Xiaomi smartphone owners in some regions began to complain about the sudden blocking of their devices. It turned out that this was due to the sales policy of the Chinese company. So Xiaomi decided to fight against «gray» devices sold in countries where the Chinese brand is not officially represented.
According to media reports, users from Syria, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Crimea and North Korea faced the blocking of their Xiaomi smartphones. Xiaomi devices are not officially sold in these regions, but unauthorized resellers are smuggling smartphones from a Chinese company into the country for subsequent sale. And Xiaomi’s sales policy prohibits the sale or export of brand products to «unauthorized» ones. True, if until that time Xiaomi devices continued to work in these countries under certain circumstances, now the company has taken up seriously the fight against «gray» smartphones and began their massive blocking.
Some users faced the blockage just a few days after purchasing a new Xiaomi smartphone. They say that before their brand new device turned into a brick, a notification appeared on the screen that Xiaomi policy prohibits the sale or use of its devices in this region, and therefore the activation request will be denied. Users are encouraged to contact the retailer from whom the unit was purchased for more information. The only way out of this situation is to return the smartphone back to the store and demand a refund in order to buy a device from another brand certified in the country.
