What is parallel importing?
Simply put, it is the practice of buying goods for a cheaper price in another country and bringing them to New Zealand to sell at lower than the usual market rate. For example, if a company like The Warehouse buys Sony products in Malaysia and sells them in New Zealand for a cheaper price than Sony itself would – that is called parallel importing. It is legal, but the goods have to be the ‘real deal’ – no counterfeits or fakes.
I want to buy a parallel-imported television because it is much cheaper. What are my rights?
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act all New Zealand based importers (this includes parallel importers) and manufacturers must make sure the goods they manufacture here, or import into New Zealand:
- Are of acceptable quality
- Match their description
- Comply with any guarantee given by the manufacturer or importer about their performance and the availability of spare parts or replacement goods
- Have repair facilities and a reasonable supply of spare parts available for a reasonable length of time
So you have the rights you normally would under the Consumer Guarantees Act.