Kogan Technologies has re-launched its 'cable con' campaign in Britain in an attempt to shame retailers who sell expensive HDMI cables.
The Australian electronics firm - which opened shop in the UK at the beginning of the year - is offering customers a free HDMI cable with proof of TV purchase from one of its competitors. The free offer attempts to prove that a £4 cable is as good as the £100 alternatives on sale at rival stores.
"When you buy a TV from [UK retailers] John Lewis, Currys, or countless other high street stores, you will be offered hideously expensive accessories such as HDMI cables," Kogan said in a blog post. "These cables are sold with absolutely ridiculous markups, many multiples of the actual cost of the items."
Kogan launched a similar campaign in Australia back in March, where it offered a free HDMI cable to customers who had purchased a TV from JB HiFi. The three metre gold plated 1.4 HDMI cable normally retailed for $3.
UK rivals hit back
John Lewis and Currys-parent DSGi denied the upselling claims, saying they helped customers buy the "right" cable.
"We sell a large range of HDMI cables with different specifications and prices tailored to our customers' needs," said a spokeswoman for DSGi's retail arm. "It's not just about the quality of signal and image that HDMI cables can provide, particularly in higher-end televisions, it is also about the protection from interference and the long-time durability of the cables."
It's worth noting that by the end of the year, cables won't be able to use the 'HDMI 1.4' moniker: instead, they will fall into five separate categories. Interestingly, the free cable offered by Kogan to its UK customers is the top rated "high-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet" variety. The version offered to Australian consumers stuck to the nondescript '1.4'.
This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk
