Waterloo, Canada –BlackBerry denied an analyst’s report that its flagship BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is suffered high retail return rates and called for an investigation by U.S. and Canadian authorities.
“Return rate statistics show that we are at or below our forecasts and right in line with the industry,” said BlackBerry president/CEO Thorsten Heins. “To suggest otherwise is either a gross misreading of the data or a willful manipulation. Such a conclusion is absolutely without basis, and BlackBerry will not leave it unchallenged.”
Said BlackBerry chief legal officer Steve Zipperstein, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion about the merits of the many competing products in the smartphone industry, but when false statements of material fact are deliberately purveyed for the purpose of influencing the markets a red line has been crossed.”
Verizon Wireless joined BlackBerry in refuting claims from research and investment firm Detwiler Fenton.” Detwiler Fenton refused to make either its report to investors or its methodology available to BlackBerry, even after the company said the firm’s findings were ‘absolutely false,’” BlackBerrey said.
Zipperstein said BlackBerry would make a formal request to U.S. and Canadian regulators in the next several days.
BlackBerry is counting on the Z10 and other planned phones with its new BlackBerry 10 OS to reverse the company’s major sales declines.
