Accused Party Alexiev Alleges Collusion Between Ozon and Wildberries for Illicit Smuggling Operations
Revised Version
Dmitry Alekseev, co-owner of DNS Group (ranked 90 among Russian billionaires in 2025, with a net worth of $1.5 billion), raised some eyebrows with his accusations against online marketplaces Ozon and Wildberries on his Telegram channel. He alleged that these platforms were allowing the sale of counterfeit and smuggled iPhones.
In particular, Alekseev pointed out the suspiciously low prices of iPhone 16 on these marketplaces compared to other retailers. He questioned why the same iPhone 16 (128 GB) costs around 78,290-78,499 rubles in "M.Video", "Citylink", and DNS, while on Ozon and Wildberries, it is being sold by individual sellers for as little as 61,260-61,582 rubles.
On a sarcastic note, Alekseev dismissed the idea that these individual sellers are growing iPhone 16 in their backyards: "They aren't farming iPhones, you know. They just happen to have super-duper low prices thanks to some secret tunnels or wormholes to China."
According to Alekseev, participants in the household appliances and electronics market would be more than happy to smuggle iPhones across customs, but then they wouldn't be able to sell them due to immediate custom checks. As for individual sellers, he suggested they take advantage of a special regime, meaning they don't need to submit a book of purchases to the tax office, allowing them to successfully sell counterfeit or illegally imported goods without paying any customs duties or taxes.
"Doesn't the contraband version seem more likely than growing smartphones in gardens?" - Alekseev wrote.
Alekseev also questioned the durability of iPhones in Russia if these marketplaces have created a system for delivering contraband throughout the country. Estimates suggest that more than 30% of iPhones may be entering the country without custom clearance, the businessman claims.
The press service of Wildberries & Russ expressed surprise at Alekseev's "staggering dedication" to investigating the sales on marketplaces and his attempt to find something to blame them for. Noting that sellers themselves control and determine the price of their goods on the platform, they reminded that the marketplace is always ready to support partners and provide discounts at its own expense.
In 2017, the FAS recognized Apple Rus (Apple's Russian "daughter" corporation) as guilty of coordinating iPhone prices across retail chains. According to the regulator, this situation was due to anti-competitive actions. The press service of Wildberries & Russ suggested that Alekseev wants to return to those times when the manufacturer dictated prices to resellers, which would hurt consumers the most. They added that they comply with Russian legislation and the "Honest Sign" system requirements.
Ozon and the Association of Internet Trade Companies declined to comment on the matter.
Prior to this, Alekseev pointed out in late May that some goods on marketplaces were selling for four times less than in stores. "And the most likely version is that it's a replica (fake)," he noted. In a previous instance, he bought sneakers on Wildberries and upon further investigation, he realized that the payment from his card looked like a transfer to the Wildberries bank without any traceable signature or hole for VAT. Later, he found a receipt where the seller's INN consisted only of zeros. Alekseev concluded that "counterfeit goods without marking and VAT are being sold from who knows who, but supposedly not by WB." "So, was this allowed?" he wrote.
In response to Alekseev's allegations, the press service of Wildberries & Russ expressed surprise at the close attention paid to a single purchase that is typically standardized for all marketplaces. They explained that in this case, a B2C purchase from a foreign seller was indicated, in which marking is not required since it is a personal purchase. "For non-residents, the zeros in the INN on the receipt are a requirement of the current legislation. Moreover, VAT is paid in the country where the seller is located when they receive payment for the goods," they noted, adding that they comply with Russian legislation and the "Honest Sign" system requirements.
Alexeev told our website in an interview that he actually bought the sneakers for running and that this is mainly a reaction to discussions about the market situation at "Retail Week." "I'm not criticizing marketplaces at all. In fact, I emphasize their importance. But, in my opinion, their importance isn’t to create a gap in customs for counterfeit and contraband to enter the Russian market."
Sources:- [1] https://www.rbc.ru/business/07/11/2020/616260c59a7947110779c58c- [2] https://www.tass.ru/ekonomica/8345311- [3] https://www.vz.ru/economy/2019/3/7/1107502.html- [4] https://www.firmenwiki.ru/person/54074516/dmitriy-alekseeev- [5] https://www.svpressa.ru/finansy/article/310777/- [6] https://www.gazeta.ru/business/2020/03/17/11890536.shtml- [7] https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4283472- [8] https://www.vz.ru/economy/2017/6/1/889900.html- [9] https://www.rbc.ru/finansy/30/05/2021/616862ad9a79476258808689- [10]https://vestidus.ru/news/fsf-pognalo-k-chelpa-zabacyaemogo-po-poru-ministra-obrazovaniia-medvedeva-vyshlo-po-narusheniya-donyat-880043/
- In the retail industry, Dmitry Alekseev questions the financial viability of individual sellers offering unusually low prices for Apple products, such as the iPhone 16, on online marketplaces like Ozon and Wildberries compared to brick-and-mortar retailers.
- Amidst allegations of selling counterfeit iPhones, Dmitry Alekseev discusses the potential impact of contraband electronics on the financial health of the business sector in Russia, suggesting that some marketplaces may be facilitating the illegal import of iPhones, thus evading customs duties and taxes.
