Tricked by a camera shop in Orchard Plaza

[hongsien]

Hi,

I need some help in what my Indian friends are supposed to do after they were tricked into buying a small (cheap) video HD camera (no brand) for SGD 750 at a shop in Orchard Plaza? Is it correct to bring them to the Singapore Tourism Board bldg at Grange Rd to report on the shop? Or is there another body that can help? Police report can be made but doubt if that will be of any help. What we need si some action to be taken....

I remember they can send someone with us to the shop to ask for a refund? Is that still the case? In fact they were supposed to go to KL tomorrow, but that has been cancelled now......

She was already suspicious when they asked when they are leavinbg Singapore and whether they are returning (negative), when they arrived back at the Hotel, they compared the images with their Sony videocam and the images looked not sharp, I assume they were tricked into buying a cheap chinese no brand camera cum HDD camera, that has a low resolution.......I have not seen the camera yet, will check tomorrow morning, cause it all happened a few hrs. ago.

Alamak! I already told them not to buy in Orchard Rd., but they had no time anymore.

Talk about Singapore being a shoppers paradise!

Hong Sien

 

[hongsien]

When they went back to the shop at 19:30, it was already closed!

 

[King Tiger]

Hi Hong Sien

Next time, ask yr friend go MS Color at AMK Hub as they are selling Sony products too.

 

[King Tiger]

1) Can go for Police report for the purpose of records but doubt the Police can do anything.

2) Report to Singapore Tourism Board so that the shop will get blacklisted by STB, once verify and confirm.
I am not sure, but I remember somewhere that STB provide infor online or brochures to Tourists to warn blacklisted shops in Singapore.

3) Lastly, report to CASE, action will be review and taken accordingly, but will take sometimes.

 

[King Tiger]

When they went back to the shop at 19:30, it was already closed!

Close at 19:30 :bigeyes::think:

Is it the one at basement one ?
Near Mos Burger ?

 

[Dream Merchant]

Hong Sien,

Your first and appropriate line of contact would be the Tourist Promotion Board. They are the body that handles matters like these, and would know which relevant authority to work with in criminal cases, or cases that require a more serious recourse. Their higher up is the Singapore Trade Development Board with the banner, International Enterprise Singapore (IES) being focused on the tourist promotion development sector.

Matters of tourists being cheated are normally regarded very seriously as Singapore places heavy emphasis on tourist attraction, and dollars.

I would suggest sending them an e-mail tonight, and follow up with a call first thing in the morning and see what course of action they suggest.

 

[hongsien]

Close at 19:30 :bigeyes::think:

Is it the one at basement one ?
Near Mos Burger ?

Not that one! This shop is at Orchard Plaza, the bldg that is now under renovation, just next to the Killiney Rd Post Office......(between Le Meridien Hotel and Orchard Point where OG is)

Thanks for the pointers, so STB is the right address to go to tomorrow......I thought so.

HS

 

[tan131]

Not that one! This shop is at Orchard Plaza, the bldg that is now under renovation, just next to the Killiney Rd Post Office......(between Le Meridien Hotel and Orchard Point where OG is)

Thanks for the pointers, so STB is the right address to go to tomorrow......I thought so.

HS

Bring them to STB which is jus nearby @ Tanglin. But ask ur frds to talk to the officer that they have been duped and have a bad image of Singapore and all..think that's what STB fears the most. Ask STB to send someone along. Best is to file a police report if required (perhaps your friends can mention to the STB officer that they wanna make a report because they have been cheated).

 

[hongsien]

I had also read the CASE website:

http://www.case.org.sg/medi1.htm

But it is stated there:

"
However, CASE do not handle the following disputes:
1. Landlord and tenant claims
2. Speculation in shares, stocks, commodities and so forth
3. Accident claims
4. Cases not related to consumer goods and services
5. Cases dealing with tourists"

What does that mean?CASE doesn't help tourist? or they don't deal in disputes BETWEEN tourists?

HS

 

[tan131]

I had also read the CASE website:

http://www.case.org.sg/medi1.htm

But it is stated there:

"
However, CASE do not handle the following disputes:
1. Landlord and tenant claims
2. Speculation in shares, stocks, commodities and so forth
3. Accident claims
4. Cases not related to consumer goods and services
5. Cases dealing with tourists"

What does that mean?CASE doesn't help tourist? or they don't deal in disputes BETWEEN tourists?

HS

I'm sorry but i think CASE is **** no power @ all and u have to join them as a member first. yes, they do not handle cases with tourists. STB is the one to go to.

 

[roygoh]

I would suggest using STB as a bargaining tool to get the shop to give a refund or exchange. Once you reported the case the shop is not motivated to resolve the issue anymore, unless STB can help your friend to get a refund. If what STB do is only to blacklist the shop then better try to negotiate with the shop first.

 

[Dream Merchant]

I'm sorry HS, CASE is not the body you want.

Roy has made a valid, and possibly very valuable suggestion. Are your friends able to put on a brave front?

Clue them in about the Singapore Govt being very very serious about shops cheating tourists, and that they have already spoken with the police, and were referred to the Tourist Promotion Board (this should already scare the shop). If they are not willing to negotiate, just say that they were already asked to go immediately to TPB to lodge a complaint, but that they are more interested in settling the matter first by means of a full refund.

