Mall wants the authorities to step up action against recalcitrant retailers
By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014
By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014
IN A bid to save its reputation, Sim Lim Square, a go-to place for electronic gadgets also known for the dubious sales tactics of some of its shops, has issued an unusual "appeal for urgent help".
In particular, its management has appealed to the authorities to "take a tough stand against the recalcitrant retailers", saying it has been "disappointed with the apparent lack of measures which the authorities are able to take against these incorrigible retailers".
The appeal issued yesterday comes after the mall at Rochor Canal was criticised in recent weeks after a spate of media reports about cheating and overcharging involving shops there.
This included a case involving a retailer which tried to give a customer more than $1,000 in coins after it was ordered by the Small Claims Tribunal to give a refund.
In a statement yesterday, the retail complex's management said errant shops have not been deterred despite "countless police reports" as well as complaints to others like the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
"Law enforcement officers can be sighted in Sim Lim Square almost every day. However, the errant retailers are completely undeterred as the authorities appear to lack 'teeth' to take them to task," it added.
In a statement yesterday, the retail complex's management said errant shops have not been deterred despite "countless police reports" as well as complaints to others like the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
"Law enforcement officers can be sighted in Sim Lim Square almost every day. However, the errant retailers are completely undeterred as the authorities appear to lack 'teeth' to take them to task," it added.
It said it had tried its "utmost" to save its name. For example, it recognises good retailers and has worked with CASE to put up posters to warn people of errant ones.
The moves have paid off somewhat: The number of complaints has gone down, with CASE receiving fewer complaints involving Sim Lim Square.
The moves have paid off somewhat: The number of complaints has gone down, with CASE receiving fewer complaints involving Sim Lim Square.
The number fell from 104 complaints in 2012 to 83 last year. There were 78 cases from January to October this year, mainly about misrepresentation, defective goods and sales tactics.
But Sim Lim said the problem remained common. "Business is still as usual for the 'black sheep' in Sim Lim Square and the use of scams and other dishonest practices are still common," it said.
"Instances of unethical business practices, such as cheating, over-charging and taunting customers are almost a daily sight, affecting the shoppers, especially tourists," it added.
When contacted, a spokesman for Sim Lim told The Straits Times that complaints are mainly against six to seven mobile shops in the mall - about 2 per cent of its 480 shops. Most other stores run an "honest business".
But there is nothing much that the management can do, he said. "As Sim Lim Square is a strata title building, we are not the landlord; we are only the managing agent, so we are not able to kick the tenants out."
Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of CASE, agreed that the "questionable practices" of a few retailers have tarnished the mall's reputation. He also supported the mall's call for the authorities to take action.
"We stand by the management and will support their appeal for the authorities to look into this issue," he said.
In July, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) filed an injunction application in court against electronics wholesale company Cyber Maestro in Sim Lim Square, after many complaints against it for things like over-charging.
While the store can continue operations, should the company continue to engage in unfair practices, the STB can report it for "contempt of court".
In a media advisory yesterday, the STB said it takes a "serious view of errant retailers who besmirch the reputation of Singapore as a premier tourist destination". It said it encourages consumers to report them.
Mr Michael Tan, director of Convergent Systems which distributes products to shops in Sim Lim Square, said: "The problem comes from an isolated segment in the mall. Its IT sector has a very good reputation. People from all over the world come here to buy stuff. Computer enthusiasts treat Sim Lim Square like a pilgrimage, a mecca."
Vietnamese tourist kneels and begs for refund of iPhone 6 at Sim Lim Square
By Chew Hui Min, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014
By Chew Hui Min, The Straits Times, 4 Nov 2014
A Vietnamese tourist walked away from Sim Lim Square poorer by about three months' salary, and without the iPhone 6 he had hoped to get for his girlfriend.
The incident is the latest dispute involving a mobile phone shop that made headlines earlier after it reportedly refunded a customer in coins.
Mr Pham Van Thoai, a factory worker, was so desperate he knelt down to beg the shop employees to return his hard-earned cash, but only got refunded less than half of what he paid.
On holiday here with his girlfriend, Mr Pham wanted to get her the latest iPhone as a birthday gift.
He forked out $950 for the smartphone at Mobile Air, and was going to leave when he was asked to pay an additional $1,500 as warranty fees.
Mr Pham, 30, broke down as he spoke to a reporter from local Chinese daily, Lianhe Zaobao, on Monday.
"I'm only a factory worker, earning about $200 a month, $950 is a few months' pay. It's a large sum for me, I'm really very sad," he said.
