| The telephone company has run out of patience. The VimpelCom company, which provides cellular communication services under the Bee Line brand, announced yesterday the termination of business relations with Mobile Communications Exhibition LLC, better known as the Euroset network of cellular communication stores. Since June last year, Euroset has been a dealer of VimpelCom and has achieved significant success in this field. According to VimpelCom press secretary Mikhail Umarov, 10% of Bee Line contracts in Moscow were sold through Exhibition. But this did not help Euroset avoid the most severe punishment for the fact that, according to VimpelCom’s statement yesterday, it violated the “procedure for opening and registering dealer sales points,” i.e. opened its showrooms at a distance of less than 500 m from the points of sale of other VimpelCom dealers.
For Euroset employees, this news, as the network’s public relations manager Tatyana Gulyaeva said, caused “regret and bewilderment.” She described the relationship with VimpelCom as “smooth and working.” Ms. Gulyaeva also said that the management of Euroset intends to restore cooperation with VimpelCom and “will make every effort to achieve this.”
VimpelCom sales director Mikhail Yakovlev assessed the year-long experience of working with Euroset somewhat differently. According to him, the network systematically ignored the clause in the contract regarding the locations of salons. Mr. Yakovlev’s employees have sent 32 written complaints to Euroset this year, fined it six times and suspended accepting applications from it for new cellular contracts three times.
In this regard, Mr. Yakovlev does not see any possibility for further cooperation with the Mobile Communications Exhibition, although he personally “very regrets” this.
Euroset, created in 1997, and since mid-2000 has become a noticeable figure among Moscow cellular dealers, is known for its aggressive (on the verge of good taste) advertising and non-conflict business history. Last month, for example, Samsung Electronics broke off trade relations with Euroset after the latter’s management accused Russian representatives of the Korean concern of under-delivery of paid products and extortion. Mikhail KUKUSHKIN |
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