily discounts on certain products, as well as discount coupons. You can track them on thematic forums and groups in in social networks.

The purchase is made by analogy with the previous store, quite simply and clearly. Yes, shipping is no different.

And then you need to pay attention to the advantage of this store -. This is a huge plus compared to other Chinese stores, and technical support courteous and responsive (based on my personal experience, maybe lucky). Thinking of buying something, compare prices on AliExpress and GearBest, if the price of herbest is more profitable, then feel free to buy here.

Xiaomi in the Chinese store Banggood.com

Available free shipping, but without the ability to track the package. You will have to pay an additional couple of dollars for a track number (for goods that are cheaper than $ 25). Delivery reviews can be divided into 2 camps, who are delivered in a couple of weeks and who are waiting for more than a month and a half. Upon receipt of the goods, it is necessary to fully check the functionality of the goods and only then confirm receipt. Buyer protection is noticeably inferior to the Aliexpress system.

If you have complaints about the main Chinese stores and want to try something new, then the store is perfect for this.

Buy Xiaomi on JD.ru

If you are already asking the price of a product, comparing different offers, then you should pay attention to the store.

Also a rather old store, it was founded in 2004 and until 2015 it lived perfectly in the domestic market of China. But the competition is high and in order to maintain positions it is necessary to develop. And in 2015, the store goes to Russian market, on a separately purchased domain in the RU zone. It is worth noting that the creators did a good job on localization, although the product names are reminiscent of AliExpress. It was alleged that JD entered into an agreement with the Russian Post about expedited delivery, but this did not particularly affect the timing: 7 days for order processing and 40 days for delivery. Basically the same as competitors.

The assortment and prices are also a plus of the store, although they do not reach Aliexpress.

But technical support, according to reviews, leaves much to be desired. Also in the store there are promotions and coupons, but from time to time there are problems with their activation.

Before you buy something valuable, it is better to try to order a small item to check the timing and quality of delivery. You can buy, but only if the price of the goods is noticeably lower than other stores.

Buying Xiaomi on Taobao.com through an intermediary

Many of you have looked at prices in RMB in the official store. One yuan costs about 9 Russian rubles, so we look at the price, multiply by 9 and get the cost of the goods in rubles. And if you need a Chinese bank card to pay in yuan to make a purchase in the official Mi.com store, then on the Taobao.com website you can pay in rubles with VISA and MASTERCARD cards (payment with a commission of 3.5%).

Taobao is an online store similar to Aliexpress, but delivery is only within China, so an intermediary is needed to purchase.

If you have an acquaintance in China, then you are very lucky. Without any problems, you can order equipment to his address, and he will send it to you by international mail. If suddenly you do not have such an opportunity, then there are a lot of services on the Internet that act as an intermediary for the Taobao website. We will consider the example of the intermediary site yoybuy.com.

Purchasing principle:

1. You find a product on the Taobao website and copy the link;
2. Paste the link on the website of the intermediary youbay.com and click buy;
3. Choose the characteristics of the product and click the "Add to Cart" button
4. We pay with one of the available payment methods and wait for the parcel to arrive at the intermediary's warehouse.
5. After the order arrives at the warehouse, we need to arrange the package and select a transport company.
6. We pay the cost of delivery services and wait for the arrival of the parcel.

About the cost of delivery, the price is formed for each kilogram, i.e. if your order weighs 200 grams, then you will pay the same as for the delivery of 999 grams. So it is better to arrange parcels for whole kilograms. The approximate cost of delivery can be calculated on the calculator:

It is not uncommon for a purchase through an intermediary to be more expensive than buying from the same Aliexpress, but if you want to buy a lot of light goods, then it is more profitable to order through an intermediary.

Buy Xiaomi in Moscow at FoxPox.ru store

If you do not want to wait for a long delivery from China and live in Moscow, then you have a great chance to purchase Xiaomi equipment in the FoxPox.ru online store.