He had been asked to sign an agreement, but did not scrutinise it as his English was not fluent, and he thought Singapore was a safe place to shop.
"When they asked me if I wanted one year or two years' warranty, I assumed that the one-year warranty was complimentary, so I said one year. He didn't say I have to pay," he told Zaobao.
He was told that if he did not pay up for the warranty, he could not leave without the phone.
They finally agreed to return $600 to him, but his girlfriend refused to leave without the rest of the money and called the police.
When police arrived, staff at Mobile Air said Mr Pham had signed an agreement with them, and offered to refund him just $70.
After intervention from the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), he got a refund of $400, but was still short of $550.
"I am going home in two days, and I don't want any trouble, so I decided to accept the partial refund." Mr Pham said, adding that he was not sure CASE would be able to get him a full refund.
CASE says Mobile Air has 14 consumer complaints lodged against it from July to September, one of the highest among retailers here.
It made headlines last week for paying back $1,010 in coins to a woman who had won a claim against them in the Small Claims Tribunal.
Mall gets 2 to 3 complaints daily
Trouble seems to come from just 6 or 7 shops out of 480: Management
By Cheryl Faith Wee And Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 5 Nov 2014
Trouble seems to come from just 6 or 7 shops out of 480: Management
By Cheryl Faith Wee And Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 5 Nov 2014
HELPING customers and shopkeepers settle disputes is a daily job for the management of electronics mall Sim Lim Square.
Two to three complaints are made every day about problems such as overcharging. Sometimes customers call the police for help.
Discussions can last up to an hour and they can sometimes get tense and heated, with either side turning defensive, said a spokesman for the management of Sim Lim Square.
He said: "Sometimes the customer or shopkeeper gets angry, and we will try our best to talk to them." He added that the job of the management was to maintain the facilities and undertake advertising and promotions.
"It is not really the scope of the management to deal with such conflicts, which is why we have appealed to the authorities for help," he said.
On Monday, the beleaguered management issued an appeal for help, saying that despite its efforts, the problem of errant tenants has not been solved. It urged the authorities to intervene and take a tough stand against them.
Sim Lim Square is owned by multiple landlords, who have control over their respective tenants and shop rentals.
Foot traffic in the mall has fallen by about 50 per cent in the last two years, due partly to its tarnished reputation - broadcast in media reports and online forums - as well as competition from online stores, said the management.
However, the trouble seems to come from just six or seven shops out of 480 in the mall, it noted.
These shops are usually the focus of complaints about overcharging or cheating, and engaging in bad practices such as changing their names on signboards so that customers do not realise the shops have been blacklisted.
Last week, mobile phone store Mobile Air worsened the mall's negative image when it tried to give a customer a refund of more than $1,000, on the order of the Small Claims Tribunal,in coins.
To warn customers, the management began putting up posters last year, blacklisting tenants with the most complaints about them.
Some were torn down. Now, the lists can be found in plastic boxes at the lifts and carpark, among other places.
Both the Singapore Tourism Board and Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) are closely monitoring complaints, said Ms Choo Huei Miin, STB's director for visitor information and experience. She said: "Should there be evidence of unfair practices, appropriate actions that STB can take under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act will be adopted to curb these practices."
CASE executive director Seah Seng Choon said the organisation asked Mobile Air yesterday to sign a Voluntary Compliance Agreement to stop its unfair practices.
If it refuses, CASE can file a court order against it. Once this is granted, the retailer could face a fine and/or jail term if it disobeys the court order.
Several shopkeepers said they hope the authorities would be able to help rein in the recalcitrant shops in the mall. Mr Tom Tan, a manager at camera store Alan Photo, which has been in the mall for nearly three decades, said: "The mall management is already trying its best. We do not get involved; we just do our own business with integrity."
18 complaints against Sim Lim Square's Mobile Air this year: CASE
By Loke Kok Fai, Channel NewsAsia, 4 Nov 2014
By Loke Kok Fai, Channel NewsAsia, 4 Nov 2014
Mobile Air has been in the news for trying to force a Vietnamese tourist who bought an iPhone 6 to fork out an additional sum for a warranty package. The store had also been ordered by the Small Claims Tribunal to refund S$1,010 to a customer, which it then tried to do by giving her 18kg worth of coins.
