Smart wearables maker GOQii Technologies has sent a cease-and-desist notice to Flipkart, accusing the e-commerce platform of violating terms of agreement by selling its fitness trackers at huge discounts without approval. MediaNama has seen a copy of the notice. GOQii, which is backed by Ratan Tata, says Flipkart’s “70% to 80% discounts” on its products constituted predatory pricing and was an anti-competitive practice under the Competition Act 2002. It says Flipkart’s practices also violated the government’s new FDI rules for e-commerce, which say that an online marketplace cannot influence prices directly or indirectly and must offer a level playing field to all vendors. GOQii's notice says the company would initial legal proceedings if Flipkart did not cease its activities within 24 hours of receiving it. The notice calls on Flipkart to immediately: Stop selling GOQii products at unapproved discounted prices Give GOQii an unconditional undertaking in writing that it will do so Provide an account of the number of units it has already sold, and at what prices Undertake that GOQii's products will henceforth be sold only at mutually agreed MRP prices The products in question are the Vital and Pulse, which are fitness bands, and Stride, a tracker that people attach to their shoes. Flipkart appears to have taken action. As of noon on May 20, 2019, Vital is available on the platform for Rs 2,999 - a discount of just 14% - and the Pulse is not available. While Stride is available at a 66% discount, GOQii’s notice only mentions the lowest price…
