Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Nov 12, 2025
An image of the Apple iPhone Pro launched at the Apple 'Awe Dropping' Event 2025 held on September 9 in California. — Screengrab/Apple YouTube channel/Canva
Mercantile's iPhone 17 promotional campaign in Pakistan has resulted in frustration among customers as its iPhone 17 stock has depleted, causing price inflation across dealer outlets.
The iPhone 17 supply shortage by the Apple-authorised iPhone reseller came to light after recent social media advertisements for the “Mercantile Approved” iPhone 17 Pro Max, with numerous users flooding the comments section with grievances regarding limited availability and excessive pricing.
Many customers have expressed their dissatisfaction, with one commenter stating, “Please don’t advertise it until you ensure availability at authorised dealers.” Another remarked, “No stock available anywhere! Your dealers are selling it for 50-60k above the Mercantile price.”
The backlash underscores what many perceive as Mercantile’s lack of control over dealer pricing, with buyers accusing retailers are charging significantly more than the official prices listed online.
These mounting complaints also highlight a disparity between Mercantile’s marketing efforts and actual retail stocks, which has led to confusion and frustration among potential iPhone 17 buyers in Pakistan.
iPhone 17 buyers are demanding that the company prioritise stock availability over advertising. Another user criticised, “If there’s no stock, what’s the point of publicity?”
As the official Apple distributor in Pakistan, Mercantile is responsible for supplying genuine, PTA-approved iPhones. However, the post-launch supply issues have created opportunities for third-party markups in the grey market.
Mercantile Pakistan has yet to respond to the purported scarcity of the iPhone 17 models.