CASE Executive Director Seah Seng Choon, told Channel NewsAsia about the latest action taken against the store during an interview on Singapore Tonight. He revealed that CASE had received 18 complaints about Mobile Air from Jan to Oct this year, although the store had attracted no complaints in 2012, and only two complaints last year. “If they sign the VCA, they have to stop the unfair practices,” said Mr Seah. “Otherwise we can proceed with an injunction.”
If retailers continue with unfair practices after an injunction is granted against them, they can be charged with contempt of court, and be jailed or fined. On Monday, the High Court granted a permanent injunction against Cyber Maestro, also a Sim Lim Square retailer, after numerous complaints were filed regarding issues like misleading consumers about prices.
Shopkeepers at Sim Lim Square say little can be done about the unethical business practices of a small number of retailers at the mall, and are concerned that they might suffer retribution from the errant retailers if they voice their concerns publicly.
One tenant, who declined to be named, said: "On Levels One to Three, all those dealing with mobiles phones and cameras, they have very bad reputations. Every now and then you can see police cars coming every week, visiting the shop because most of the time it's the shopkeepers having conflicts with the customers.”
But he said he was resigned to the situation. “Even if I were to say something, I would not know what is the response I am going to get, whether the black sheep will take revenge on me. There is nothing much I can do. At the end of the day, the landlord will just say: 'Who's going to pay my rent? Are you going to rent my shop?’”
Lawyer Steven Lam agreed that the management has little power to take the problem retailers to task. "To change the by-laws of the Management Corporation Strata Title, you need the owners to agree. That is a big issue, because if I am a landlord and I am getting a good rental return on my unit, I really will not care what my tenant is doing provided they are not breaching the terms of the tenancy agreement or breaking any law. The interests of the customers may be of no relevance to that."
The shopowners of Sim Lim Square have collaborated with CASE to put out an alert list on errant retailers, said Mr Seah. “There were over 100 cases some years back, this has been reduced to about 80 this year up to Oct. The number has gone down, but obviously it is not sufficient and we need to look at other measures.”
Still, he believes the current regulations - namely the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, and how consumers can seek redress at the Small Claims Tribunal – are sufficient. Consumers also need to play their part, and do their due diligence,” he said.
The Singapore Tourism Board on Tuesday said it takes a serious view of retailers who besmirch the name of Singapore as a premier tourist destination. It said it was "aware of the situation at Sim Lim Square", and said it will take appropriate actions if there is evidence of unfair practices.
High Court grants permanent injunction against electronics wholesaler Cyber Maestro in Sim Lim Square
The Straits Times, 3 Nov 2014
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced on Monday that a permanent injunction has been granted by the High Court of Singapore against an electronics wholesale company, Cyber Maestro Pte Ltd, in Sim Lim Square.
The injunction restrains the company and its employees and agents from engaging in several unfair practices within the meaning of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (Cap 52A) ("CPFTA").
The injunction restrains the company and its employees and agents from engaging in several unfair practices within the meaning of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (Cap 52A) ("CPFTA").
The injunction application was filed by STB in response to the numerous complaints against the company's trade practices.
The complaints against Cyber Maestro included overcharging, exerting undue pressure to enter into a transaction and misleading consumers about prices and availability of goods.
The company continued with these practices despite repeated warnings from the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), and requests from STB.
"STB takes a serious view of errant retailers who besmirch the reputation of Singapore as a premier tourist destination," it said in a statement, adding that it encourages consumers to report unfair practices.
Sim Lim Square retailers speak up against bad reputation -RazorTV
Related
The latest news on Sim Lim Square shows that almost the whole place has gone to the dogs
Sim Lim Square's bad reputation goes beyond Singapore
Watch how Mobile Air shopkeepers in Sim Lim made woman pick up refund of $1,010 in coins scattered on ground
Watch video: Vietnamese tourist kowtows and begs for refund at Sim Lim Square shop
Sim Lim mobile shop owner exposed online after incident of Vietnamese tourist tearfully begging for refund
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Sim Lim Square retailers speak up against bad reputation -RazorTV
Related
The latest news on Sim Lim Square shows that almost the whole place has gone to the dogs
Sim Lim Square's bad reputation goes beyond Singapore
Watch how Mobile Air shopkeepers in Sim Lim made woman pick up refund of $1,010 in coins scattered on ground
Watch video: Vietnamese tourist kowtows and begs for refund at Sim Lim Square shop
Sim Lim mobile shop owner exposed online after incident of Vietnamese tourist tearfully begging for refund
Another Sim Lim incident: Student reduced to tears after being charged $1,000 for warranty fees for iPhone 6
Sim Lim Square in the spotlight