Customers in Pakistan are becoming increasingly enraged as a result of the official Apple distributor’s marketing campaign for the iPhone 17 series, which has resulted in widespread stock shortages and premium-level overpricing at dealer locations.
Under recent Facebook reels by the company promoting the “Mercantile Approved” iPhone 17 Pro Max, dozens of users flooded the comment section with complaints about limited availability and unauthorised price markups.
“Pls don’t advertise it until you make sure availability at authorised dealers,” one commenter wrote.
“There is no stock anywhere! Your dealers are selling it 50–60 k above the Mercantile price,” another claimed.
“Mercantile Pakistan out of stock” was added by a third.
The backlash also highlights what many customers describe as Mercantile’s weak control over dealer pricing, with several users alleging that retailers are charging significantly more than the official website lists.
They assert that a lack of pricing oversight has resulted in market confusion and inconsistency.
One frustrated customer remarked
“Sick of your adverts—just give stock, which people are waiting for, not your posts.”
while another said,
“Jab stock available hi nahi to publicity karne ka kya faida.”.
One commenter stated, “They’re selling per 6 lac me own pe,” and dealers were also accused of selling units at inflated “own” prices.
As Pakistan’s official Apple distributor, Mercantile Pakistan is in charge of supplying retailers with genuine, PTA-approved iPhones.
However, limited early-stage supply is common after a global iPhone release, often creating opportunities for third-party markups in the grey market.
Industry analysts note that a mismatch between marketing rollout and retail availability can harm consumer trust, particularly when authorized products are promoted as “in stock” while dealers report otherwise.
Experts also point out that Mercantile Pakistan appears to have limited control over pricing at the dealer level, allowing resellers to set their own “market-driven” rates. This gap frequently results in price inconsistencies and customer dissatisfaction across regions.
The claims have not yet been addressed by an official statement from Mercantile Pakistan.
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