Xiaomi started blocking its phones in Crimea

Xiaomi has begun to actively block smartphones illegally imported into different countries. Including the Crimea.But there is an idea how to avoid blocking, informs ixbt.com.

Photo: Shutterstock

Usually Xiaomi does not interfere with the operation of smartphones imported into different countries by illegal or semi-legal means. For example, a person can order a cheap Chinese version of a smartphone and use it calmly in Europe - if only the frequencies coincide and the user is satisfied with everything in terms of software. Occasionally, the company blocked devices used in one region, but intended for another, but those were almost isolated cases - until now.

According to the source, users in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan and Crimea began to massively complain about the blocking of their smartphones. Reports on this can be found on the Reddit and XDA-Developers forums, Facebook and other sites.

In most cases, the situation looks like this. After a few days of normal smartphone use, a lock message appears on the screen with the following content:
Xiaomi policy does not authorize the sale or provision of a product in the territory in which you attempted to activate it. Please contact sellers directly for more information.

There is an opinion that Xiaomi began to block devices only in the above-mentioned countries and regions, and users of other countries should not be affected by the blocking of smartphones. Nevertheless, it is impossible to say something for sure here, since if Xiaomi has undertaken to actively block smartphones, then many more users could potentially suffer. However, there is a solution: the blocking does not affect smartphones with third-party firmware.

Interestingly, Xiaomi's user agreement clearly states that the user cannot resell devices to another country if this is prohibited by law. That is, here we are talking about gray imports. But at the same time, there is nothing in the rules about blocking.

Rospotrebnadzor responded to data on blocking Xiaomi smartphones in Crimea, writes RBC. The department did not receive complaints from residents of the region about the blocking of smartphones: “There have been no complaints. When consumers contact us, an appropriate check will be carried out, ”the message says.

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As noted in Rospotrebnadzor, the legislation does not provide for administrative liability of the manufacturer for these actions, but users can go to court with a property claim against the company. “After studying specific examples, Rospotrebnadzor will develop appropriate recommendations and consider the issue of assistance to consumers with judicial protection. The agency has the right to file a class action against the manufacturer, ”they added.

Complaints about blocking smartphones in Cuba began to appear in early September on Reddit and in thematic communities on Facebook. Users posted pictures of devices with a caption on their screens: "It is Xiaomi's policy not to allow this product to be sold or made available in the territory where you tried to activate it."

Xiaomi's terms and conditions of sale state that its devices are subject to export control laws, including those of the United States. “The customer may not export products purchased from the seller to any country or territory or to a third party where prohibited by export control laws. Prohibited countries and territories include Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan and the Crimea region, ”the rules say. To import devices into these regions, you need to obtain a special permit. At the same time, nothing is said about blocking the phones exported there.

The service centers say that they do not yet face the problem of phone blocking, they report "News".

“We read about it, but in fact no one approached us. Perhaps there are few such cases. Or is it a fake, "the agency was told in the" Notebook Center "service center.

In another service center, Mobile Expert, they also spoke about the absence of appeals with a similar problem, however, they suggested that it could be about blocking smartphones purchased remotely in China with an attempt to activate in Crimea.

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Also, several users from Crimea told about the absence of problems with Xiaomi devices. Along with this, the owners of Xiaomi smartphones have already found a way to bypass the lock: for this, a third-party firmware must be installed on the mobile phone.

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