There is a place in my city where electronic gadgets and computers are sold. It is not a wholesale market, but there are a lot of shops selling similar goods. I used to get computer parts there when my computer needed any. One day (a long time ago) I decided I would buy a portable AM/FM radio, tape player and recorder. There were a number of shops, of which I entered one.
"Take this one" the shopkeeper said. He looked sly (in hindsight at least).
I looked at it. The name of the manufacturer, 'aiwa' was on the front of the equipment. aiwa was a Japanese consumer-electronics company. I was impressed, because he was selling it for just Rs. 350/-. I paid the amount without any haggling, and brought it home. It worked for a few days, and then died. As with other items sold in shops on that road, there was no warranty for goods purchased there. I had lost my money. I looked at it carefully. There was a sticker, which said 'No. 1'. It implied the equipment was No. 1. The sticker was just to the left of the name 'aiwa'. I trust people, but not when I am cheated. I lifted the sticker from its edge using my finger nail. The name was 'Naiwa', and the sticker was covering the N, so that it looked like 'aiwa'.
It was brilliant. No one from the company 'aiwa' could catch them for using their brand name. A buyer like me could not drag the seller to a court, because it was not a crime to put a sticker on the equipment.
It has been many years. I have still not thrown away that 'Naiwa' radio/tape player/recorder, because it reminds me that I am not very smart, and there are plenty of crooks out there who can fool me.
"Take this one" the shopkeeper said. He looked sly (in hindsight at least).
I looked at it. The name of the manufacturer, 'aiwa' was on the front of the equipment. aiwa was a Japanese consumer-electronics company. I was impressed, because he was selling it for just Rs. 350/-. I paid the amount without any haggling, and brought it home. It worked for a few days, and then died. As with other items sold in shops on that road, there was no warranty for goods purchased there. I had lost my money. I looked at it carefully. There was a sticker, which said 'No. 1'. It implied the equipment was No. 1. The sticker was just to the left of the name 'aiwa'. I trust people, but not when I am cheated. I lifted the sticker from its edge using my finger nail. The name was 'Naiwa', and the sticker was covering the N, so that it looked like 'aiwa'.
It was brilliant. No one from the company 'aiwa' could catch them for using their brand name. A buyer like me could not drag the seller to a court, because it was not a crime to put a sticker on the equipment.
It has been many years. I have still not thrown away that 'Naiwa' radio/tape player/recorder, because it reminds me that I am not very smart, and there are plenty of crooks out there who can fool me.