Highly big choice devices available (more than 600 items), convenient location right in the center of Moscow at the Pushkinskaya metro station (Moscow, Bolshaya Bronnaya st., 23, building 1, office 215) where you can touch any device and check its performance. A guarantee is provided for each product, and if suddenly it has already ended, there is the possibility of repairing devices.

If you don’t feel like going to the store, the store delivers goods in Moscow for only 220 rubles.

Buying Xiaomi from the official store Mi-shop.com

Not so long ago, or rather in 2016, the Smart Orange company appeared in Russia, which is part of the RDC Group holding.

The first joy of the appearance of an official dealer was replaced by disappointment - the assortment is extremely small, at exorbitant prices, which are 2 times higher than Aliexpress.

The decision to ban the import of Xiaomi goods also added negative individuals, which was lobbied by one of the owners of the company - Arkady Yashkov (member expert council under the Federal Customs Service of Russia). For a while, Xiaomi phones were indeed deployed at customs, but under public pressure, this decree was canceled.
But let's put the negativity aside, because there are certain advantages: I came to the store, looked and felt the product and immediately bought it. The first impression when I visited the store was a large number of Xiaomi equipment that you can see live. TVs, smart devices, but you can only buy phones and related products, everything else was labeled "Coming soon".

For 2 years, the range has grown a little, but so far it has not even come close to the full number of positions. At the time of this writing, in the "Smart devices" section, there were only 21 products, and not everything was in stock.

Buying in the online store Mi-shop.com, or at official points retail You get a full warranty on the purchased product. This is perhaps the main plus of buying from the officials. It is also nice not to wait a month for the delivery of goods, but to come and buy.

There are also a huge number of other online stores. Prices there are usually 2 times higher than in Chinese stores. But the goods may be in stock, which will allow you to quickly deliver the goods to the buyer. EPN cashback service, you can read about how to use it in.

Buying Xiaomi is different from buying any other household appliances, some experience is needed to profitably and safely purchase devices. But let's hope that the manufacturer and retailers will work on the quality of their work and the speed of delivery of goods.

Xiaomi smartphones on the Chinese platform AliExspress are sold by more than 15 sellers. It turns out that when buying a phone for ourselves, we must first decide on the choice of model (our material can help you with this), and then with the seller from whom we will place an order.

What consequences await us if we choose the wrong seller? The first unfortunate consequence is the price difference the goods being sold. With an average cost of a smartphone at the level of 7,000 rubles, its final price on a particular site can be higher by 50 to 800 rubles (that is, 10% more expensive).

An unreliable seller may put you, for example, the Chinese version of the smartphone with the global firmware installed on it by hand, and not warn you about it.

Unknown sellers with a small number of orders have a small inventory. In this case, the buyer may be faced with the fact that his the order will be sent with a big delay(while the seller will wait for the receipt of the batch of goods ordered by him).

Xiaomi distributor on AliExpress, working for 8 years

One of the oldest and most reliable sellers selling Xiaomi phones on AliExpress is a store that doesn't even hint at it in the name. This store is called Fantacy Technology. Salesman has been working for Ali for 8 years which in itself is an impressive fact. Fantacy Technology offers its customers all current models of Xiaomi smartphones, as well as phones from Lenovo, Huawei and OnePlus brands.

Store navigation is thoughtful and convenient. You can easily find any smartphone model you are interested in in the "Products" menu section. Xiaomi budget phones in the store are located in the "Redmi Phones" section, flagship phones - in "Xiaomi Phones". In Fantacy Technology, you can find both models with a global firmware (marked as "Clobal Version") intended for sale abroad, as well as Chinese models flashed to the "global" ("Clobal ROM"). The latest phones will cost buyers a little less.

Over the years, the store has earned the respect of customers. about the work of the seller on the part of the buyers - 98,5 % . The store has a distinction from the administration of Aliexpress "Top Brand". This means that the seller sells only genuine products received directly from the manufacturer. And customers of the store can count on quality service.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro model in this store has already been purchased by more than 16,000 customers over the past six months. This once again proves the popularity of the seller (including the Russians).

Delivery of phones purchased in this store to Russia is carried out by AliExpress. standard shipping. Time of delivery, judging by customer reviews, is 2-3 weeks.

