• Registered: 2011-09-10
  • Posts: 36

Topic: Why several companies still sell Chumbies?

Hi,

I am wondering why several companies in northern Europe (also big ones as Claes Ohlsson, Teknik Magasinet and Verkkokauppa) still sell Chumby devices and are advertising them with a more than 1500 applets and still growing!!!!

This is a very misleading marketing because the device and its support platform have practically been dead for a long time.

I know such a marketing at least in our Nordic countries is very illegal and I hope our authorities will take care of it. There have already been a few complaints concerning the marketing figures of these Chumby devices to the prosecutors in Sweden and Finland.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: Why several companies still sell Chumbies?

I have no idea.  It's not like there's any type of new supply - Chumby hasn't distributed hardware for over a year now.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 535

Re: Why several companies still sell Chumbies?

I would suggest reporting these companies to the appropriate regional or national commerce authorities.  They probably got grey-market supplies (i.e. remaining stock that official retail channels sold off after Chumby went under) or in the case of the big retailers, perhaps still have some of their original stock, and are just using the boilerplate product description that includes the "1500 applets and still growing" verbiage.

Unfortunately, how a company chooses to market what they sell is ultimately under their control... while the current holders of the Chumby IP could theoretically choose to tell them "we don't like you using our name like that", it's not like they're being defamatory or anything, and thus is probably considered more trouble than it's worth, especially since it will likely produce little actual result.

  • From: Somewhere on or near Earth
  • Registered: 2009-12-16
  • Posts: 774

Re: Why several companies still sell Chumbies?

I would be interested in knowing where the chumbys are coming from. Are they old stock, are they being produced by the original supplier or is some company manufacturing knock-offs? I rather doubt the last two options but if several retailers are selling them they must have significant stock. I agree with Doktor Jones that they are probably just using the original marketing verbage.

Tar, feathers, congress. Some assembly required.

BoloMKXXVIII's Website

  • Registered: 2011-09-10
  • Posts: 36

Re: Why several companies still sell Chumbies?

Doktor Jones wrote:

I would suggest reporting these companies to the appropriate regional or national commerce authorities.  They probably got grey-market supplies (i.e. remaining stock that official retail channels sold off after Chumby went under) or in the case of the big retailers, perhaps still have some of their original stock, and are just using the boilt.

Here is one example of the Chumby marketing i n Finland and other northern countries, by the biggest Northern hemipshere supplier of usual electronics, Verkkokauppa.com:

http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/ … i-internet

http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/ … i-internet


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