Alleged Contract Breach: Nigerian Firm Drags HP, 10 Associates To Court 

Savemore Retail Technologies Limited, a Nigerian retail partner of HP International Inc., has dragged the latter before the Lagos State High Court over alleged breach of contract.

In a suit with number ID/ADR/2648/2023 before Justice Oluwatoyin Atinuke Odusanya of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Savemore and its managing director, Mr. Patrick Kunmi Adediran, accused HP and 10 other associates of failure to pay an accumulated rebate of $62,474.57.

The 11 defendants listed in the case are HP International Inc. (1st), HP Computing and Printing Nigeria Limited (2nd), Mitsumi Nigeria Limited (3rd), Technology Distribution Limited (also known as TD Africa Distribution Limited) (4th), Mr. Emmanuel Asika (5th), Mr. Chimaobi Osuegbu (6th), Ms. Elizabeth Nwajei (7th), Mr. Rajiv Patel (8th), Mr. Ravin Vyas (9th), Mr Kanvar Shah (10th), and Mr. Vinay Bhuwania (11th).

The 11 defendants were also accused of failure to upgrade Savemore into a Gold partner of HP International even after meeting and surpassing set criteria and denying it supposed benefits including Market Development Fund (MDF) in the sum of $50,000, a $70,040.90 over-charged fund, among other benefits.

The two claimants (Savemore and its MD) said they resorted to litigation after efforts to resolve the matter with the defendants proved abortive.

Apart from praying the court to ensure payment of the amounts with interests accruable on them, Savemore is also seeking payment of N100 million as general damages.

In a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP, the managing director, Savemore Retail Technologies Limited, Mr. Patrick Kunmi Adediran, averred that he started trading with the HP International and its Nigerian arm sometime in November 2018 with the name Donboscong Retail Ventures, as an HP Business Partner and was issued a certificate of partnership.

According to Adeniran, on December 28, 2019, he requested that the purchases of Donboscong Retail Ventures be linked and transferred to Savemore Retail Technology Ltd, adding that the transfer was done upon the successful transfer of the transactions with HP, the linkage/conversion was confirmed by an email trial between December 28, 2019 and January 10, 2020.

“HP Business partner’s certificate of Partnership was subsequently issued in favour of Savemore Retail Technologies Limited confirming its partnership status with HP,” he added.

Based on an agreement with the HP, the managing director said Savemore was entitled to a bonus or rebate on every commercial system and non-commercial laptop it sold, adding that in June 2020, HP’s partner business manager, Mr. Chimaaobi Osuegbu, sent an email to Savemore Retail Technology giving them a sales target to be met before the end of August 2020 for Savemore to be upgraded to a Gold Partner.

He explained that HP partners are categorized into Proximity Partner, Silver Partner, Gold Partner, Platinum Partner and Distributors, and it was Savemore’s aspiration to become a gold partner.

According to the details of the suit, Savemore achieved and surpassed the target, but HP refused to pay the claimant its bonus/rebate or upgrade its status to a gold partner as promised.

“As a Gold Partner, Savemore is entitled to Market Development Fund (MDF) in the sum of $50,000 and two staff to be maintained by HP.

“None of these benefits were given to Savemore in spite of attaining the market target given to him. The total sum of rebait/bonus and Market Development Fund due to Savemore amounts to $62,474.57,” counsel to Savemore, Barrister Ese P. Okiti, said in a chat with journalists.

After the case was presented before Justice Odusanya by the counsel to the claimants on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, an ex-parte order was granted and the case was scheduled for hearing on October 17, 2023 at the Lagos State High Court sitting at Ikeja.