Remember those fake Apple stores in China that were uncovered last month? It turns out that faux Apple stores abound in other continents, like Europe, and unauthorized resellers have even been popping up in the US.
After an investigation by the Chinese authorities, 22 fake Apple stores were shut down. One of the main stores in Kunming, China has been rebranded with a clever new name: the “Smart Store.”
At least the store owner didn’t have the nerve to call it the “Genius Store.”
MICGadget got its hands on some photos of the newly-renamed store in Kunming. What’s even more surprisingly is that, although the store’s owner has been forbidden from calling his retail outlet an “Apple Store,” this Smart Store in Kunming still continues to sell grey market Apple products.
The particular owner of this store used to be an authorized dealer, but his license was pulled due to his illegal raising of product prices for more profit. It’s remained unclear as to what Apple’s involvement or interest is in shutting down fake stores like this one.
Also, here’s another renamed store called “iParty:”
(via TechCrunch)