Update: OnePlus India reached out to us, stating that the SMS that was sent out to customers was worded the way it was because of the character limit on the platform: "In terms of the SMS communication, due to character limitation with the platform, it could only carry a part of the overall message."
The company's newsletter has the full text, clearly stating that the OnePlus 5 is the highest-grossing phone during the launch week on Amazon:
Hi OnePlus Fan,
Thank you for making OnePlus 5 the highest grossing smartphone in launch week on Amazon.in. We could not have done it without the overwhelming support from OnePlus community.
As a token of appreciation, we are pleased to inform that the introductory cashback offer of Rs 1,500 on SBI Credit and Debit cards has been extended till 2nd July.
Never Settle
Original story follows:
The OnePlus 5 went on sale in India and other global markets earlier this week, and the brand promptly announced two days after sales kicked off that the device was the highest-grossing phone on Amazon India during a launch week.
As a result, Amazon announced that it was extending its SBI cashback offer — which sees SBI credit and debit card holders receiving a ₹1,500 cashback on the phone — until July 2. OnePlus is now touting the extension of the cashback offer via a text message that's going to everyone who registered an interest in its latest phone, which according to Amazon is over 1 million people. Conveniently, the company removed the "at launch" reference from the message, making it seem like the OnePlus 5 is the highest-grossing phone ever.
The text in its entirety reads, "Thanks for making OnePlus 5 the highest-grossing phone ever! Avail Rs 1500 cashback on SBI cards till 2nd July. Shop now! https://oneplusstore.in/5." If you're looking to compare, here's the tweet the company sent out a few days ago:
The #OnePlus5 is now the highest grossing phone in the launch week on @amazonIN! A huge thanks to our community who made this feat possible pic.twitter.com/IodKYsFBpy
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) June 29, 2017
OnePlus removed the Amazon India reference, as well as the bit about the phone being the highest-grossing during the first week of launch. This isn't the first time the company misled customers — earlier this year, it rolled out a huge advertising campaign starring Amitabh Bachchan in which it said that the OnePlus 3T was the "highest-rated smartphone" in the country, pitting it against the S7 edge, Pixel, and the iPhone 7 Plus.
The ad was based on the Kaun Banega Crorepati format (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire), to which Sony owns the rights. Citing copyright infringement and "unfair competition," Sony requested the Delhi High Court to get the ad off the air, and it succeeded:
We put the defendants on notice hoping that they will stop this brazen and illegal act. We were forced to go to court when we failed to get a response. What made the need for legal action even more necessary is that the defendants were actually glorifying the approach towards this type of advertising, even after receipt of the notice.
OnePlus scaled back on dubious marketing tactics in other regions over the course of the last year, but the same cannot be said of its Indian unit.
Reader comments
OnePlus is once again misleading customers in India [Update]
Why are you guys nitpicking and twisting every word of this company this is so childish other companies have done worse then played with words yet they have always good ratings with you like apple common
OnePlus is known for this.....
Just don't fall for the hype and look at their products for what they are
Aside from the sales hype, the phones are exactly as good as I expected. I bought a OnePlus One when it came out, and I currently own a OnePlus 3t, both of which I love.
While the "highest grossing phone" crap is kinda bunk, they are amazing phones worth every penny imho.
Ya, they've pretty much exceeded every expectation i ever had with the 3T. Especially when you see it performing better than phones $300 more with the same chipset when compared side by side
It's ok for company's and corporations to lie whenever they want? I applaud news outlets calling out BS.
We live In a country where the police can lie to you, surely a business does.
Oh no! Are the police the only one to do that?
Exactly, this is getting ridiculous,now everything this company does is "miss leading", " dubious " ,apple and Samsung has been doing this for years and all people do is lineup to buy their products, stop the whinning people.
Lol, OP fanboys will excuse anything OP does, ots fascinating to watch.
.. same with Apple and Samsung fanboys :l
Ever heard about commas? You should use them; they save lives.
The display also seems to be plagued with jelly scroll effect. They downright rejected it as abnormal when in fact the display is assembled upside down. What do you expect from a company that is a subsidiary of Oppo and Vivo?
Not a surprise, this shady company has been misleading people since day 1 when they lied about the screen to body ratio. The same screen size and resolution for years now, avoid this company and their phones.
Let's assume someone made the statement of being "the highest grossing phone ever" on purpose and it wasn't just taken out of context and intended to be qualified by the rest of the statement "on Amazon in India."
1. What exactly would they hope to accomplish by sending it to someone who already bought the phone? Does that somehow help sell more phones? I can't see how it would.
2. Now if someone hadn't purchased the phone and saw this statement, what effect would it really have? Even if it was true, would someone really have a desire to rush out and buy this phone? I wouldn't.
My point is, who really cares if it's the highest grossing phone ever? I don't see how that's something you can use in a sales pitch for anything other than investors.
People are overreacting per usual:
Its no different than:
Buy one S8 get one S8 FREE
Then in fine print it provides regulations etc....
It's not really that.
At least with those promos, there are disclaimers, albeit in fine text.
This one doesn't as it's a text.
That's not the same thing at all.
That's one ****** company, lol
Every time a new One Plus phone comes out I think "maybe One Plus won't screw this one up...". The 3T was the turning point where i thought they really fixed things. Now they're back to their old ways. Misleading information, literally putting the display upside down in their phones. Come on man......
The 3 and 3T were really their highest points. I liked them a lot.
True, 5 is a step back in design, commercial approach unlike the old dark underdog community way, it's all a mess now.
Funny, a ton of folks were saying the SAME thing , but replacing the OPO with the 3 as their high point. I own both the 3 and 3T, which are now in possession of my kiddos via hand-me-downs...and only a fool would prefer the 3/3T over the 5. end of story.
I respectfully disagree.
Not everyone who prefers a 3/3T over a 5 is a fool. Some people just prefer how it has OIS, or others may think it's a better deal if they can find one since it isn't going to be a significant step back in overall performance compared to the 5.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...OnePlus would do itself a favor by just pulling out of India. Nothing but constant crying from those folks. Do they EVER have a good day, ever? OP pass up the easy money, and relish in not having to deal with idiots.
It'd be great if Android Central editors had the guts to call out other companies with the same ease as they pick (understandably) on OnePlus. For example, Lenovo has gotten a massive pass on their failure to deliver the nougat update to the Moto X Pure. The fact that over two months after its "announcement" nobody in the US has gotten it hasn't been reported. The story has not been corrected. Not a word from AC.
You can't call out the big boys, otherwise the review units stop coming in...
Shame on you OnePlus.
My purchase of Moto Z Play looks better and better.