Grey Market in China's Tech Industry: An In-Depth Case Study

Kreller was hired by General Counsel to assist in investigating grey market activity related to their distributors. The case involved a tech company in China facing challenges with unauthorized distribution channels.

The Investigation

Kreller assisted in conducting an audit of the distributor records. Once the records with anomalies were identified, Kreller obtained corporate registration details and researched the reported trading activities against the products purchased to confirm if there were any inconsistencies or red flags.

Key Findings

During this corporate investigation, one distributor immediately stood out. Kreller conducted a due diligence investigation of the entity, which found that there was no company registration; the company website was determined to have been spoofed entirely from a different, unrelated company; the telephone number was forwarded to an unrelated survey line, and the physical address was a vacant lot.

The Result

After due diligence was completed effectively and evidence came to light, the distributor relationship with this entity was immediately discontinued. Kreller successfully exposed and eliminated a threat to the company’s operations.

Conclusion

This case highlights the importance of corporate investigations putting an end to grey market activities. Ultimately, the tech company protected its brand, revenue, and intellectual property because of Kreller’s due diligence.