New Xiaomi Smartphone Dedicated Store on AliExpress

Next, we will introduce you to a new seller of Xiaomi mobile equipment, which we personally liked very much. The Redmi Online Store opened on September 15, 2019, but in such a short time it has already managed to gain fantastic popularity. Percent positive feedback from the side of buyers about the operation of this store is 99,4% . Consumers' ratings of such parameters as dispatch speed and communication with the seller are 4.9 points out of 5.

Redmi Online Store also received a badge from the administration of Aliexpress "Top brand".

Since the store opened recently, it has only the most sold latest models (Redmi Note 8 and 8 Pro, Redmi 8, Redmi 7A, Xaiomi Mi 9Lite, etc.). Delivery to buyers from Russia, judging by consumer reviews, is 2 weeks.

Here is an example of one of the reviews.

Xiaomi official store on Aliexpress

The next store already in its name claims the title of "Xiaomi Official Store on Aliexpress" (Xiaomi Official Store). This seller sells all lines of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, as well as other products of the manufacturer's ecosystem (laptops, tablets, fitness bracelets, smart watches, headphones, smart home elements, etc.).

Xiaomi Official Store has been working for Ali for over 9 years, and during this time he managed to accumulate quite decent statistics. From the administration of Aliexpress, the store received the "Top Brands" sign. Percentage of positive reviews from buyers is 98,5 .

Delivery of goods from this store to Russian Federation carried out by the AliExpress Standard Shipping service (standard delivery organized by AliExpress itself). The estimated time is indicated as 25 days from the date of payment for the goods. However, customer experience shows that real smartphones are coming faster: within 2-3 weeks.

However, in fact, Xiaomi Offizial Store is not the only official distributor of Xiaomi smartphones. The same phones are also sold by stores such as Xiaomi Online Store, Xiaomi Mi Store, Mi Global Store, Mi Authorized Store and other sellers. All of the stores we have listed have "Reliable Brand" signs. In some of them, during the period of discounts and sales, original Xiaomi phones are sold even cheaper than in the official store.

Xiaomi phones on Tmall

You can also buy Xiaomi phones on the specialized site Aliexpress for buyers from Russia TMall. Buying appliances on Tmall has its pleasant moments. Here are the main ones:

• Delivery of goods is carried out not from China, but from Moscow. Accordingly, the delivery time: this is not 30-45 days, but 5-7 (according to personal experience, to the city in Western Siberia, the ordered phone takes a week). For those buyers who urgently need a smartphone, this item will be very important. Delivery of goods is carried out not by Russian Post, but by commercial transport company. Receipt of goods is carried out at special points of issue. In the case of buying a smartphone on Tmall, its delivery is free of charge (so it will cost more than 3,000 rubles anyway).
• All goods purchased on Tmall have an official Russian warranty. That is, if the phone fails within one year, the buyer will be entitled to free warranty repairs in the official service center Xiaomi (there are such services in almost every major city). The warranty for a product purchased on TMall is exactly the same as if it was purchased in a Russian online store or offline outlet. Confirmation that the device was purchased on Tmall will be electronic check for payment, which can be printed in Personal account on Ali (in the "My orders" section).
• All smartphones purchased from Tmall are EAC certified. Although, to be honest, these phones themselves are absolutely no different from those sold, for example, by the company's official store on Ali. But the devices will have instructions in Russian. And the package will include a power supply specifically designed for use in Russian power grids (and not some kind of adapter).
• All negotiations with buyers on Tmall are conducted by a Russian-speaking support service (and not Chinese, who understand a little Russian or use automatic translation).

Tmall does not offer its customers the entire line of Xiaomi smartphones. There you can find only the most popular models. Base prices on phones here are sometimes higher than those of Chinese sellers. However high speed delivery, the provision of an official guarantee, as well as systematic promotions and discounts do their job: Xiaomi phones on TMall are sold like hot cakes in winter. For example, the latest ultra-budgetary company Redmi 6A on this site over the past six months has already acquired more than 100 000 human ( Chinese stores cannot boast of such indicators).

