Follow-up: Shanghai Dealers Now Refuse To Sell Nokia Mobile Phones

Following news last week that 40 Shandong retailers refused to sell Nokia mobile phones, some of Nokia's dealers in Shanghai have also reportedly stopped selling Nokia brand mobile phones in protest of the company's policies.

According to news on Hexun.com, the dealers have taken the move in collaboration with the actions of dealers in other regions and by doing so they hope that Nokia will reduce the fines imposed on them. The dealers held a large scale protest before the 2008 Olympic Games last year and as a result they were exempted three months' fines by Nokia. Nokia has allegedly now fined the dealers because the dealers were selling goods outside the zones in which they had agreed to sell the products.

However, Nokia reportedly says these dealers are out of its distribution system and have not signed any contract with it.

The 40 dealers in Shandong were all vendors in Jinan's Shandong Communication City, where a red banner said "protect the interests and rights of consumers, refuse to sell Nokia" was hung. A representative from these protesters told local media that they wanted an explanation from Nokia on why Nokia levies fines for their sales activities. The sellers cannot accept the huge fines and asked Nokia to return the money to them. The representative revealed to local media that dealers in Hangzhou also asked Nokia to return their money a few days ago. Over 200 Chinese dealers of Nokia gathered in Changsha, Hunan, in late May, also discussing a protest against Nokia.