Sim Lim Square

[Mcf777]

next time, small claim court should indicate, all refund payment must be in Dollars and Notes.

 

No coin is allow.

[Jman888]

Case investigates Sim Lim mobile shop which paid in coins

PUBLISHED ON NOV 2, 2014

A mobile shop in Sim Lim Square, which made headlines recently when its staff tried to refund a customer in coins, is being investigated by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case). -- PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

SINGAPORE - A mobile shop in Sim Lim Square, which made headlines recently when its staff tried to refund a customer in coins, is being investigated by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

A Lianhe Zaobao report said the industry watchdog is checking on whether Mobile Air has violated the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.

The shop has been involved in several cases of improper marketing practices in the past, the report said, where customers were told to fork out an additional sum for an insurance policy on the mobile phones they bought.

Case has received a total of 14 complaints against the shop between July and September this year. Mr Seah Seng Choon, Case's executive director, said he plans to ask the store to sign a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA), the report added.

This agreement will allow Case to bring the business to court if it is found to engage in unfair trading practices after signing the agreement. Should the shop refuse to sign the document, Case will still be able to apply for an injunction to put a stop to unfair practices.

The New Paper reported last week that Mobile Air phone shop, which had been ordered by the Small Claims Tribunal to refund $1,010 to a woman, paid her back the amount in coins.

The customer, Ms Zhou, had alerted the police, claiming that shop assistants had thrown a bag of coins, weighing 18kg, onto the floor and forced her to count the coins there.

The shop owner apparently got worried halfway through when reporters appeared on the scene, and agreed to return her the rest of the money to her in notes.

 

in future anyone been con, should call police and newspaper reporters immediately, blow the whole thing up in the store.

[Ender]

 

in future anyone been con, should call police and newspaper reporters immediately, blow the whole thing up in the store.

 

i think these shops are immune to police, media and CASE.. They simply ignore all the warnings given..

[Watwheels]

 

in future anyone been con, should call police and newspaper reporters immediately, blow the whole thing up in the store.

 

 

By doing that everyone knows that you had been ripped-off. And this is not something new in the news.

 

How to talk to the news media? You have been ripped-off off the scale you think you could look at the camera and talk about the details? Looking at this I already feel this woman is foolish enough to walk into the lion's den, if I have to watch her go on the news and hear about the details.... It's just black comedy.

 

[ins1dious]

 

I think the reason why the lady did not walk away is because she paid for the phone. However, the shop then add in all the other costs, such as extended warranty, casing, screen protectors, and she had no other choice but to pay more. That is the normal tactics use by those shops.

 

That's what I thought was the usual MO.

 

But the ST post said she was initially charged $1600 and that she eventually paid $3000. I assumed from that that she ended up paying $3k in one shot after haggling with the seller and not in two payments.

[Fuelsaver]

Tourist or foreigner may not know how they work, they make you pay for the 'base' price where you think that was all. Then they say they going to install software for you, etc. when you come back they add this add that and add another $1K. Some LL pay, some make noise and call police but unfortunately police can't do anything.

 

Think the CASE should have permanent office in SLS with a police post, any complaint they get to deal on the spot and seek full refund immediately. Any guy try to play funny get fine and jail until they dun even dare to try anymore.

happen in car / sales industry. car svc & repair also same e.g. install ice at agreed price, then halfway tell u need extra co-axial cable for better performance (but optional, even it's "standard" way of wiring), rim repair quote u low price then do halfway tell u extra $ quoting boss, buy car agreed price then tell u got gst later.

[Jman888]

 

By doing that everyone knows that you had been ripped-off. And this is not something new in the news.

 

How to talk to the news media? You have been ripped-off off the scale you think you could look at the camera and talk about the details? Looking at this I already feel this woman is foolish enough to walk into the lion's den, if I have to watch her go on the news and hear about the details.... It's just black comedy.

 

 

 

i guess there are people or tourist who are not informed like us, most of them after con will just LLST and maybe complain to CASE. But even if you are con due to ignorance or been intimated to purchase, you can still call the police, and inform the authority on the spot like this case. Look at this ah beng LL have to refund her the money in notes.

[ins1dious]

 

Not only that. They get the customer to sign a "receipt" which in effect is a contract that state they have to pay whatever other charges.

 

I don't think police has the power to act even if there is wrongdoing. Only the court can do that. Even if there is a crime, they must have evidence before any arrest can be made. So CASE and police is quite useless. The owners of those mobile shops know this and is exploiting it to their fullest.

 

woh... didn't know that

 

I have enough trouble making sense of a contract with Singtel... these ah bengs for sure will 377 me without vaseline if I let them.

[Fuelsaver]

i think these shops are immune to police, media and CASE.. They simply ignore all the warnings given..

i think don't post shop name only; post registered person photo & NRIC (last 4D if sensitive) as well.

 

ACRA can mandate all companies to post ACRA registration with some essential personal particulars at shopfront.

[Jman888]

i think don't post shop name only; post registered person photo & NRIC (last 4D if sensitive) as well.

 

ACRA can mandate all companies to post ACRA registration with some essential personal particulars at shopfront.

 

 

heard it from the news few days back that they will go after to the directors now, it means that the directors of the blacklisted shop cannot close and open another company. Anyway there are always many ah beng willing to lend their name to be a "director" of a company, the title very sak!!

[RH1667]

That's why I rather pay a little more to shop in Funan, Harvey or even Courts.

 

I know they are not the cheapest, but at least I will not have such problem as in SLS, since I am not an expert, just a user who buy what I fancy and need to use.

[Fuelsaver]

 

 

heard it from the news few days back that they will go after to the directors now, it means that the directors of the blacklisted shop cannot close and open another company. Anyway there are always many ah beng willing to lend their name to be a "director" of a company, the title very sak!!

where there r givers, there will b takers!

 

perhaps then can sign declaration? but those willing to take risks already bet their future / lives on it liao.

 

unsure if heavier penalties including jail term makes a diff.

[Watwheels]

The ah beng will just use ah lians name to register with ACRA and open another shop.

[Vid]

 

woh... didn't know that

 

I have enough trouble making sense of a contract with Singtel... these ah bengs for sure will 377 me without vaseline if I let them.

 

Dunno about this case but cases in the past have been so. Sign on document before phone is released. Then realise it was for more costs. Customer poh mata also no use because written in black and white and signed...

[Ktglfc]

The ah beng will just use ah lians name to register with ACRA and open another shop.

That's why we need to have a huge fine, say abt $50k...

Good enough to deter the directors :))

See how deep their family pocket is

 

Of course, next will be public education... Educate ppl to buy at some other places rather than from SLS... In that sense, business will be affected, and see what the other stores can gang up to chase away the bad wolf in the sheep...

[Knoobie]

how come SLS still keep allow these owners to be around ar??

 

charge them super high rental make them boot lah!

[Kusje]

how come SLS still keep allow these owners to be around ar??

 

charge them super high rental make them boot lah!

 

SLS is not owned by one owner but many owners (strata titled).

[Andylkkg]

SLS owners many collectively come together to sell the bldg to REITs and let these industrial landlord deal with the dishonest business, however, rent may spiral as a results and cost will be higher......especially for those better shops residing on the upper floors to continue their business there!