When Xiaomi just entered the smartphone market, it offered MIUI firmware for popular devices from other brands, and a little later it began to produce phones itself. They were focused primarily on China, but at the same time they were easily adapted for other countries by the forces of enthusiasts. So it was until about 2014-2015, but then the situation began to change.

Now, after entering the international market, Xiaomi devices are clearly divided into Chinese and global ones. Sometimes they differ in names, but the main differences lie in the software. Models for China do not have most European languages ​​(only English), Google services, but there are pre-installed local services. Also, a slightly different set of modem frequencies is active in them, for example, there is no LTE Band 20, which is not used by anyone in China.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

In Chinese versions, the "About phone" settings menu is different. Photo: Geek NG

The differences between smartphones may seem insignificant, but for a simple user they are very, very significant. Having bought a device for the local market, you may encounter a number of problems that will not be easy to solve. Therefore, it is recommended to consider why you should not buy Xiaomi smartphones intended for sale in China.

The information provided in the article is relevant for Xiaomi smartphones released in the 2nd half of 2017 and newer. Their list includes Mi 5X, Redmi 5 , Redmi 5 Plus,Redmi Note 5, Note 5A and newer models. The exception was the rather old Mi Max of the first generation, which has also been difficult to unlock recently.

Earlier Xiaomi devices like Mi6, Redmi Note 4X, Mi Note 2 etc. easily transferred from Chinese to international firmware or vice versa. Some of the problems described in the material do not concern these smartphones.

Why Xiaomi separates smartphones by market

There are a number of reasons why Xiaomi smartphones for the local and global markets differ from each other. The most important of them is the blocking of Google services in China. Since PlayMarket, Gmail and other services built into Android do not work in China, smartphone firmware for the local market contains pre-installed Chinese counterparts.

The sets of frequencies of cellular networks also differ in China: LTE operates in other bands, and the TD-SCDMA standard is also popular, which is not widespread in other countries. Due to the high population density and the limited frequency resource, networks with time division (TD) of the receiving and transmitting channels are widespread, while frequency division (FD) is more often used in Europe.

Due to the fact that smartphones for China and the foreign market have to be made a little different, Xiaomi is not interested in implementing modifications in "foreign" territory. After all, if immediately after the start of sales of a new model, the first batch is bought up in seconds by resellers (and this has happened many times), there will be a shortage of new items in the Chinese market. This is fraught with the loss of part of the market, because without waiting for Xiaomi, potential buyers go to another brand.

Wanting to maintain a decent level of sales both in China and beyond, the company resorts to various measures to protect devices. However, not only the desire to preserve stable sales forces developers to resort to restrictions, there are other factors. It is the combination of these factors that makes buying a Xiaomi smartphone destined for China not the best decision.

Locked bootloader

Around the end of 2015, Xiaomi smartphones have a locked OS bootloader. This circumstance prevents users from modifying operating system(for example, adding European languages ​​​​and Google services to the Chinese version of MIUI) or installing alternative OS builds (like Lineage OS). The initiator of the bootloader lock is both Xiaomi itself and Google.

Xiaomi's interest lies, firstly, in the reluctance to provide an easy opportunity to reflash Chinese versions of smartphones to global ones. Indeed, with this opportunity, sellers will be able to install international firmware on Chinese smartphones and freely sell them on AliExpress. The second reason is shared by Xiaomi and Google: concerns about user safety.

With an unlocked bootloader, attackers can modify the OS in such a way that they can intercept confidential data (logins, passwords, messages, banking data). In addition, with an unlocked bootloader, it becomes possible to completely reinstall the system and change the IMEI of a stolen or found smartphone. The device search function becomes useless in this case. Even if by some miracle you manage to find a smartphone, it will be impossible to prove that it belonged to you after changing IMEI.

Headphones Xiaomi AirDots

Locking the bootloader allows you to significantly increase the level of data protection on your smartphone, but complicates the process of flashing it. It is very difficult for an untrained user to install a global version of the OS on a smartphone for China, and this is one of the reasons why you should not buy Xiaomi for the Chinese market.

Firmware issues

For advanced users who know how to secure a smartphone and are ready to modify the OS on their own responsibility, a procedure for unlocking the bootloader is provided. To do this, you need to apply on the Xiaomi website and wait. However, there are limits on the number of devices that can be unlocked with one account, so this option is not suitable for resellers.

To get around the restrictions, sellers resort to various tricks, looking for loopholes to bypass protection. Sometimes they succeed, as a result, firmware is installed on Chinese versions of smartphones, which are hastily localized and completed with Google applications. On thematic forums, such firmware was called "Vietnamese" or "basement". Naturally, such OS modifications are not tested, and no one can vouch for their stability.

The lion's share of all software problems in Xiaomi smartphones are caused not by poor OS optimization, but by bugs in unofficial localizations. Naturally, negative feedback hit on the reputation of the manufacturer, so he tries to constantly improve the tools to protect the OS of smartphones from outside interference. “Vietnamese” firmware can, at best, lead to the fact that the smartphone will not receive updates, and at worst, turn it into a “brick” when trying to update.

Since unscrupulous sellers often hide the fact of installing unofficial software modifications of dubious origin, it is undesirable to buy Xiaomi smartphones for the Chinese market. You can usually identify such firmware by an uncharacteristic number. The official versions of MIUI are numbered like 9.2.1 or 9.2.1.0, and the "Vietnamese" ones are often denoted in the format 9.9.9.99 or 9.2.1.99, where the fourth number is the key. Indeed, genuine Xiaomi firmware usually does not have it at all, and if it does, it is not two or three digits.

And so - "Vietnamese".

What is fraught with the purchase of the Chinese version of Xiaomi

Given all the nuances of the Chinese versions of Xiaomi smartphones, you can make a list of problems that you may encounter when buying them.

• Chinese power supply. A power supply unit for a Chinese socket is the most insignificant drawback, since sellers put an adapter in the kit. But it is he who is one of the key features of the smartphone version intended for sale in China.
• Lack of LTE Band 20. Chinese smartphones do not support LTE at 800 MHz, which may limit their range. If the operator also has 3G on one of the frequencies supported by the smartphone, you most likely will not notice the lack of Band 20. But if the provider in the city works only in LTE, in the 800 MHz coverage area you will be left with no connection at all.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank battery

• Problems with software . If the seller installed “Vietnamese” firmware on a smartphone intended for sale in China, problems may arise. Such MIUI builds are characterized by sudden program crashes, increased battery consumption, errors, non-working or “lag” components (sensors, sensors, etc.). Also, you will not be able to receive firmware updates.
• Flashing difficulties. If you get Chinese Xiaomi with unofficial firmware, and problems will arise - there is a non-zero probability that you (if you are not a “guru”) will not be able to install normal firmware at all. You will have to choose: either endure glitches in Vietnamese, or put the official Chinese (without the Russian language). To install a global OS, you will have to unlock the bootloader, wait from 72 to 360 hours, “dance with a tambourine” and rely on the favor of the Chinese gods. In some cases, it is impossible to return from the “basement” firmware to the official one (Chinese or international) without closing the Test Point contacts, which requires disassembling the smartphone.

• Reduced security and limited functionality. If you manage to unlock the bootloader in a Chinese smartphone, install a verified OS build (like a translation from MIUI.SU or Lineage) - be prepared that you will not be able to search for a lost smartphone through MiCloud services, use NFC for payments and a fingerprint scanner to protect banking applications. The last two restrictions can be bypassed using the Magisk software, but this is an additional hassle. Also remember: if thieves try to bring a stolen smartphone with a locked bootloader and a link to a MiCloud account into working condition, they will not succeed, and the chances of finding the device are very high. If the bootloader is unlocked, you can say goodbye to the device.

How to distinguish Chinese Xiaomi from international

To make sure before buying that the Xiaomi smartphone is intended specifically for the global market, carefully study the description on the store's website. Usually sellers additionally emphasize that this is a global version, designed for international sale.

You can recognize the device by appearance. First, the packaging of smartphones for international sale contains inscriptions on English language, while Chinese modifications have hieroglyphs on the box. The second point is the power supply. The global versions of Xiaomi are equipped with a charger with a Euro plug, with round pins, while the local ones are flat, for Chinese standard sockets.

Buying a Xiaomi smartphone destined for China is a bit like buying a JDM car at a Japanese auction. Of course, a Toyota Crown Majesta in perfect condition can be cheaper than a less rich Camry in a local showroom. But at the same time, you need to be prepared that the steering wheel of such a car will be “in the glove compartment”, the headlights shine in the wrong direction, the systems and inscriptions are in Japanese, and the front passenger will have to go out onto the roadway. And if the headlights can be replaced with the “correct” ones (if there is a left-hand drive version of the car), the language can be switched to English, then you will have to get used to other moments.

Similarly, with Xiaomi smartphones intended for the Chinese market. If the savings are large, such a device can be bought, since many of the shortcomings are completely eliminated. But it is worth considering whether you need all this trouble. If you have no desire to comprehend the intricacies of unlocking and flashing Xiaomi, and you want to buy a device that will work well out of the box, you should overpay a few thousand rubles and immediately take the global version, originally designed for international sales.

Since March 15, 2017, another official distributor has appeared in Russia, the Smart Orange company. It sells Mi equipment and provides user support throughout Russia. It sounds like a good thing, but not everything is so clear.

What is the problem

A week after the loud announcement and the appearance of the official store, users on social networks complained about the following: Russian customs at the behest of Smart Orange, it began unwrapping Xiaomi smartphones ordered from sites like Aliexpress and shipping them back to China.

It is worth noting that we are talking about users with single orders, and not about gray suppliers and delays of entire batches of "gray" products intended for sale in the country and tax evasion.

Such illegal actions were noticed at the customs of Yekaterinburg and Orenburg. Many users have already suffered from them, who never received their Xiaomi phones from Aliexpress.

How do they explain this

The Smart Orange company itself officially confirmed its participation in the "scheme" and explains this as follows:

According to a letter from the Federal customs service dated March 15, 2017 and paras. 2 p. 1 art. 313 Customs Code Customs Union, paragraph 1 of Art. 1515 and paragraph 4 of Art. 1252 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, as well as Article 18 of the Universal Postal Convention, Xiaomi smartphones imported through unauthorized channels are not allowed to be introduced into civil circulation on the territory of the Russian Federation. Recently, cases of suspension have become more frequent. customs authorities such parties. The situation also applies to private orders placed on foreign online trading platforms and sent to Russia by mail.

The company also encourages all users who have encountered a similar problem to become their customers and buy the same Xiaomi smartphone from them with an additional discount. Here is a loyalty program.

What about prices in Russia

The appearance of an official distributor in the country is an excellent event, which should first of all be aimed at improving service and user support, and secondly at selling official products. But Xiaomi fans on social networks noted the high cost of Mi smartphones, some models are sold 2 times more expensive than on Aliexpress.

For example (32 GB), which is sold on Aliexpress for 8-9 thousand rubles in the Smart Orange store, it will cost 12,999 rubles. The Mi Max phablet with 32 GB of memory costs 19,900 rubles against the Chinese price of 12-13 thousand. Mi Note 2 - 34,000 rubles against 25-26 thousand rubles.

How to order a Xiaomi smartphone so that customs does not return it

Users note that the problem affected Xiaomi smartphones, light bulbs, bracelets and other smart gadgets go through customs without any problems. And once again, we note that the cases were recorded at customs in Orenburg and EKB. And so, here is a small list of tips on how you can buy Xiaomi on Aliexpress so that customs does not return it back.

• ask the seller not to indicate that this is a Xiaomi smartphone (let them indicate Meizu, Bluboo, Venee or any other less popular brand)
• ask the seller not to indicate that this is a smartphone at all (let him write in the declaration that this is a gift, photo frame, etc.)
• ask the seller to repack the smartphone in another box so that it cannot be identified without opening the package
• please do not send to the above customs (although it is difficult)

What will happen to Xiaomi in Russia

The Xiaomi brand is very popular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries. Not a small merit in this is just Chinese stores that sell Mi equipment to the whole world. What will happen to the Xiaomi brand and products in Russia now?

The two main sales drivers for Xiaomi smartphones are low cost and balanced features. Without one of these components, the meaning in the devices of this brand is lost. There is a very small chance that users in Russia will start massively buying Xiaomi phones with a double mark-up, such a scheme simply will not work. Most users will switch to similar smartphones that can be easily ordered from China: Meizu, LeEco, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo and others.

Xiaomi Tech proudly announces its record sales every year, if you compare the numbers, it becomes clear that a large percentage of these sales are accounted for by international market where the brand is not represented at all. The merit of these sales is precisely Chinese stores with adequate prices and delivery around the world, but the manufacturer is usually silent about this in reports.

Thus, depriving Russian users of the opportunity to order affordable Mi-smartphones on Chinese sites, Xiaomi itself will face losses and a drop in global sales. The current situation harms not only ordinary customers, but also the Mi brand.

We hope that Chinese stores will adapt to such conditions and “whitewash gray products” by simply repacking Xiaomi phones in ordinary white boxes, without logos and inscriptions.

Instead of conclusions

Do you remember the days of Redmi 1S, Mi3 and the first Redmi Note with a 5.5-inch HD screen? When all Xiaomi devices were sold in these cute beige recycled cardboard boxes. When even in anticipation of the parcel there was something pleasant and magical. And when you picked it up at the post office and opened the coveted box, there was no limit to delight.

Today, the popularity of Xiaomi has made the company highly commercial and this is felt in all aspects. New items come with a locked bootloader, and recognizable beige boxes have become faceless white, like Apple's. Today, everyone is trying to capitalize on brand fans by inflating prices and cutting off supply lines. But many do not understand what exactly fans want from Xiaomi, since they themselves are not.

Before the transfer of the goods to the buyer, you can cancel the purchase at any time. If the order is prepaid, you can return the entire amount of payment back to the card by writing to

Return

At the time of buying remotely(With courier delivery) in the online store site, you can return the goods of good quality within 7 (seven) days from the date of receipt of the goods (Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights of the Russian Federation, article 26.1). In this case, the shipping costs are paid by the buyer.*

If technical malfunctions are found, the buyer can refuse the goods within 14 days from the date of receipt of the goods. In this case, a technical examination will be carried out. (after the specified period, the goods are subject to warranty repair)

The returned item must be:

• - fully equipped
• – without traces of use and mechanical damage, with preservation presentation and consumer qualities
• - in undamaged original packaging
• — with preservation of all types of marking and protection, seals, factory labels
• - with original documents confirming the purchase of goods: invoice, cash receipt (if any)

Please note: the return conditions do not imply the operation of equipment, use for testing purposes and other use of goods. We accept your right to change your mind, but we may refuse to return or exchange used items.

If a gift or additional accessories were included with the product, they are also subject to return in accordance with the specified rules.

* This condition is valid only when buying online in the online store website

To return, follow these steps:

1. Fill out the form for the return / exchange of goods (Download)
2. Send a scan of the application to [email protected] website, you can confirm the receipt of the application by calling the hotline.
3. Our operator will contact you to confirm the return and how to send the product back to the store. Shipping is paid by the buyer. You can bring the goods yourself to the return collection point at the address: Moscow, Varshavskoye shosse, 1, building 1-2, office A110
4. Together with the goods, it is necessary to hand over to the courier the original application for replacement and documents confirming the purchase.
5. In the absence of claims to the configuration and condition of the returned goods, the funds will be returned within 10 working days from the date of receipt at the warehouse. The return is made to bank card from which the payment was made, or to the client's current account.
6. In case of claims, our operator will contact you:
   • – in the absence of part of the kit, their cost will be deducted
   • – in case of mechanical damage to the goods or packaging, an additional examination will be carried out