PTK Centertel distributors strike causes phone shortage

Seven of the largest distributors of Idea mobile phones have been on strike for the past two weeks. The dealers are refusing to take phones from the warehouses. They are protesting the new conditions PTK Centertel imposed this month according to which the dealer is obliged to pay PTK Centertel the retail price of the phone upfront. Only when the dealer sells them to the customers at a discounted price will PTK Centertel return the difference in price to dealers but that process can take up to three months until the dealer receives money. The strike led to a shortage of phones in dealerships across the country. The representatives of PTK Centertel are sure that the conflict will be resolved within a few days. (Puls Biznesu, page 7) A.D.