PCDA revokes ban on HP; protests silently

Panipat: Dealers in Panipat have resolved to fight a silent battle against HP, post the vendor's stance to overlook the efforts of its dedicated partners. With HP unwilling to pay heed to their demands and the fact that HP products command a brand pull and hence demand in the region, Panipat Computer Dealers Association (PCDA) lifted the ban on HP Compaq/Pavilion range of desktops and notebooks on May 6. However, the association is not supportive of the manner in which HP has been dealing with partners in the region and hence has adopted a unique way to protest the company's move.

Elaborating further, Ajay Singla, President, PCDA stated, “Every time we had any issues with any company in terms of sales, services and related matters, we raised our voices and got the issue settled with the respective vendors. However, this is the first time that we have succumbed to HP's practice of overlooking its dedicated partners in Panipat. We have lifted the ban on HP Compaq/Pavilion range, which was enforced on April 25. However, we have now decided to protest the company's move in our own unique way. We have issued orders to members of the association to discontinue promoting the HP brand. This will begin by removing all hoardings, signage and any other forms of branding exercise that we have been carrying out till now. We will continue to sell HP and will provide our customers with any HP product demanded by them, but none of us will now promote HP.”

According to dealers in Panipat, HP was not paying heed to the efforts of its existing dedicated partners. On the contrary, the vendor was supporting new partners in the region. Following the company's move, PCDA had placed a ban on the company. The association had stopped billings for the complete range of HP Compaq and Pavilion range of desktop and notebooks from April 25.

Sunil Bajaj of New Era Computers commented, “We have shown our loyalty to HP for a long time now. However, we have achieved nothing out of it. We have now received verbal communication from the association stating that the members will have to stop promoting HP even as we continue selling the brand. We will now discontinue displaying hoardings and signages that helps promote the brand.”

The above issue sparked off when HP representatives carried out a branding exercise with one of the newly appointed dealers (Apex Computers) in the region. Later when the dealers raised their concerns through the association, HP representatives denied having extended any financial support to Apex. On the contrary, Apex being a member of the association, disclosed that they (Apex Computers) had resurrected a new showroom with HP's support and had got the billing done for the same from HP's Chandigarh branch.

Singla further added, “After revoking the ban on HP we verbally communicated to all the members to avoid promoting HP in any form. The company has failed to assess the sentiments of the dealers in the region and this is our way of protesting its practices. We recently learned that another of our members (Prompt Computers) have also been approached by HP to carry out a branding exercise and a team from the association is now looking at informing the dealer of the association's decision.”

When The DQ Week contacted P Raghuraman, Director-Consumer PSG Sales, HP India, he said, “We continue to work with all our dealers in a transparent manner and doing business as usual. As always, our local sales team is in constant touch with the dealers and the association to work towards a healthy business relationship. HP has the largest channel partner network across the country-over 3,500 channel partners comprising premium business partners, business partners and registered resellers which are handled most effectively through well defined processes and policies.”