If not, they will be forced to take a short walk to the TPB and meet the officer that spoke with them. It might actually help to talk with an officer and get the person's name, and have the phone number on hand in case they need to 'make a phone call for advise'. It lends a lot more cerdibility to the 'negotiations'. Are you able to go down with your friends? If the shop sees that they have a local supporting them, they might think twice about further trying to dupe them, or posturing.

 

[kiwi2]

Actually, this is a difficult case, unless your friends can establish how much an identical video cam is sold elsewhere.

I'm curious... Is there a standard to determine how STB can charge or blacklist the shop when it sells things more expensive? for eg, if the retail price is say $500, and a shop sells it at $600. That's $100 difference. Can the shop be asked by STB to return the money to the "cheated" tourist?

Besides the paying more part, I think it's not a good reason to argue that the video cam your friend bought is of lower quality than Sony so they should have a refund. After all, she chose the video cam herself. And we all know quality differs depending on so many brands out there.

Anyway, me tinks your innocent and gullible friend really kena chopped very badly.. For S$750 u can get a good brand video cam! If possible, the shop should be axed indeed. But as with all things, doing homework first is important.

I don't think Singahpoh is a shopping paradise. Or food paradise. That's an over-statement indeed to attract tourists cos over here, without the food and shopping to boast about (which many other coountries I've visited can easily match if not perform better), 1/2 or more of the attractions are gone! We are tiny and don't have natural scenic places. So food and shopping are what they can (over)emphasize.

 

[contaxable]

Hi HS,

Honestly, there is little STB or police or even the embassy can do much. Yes, can file a report and they get marked under the suspect list.... My suggestion is dont waste time going this route. Cos the bottom line is your friend will not get back the money!

ok, here is the catch. If your friend wants to get back the money, there might be a way or two here... Ask your friend to try going back to shop, record all conversations in a player discretely (video may be better) and save them as a form of evidence. When they refuse, dont need to threaten. Show them what had been recorded and prepare to walk out while telling them the whole world would be told. If it still does not work, go on and return to home country peacefully... and here is a last straw to get back the money.

I hope your friend used a credit card to make the payment. I have came across cases where my friends got cheated in Asia, then returned back to their home country feeling sad, make a big fuss to the credit card company - with a credible story of course. Your friend may be surprised the card company may help get credit back. Well the brand of credit card does matter and also the credit standing (worthiness) of your friend wrt to the bank. (Hope the cc is not our local ching chong banks as they wont bother).

PM me if you want to know the full story as it involves naming a country name, the country of origin of cc company and also the brand of cc. I dont feel good to put down any merchant or country openly here.

Hope this helps.

...but wait, if your friend goes back to the shop to seek refund, be on guard as they WILL have much more tricks up their sleeves. Oh you'll be surprised as such merchants make a living cheating and getting off scott free almost 99% of the time. Errrr.. well, unless they get beaten up by some US marine drunks.

Hope this helps.

 

[ricohflex]

Cannot help.
It is not a crime if A sells item X to B at $10,000 and B willingly buys it at this price. When in fact item X cost A only $1 to buy.
Provided there is no misrepresentation, threat or item switching.

 

[hongsien]

I suspect the camera is one of those cheaper chinese 'brandless' videocams that doesn't use a tape.....

Will check it tomorrow morning, and then go to the police first. Yes, Roy's point is very valid, and will try that out first. If it works, I wil still go to STB to report on them and get them blacklisted to avoid more people to get conned....

Thanks All!

HS

 

[King Tiger]

Ooopsss, I am sorry. :embrass:

Didn't know that CASE do not invlove with tourists issues.
Learn something new today. :sweat:

 

[tan131]

Cannot help.
It is not a crime if A sells item X to B at $10,000 and B willingly buys it at this price. When in fact item X cost A only $1 to buy.
Provided there is no misrepresentation, threat or item switching.

I think hongsien did say that they were tricked. Hongsien, if u are going down, do point out to them that misrepresentation or purchasing the product because of the image the other party portrayed that is not is against the law. Think these ah bengs need to be taught a lesson.

 

[hongsien]

Cannot help.
It is not a crime if A sells item X to B at $10,000 and B willingly buys it at this price. When in fact item X cost A only $1 to buy.
Provided there is no misrepresentation, threat or item switching.

Well, it is perhaps not a crime according to the law, but as we all may know, the law is always behind in time...and is a man made thing.

I forgot to say that the shop said this camera is the best in the market , my ass!

BTW: one of those 'ching chong' local CC companies ( I use Stand Chart) is able to help out in getting CC payments stopped, but in my case I had to return the item first to the seller (in the US), and told them that the seller can still claim the didn't receive the item, and I will be out of the refund as well as the item!

HS

 

[Dream Merchant]

I think hongsien did say that they were tricked. Hongsien, if u are going down, do point out to them that misrepresentation or purchasing the product because of the image the other party portrayed that is not is against the law. Think these ah bengs need to be taught a lesson.

Thread softly, carry a big stick. :bsmilie: Go down with 10 or 15 CSers with DSLRs and humongous teles, take a few hundred frames of the merchants (from a public vantage point) and stand behind you and your tourist friend. I can't even begin to imagine what sort of impact that would have on theose bengs when they know that they are deraling with HS - aka, learned local friend, and a whole barrage of photographers who obviously know about equipment. It's not confrontational or to terrorise, but to create a psychological advantage. :bsmilie: