Xiaomi's domestic after-sales service (AS) centers are reportedly charging different smartphone repair fees without a unified pricing standard. Unlike Samsung Electronics and Apple, which announce repair costs by model on their websites, there is no external notice on expected repair costs, leading Xiaomi customers to express dissatisfaction.
◇ Different repair costs for the same Xiaomi phone at each center
According to ChosunBiz's report on the 27th, Xiaomi's AS centers in South Korea have been found to have varied fees for smartphone display replacements. For the Xiaomi smartphone 'Redmi 14C', the Gwangmyeong center quoted a fee of 53,000 won, while the Guro center quoted 78,000 won. For the 'Redmi Note 13', the Gwangmyeong center charged 101,000 won, and the Guro center charged 97,000 won. The display replacement fee for the 'Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G' was 133,000 won at the Guro center, but 122,000 won at the Gwangmyeong center. When asked about the display replacement fee for the recently launched 'Xiaomi Ultra 15', both locations stated that "the repair price list has not yet been released," providing no price information.
Currently, Xiaomi does not provide external notices regarding expected smartphone repair costs to its customers. In contrast, Samsung Electronics and Apple inform customers of repair fees by model through their websites and chatbots. A representative from the Xiaomi AS center (Guro), noted, "Even if there is a price list for parts, it is understood that each agency charges differently for both service labor and parts, so it cannot be made public." They added, "For the latest models, many cases lack a parts price list, which makes it difficult to get repairs done even if there are issues due to a lack of supply of repair parts."
Xiaomi currently provides AS through 14 locations nationwide in partnership with the outsourced company SK Networks Service. Although it started selling smartphones in the Korean market through a distributor in July 2018, it has not yet established a single direct AS center. This contrasts with Samsung Electronics, which operates over 170 direct AS centers, and Apple, which has around 80 direct service locations.
◇ Xiaomi claims it is due to the fair trade law regulations
The different repair fee announcements at each Xiaomi AS center are due to Xiaomi not directly being involved in the pricing set by outsourced companies. Xiaomi stated, "Under current law, we cannot get involved in the pricing set by outsourced companies," adding that "we are developing a system for notifying product repair fees on our website, and we plan to complete it by July."
The current law mentioned by Xiaomi is Article 46 of the 'Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act'. This provision prohibits businesses from enforcing resale price maintenance. Resale price maintenance refers to the act of a business specifying a transaction price to its trading partner or compelling them to sell or provide products or services at that price. This provision applies because Xiaomi sells parts to outsourced repair companies, which then resell them to consumers.
Shin Hyun-doo, head of the Korea Consumer Association, stated, "Xiaomi, which has promised to establish a corporation in Korea and expand its outreach with domestic consumers, must keep its promise," and noted, "If it is legally difficult to unify repair costs for outsourced AS companies, they should have notified consumers of different repair costs by center so that they can choose the cheaper option."
◇ "No supply of displays for three months" repair delays… imported devices excluded from AS
It appears that there are also gaps in the supply of repair parts for Xiaomi Korea. An employee at a Xiaomi AS center stated, "Repairs often get delayed because Xiaomi does not supply repair materials (parts)," adding, "Recently, for the Redmi Note 13 Pro, the display did not arrive for three months."
Another complaint among Xiaomi users is that smartphones purchased abroad cannot receive AS in South Korea. While Samsung Electronics and Apple allow AS for products purchased overseas at domestic centers, Xiaomi Korea restricts AS to officially released smartphones in the country. Product descriptions posted by Xiaomi smartphone importing agencies on platforms like Coupang and Gmarket included notices stating, "AS is not available."
In September of last year, Xiaomi established its Korean corporation (Xiaomi Korea) and announced its full-scale entry into the Korean market. At a press conference held in January of this year, Johnny Wu, the head of Xiaomi Korea, stated that they would provide flawless AS for products purchased through official sales channels.