Luthuli avenue is a street in Nairobi famed for the best electronics bargains in Kenya.
Inside the street that acquired a new look 2 years ago, business is always booming with people walking around like clustered shoals of fish. On each side are towering buildings displaying vibrant banners used to advertise various brands of televisions, phones and other gadgets.
But Luthuli avenue has recently been prominently mentioned as a den where ruthless con artists and unscrupulous traders wait to pounce on unsuspecting Kenyans.
One trick used by shop attendants is to ask for more cash even after negotiating for a final price. For instance, you may agree to pay ksh 15k for a television set but after paying, the attendants ask you to pay more for nonexistent charges.
Keen on swindling Kenyans, the crooked traders may also swap your preferred appliance with a cheaper and more often lower quality one. Whenever a client protests against this, they will simply ask for more money or threaten to rough him up. These con games have sometimes mutated to outright violence, with customers being on the receiving end.
Another plot that has occasioned loses to customers and manufacturers alike is the sale of fake goods. It is not clear how such substandard electronics find their way into the country with many people accusing agencies involved in clearance and quality assurance for sleeping on their job.
Even though I don’t imply that all electronics being sold in this street are fake, I know that many Kenyans lack the know how of detecting fake electronics, and this article will explain various methods of pinpointing fake TVs sold on Luthuli avenue.
1). Use google to get a clear picture of the TV you want and download its manual – A big mistake that Kenyans make is to go to a shop and simply ask the attendants to sell them a 21 inch LG television or a 32 inch Sony smart TV. Before going to purchase a TV, it is advisable to get the specific model number of your TV then go ahead and download the manual.
Once you have a clear picture, it becomes easy to detect variations of the genuine from the fake versions just by looking at features such as positioning of the stands.
Downloading the manual (manuals can be downloaded on official brands websites) will give an added advantage of verifying the TV’s graphics. The fake versions will never come with genuine graphics.
Additionally, the downloaded manual will help you in comparing it with the manual that the trader will give you. The two must be identical.
2). Check the remote – Fake TVs come with generic remotes that don’t need a thorough scrutiny for one to know they are fake. Whenever the remote lacks the logo of the brand, you should suspect the TV you’re about to buy is a clone.
3). Check the packaging – The carton box that encloses your TV must also have the brand logo, the model number and the serial number. These details shouldn’t be on a sticker, but should be permanently imprinted.
4). Ask for a warranty card – A warranty card is used for customers to seek compensation and or repairs whenever the TV malfunctions. More often than not, traders dealing in imitated brands will always give excuses whenever you ask for a warranty card. If the TV comes without this card, then chances are that it could be not genuine.
