Italian Distie Aims Low To Win Dealers

An Italian distributor and manufacturer, Phos Group, is trying to woo UK dealers with the promise of staggeringly low product prices.

In a fax to customers, the Italian firm claimed it could provide computer systems and software at prices which were ?the lowest in the world? and that prices would be guaranteed for the whole year if orders were rushed through.

For example, it quoted the Quantum FB Tempest 3Gb 10.5ms Scsi drive for #153.92, compared with the usual price of #296. But anyone interested in dealing with the firm needs to send $1,050 in advance to cover the cost of shipping product from Italy.

Filippo Colombo, Phos Group marketing manager, said: ?We can provide prices so low because we get market information from all over the world. We ask for a shipping fee, because when we didn?t in the past we had problems as customers didn?t have the money to pay for the goods.?

He admitted that there was more interest from the US and the Far East than from the UK. ?UK customers are a little bit conservative about the news of this product.? He refused to comment on the firm?s turnover, but said it had been selling IT equipment since 1988.

One channel source said: ?Its products are very cheap. It?s the silly season for weird deals.?