How To Lodge A Complaint If You Get Cheated Or Have A Bad Experience In Singapore?
By and large most of the shop owners in Singapore are honest people, however over the years there have been several reports of dishonest shops that cheated on tourists notably in Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza (NEW: People Park Complex). Also, beware of touts and overcharging in Newton Food Centre. STB do publish a blacklist (updated: 15JAn14, the link is DEAD, try this!) monthly on its website, www.visitsingapore.com, but be warned that the list is not effective and often empty as mentioned in this forum. Information on errant retailers can also be obtained at the Singapore Visitors Centres and through the tollfree Hotline at 1800-736 2000. The best advices we can give are:
- compare the prices from a few shops;
- beware of the hard sell and the pressure tactics and
- if the price is too low compared to other shops, alarm bell should ring
If you take a taxi in Singapore, remember to ask for a receipt as it contains the taxi number, taxi company’s name, date/time and the info hotline. This will prove especially handy if you have left your personal belongings behind or unhappy with the service rendered by the taxi driver. Make it a habit to ask for a taxi receipt. To lodge a complaint, you need to furnish details such as the licence plate number, date, time and a brief account of the incident. Read here on the various surcharges on the Taxi before you think that you are being ripped off.
To report a complaint against the service of a taxi driver or provide feedback, you may contact the customer service hotlines of the respective companies.
| Taxi Company | Customer Service Hotline |
| CityCab Pte Ltd | 6552 1111 |
| Yellow Top Taxi | 6293 5545 |
| Trans-Cab Services Pte Ltd | 6555 3333 |
| SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd | 6555 8888 |
| Prime Car Rental & Taxi Services Pte Ltd | 6898 2000 |
| Smart Automobile Pte Ltd | 6485 7777 |
| Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd | 6552 1111 |
| Premier Taxis Pte Ltd | 6363 6888 |
Alternatively you may wish to contact the Land Transport Authority (LTA) at 1800-CALL-LTA (1800-2255-582). Depending on the nature of the complaint or feedback, LTA will follow up with an investigation or refer it to the taxi company.
For disputes related to financial products, you may lodge a written complaint to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) through www.fidrec.com.sg or can reach their hotlinr at 63278878 or info@fidrec.vom.sg.
To contact the police hotline in Singapore, dial 999. Toll free if dial from the public telephones.
Online purchase/scam – What to do?
A few readers have written to ask me what are their recourse for bad services/scam for online purchases, Askmelah thought it will be good to include here so that I do not have to reply for similar enquiries. When someone gets cheated online here in Singapore, they mostly report it to the Police (spf_customer_relations_branch@spf.gov.sg) and when there are a few people also get scammed by the same merchant, police will then take actions. Understandably, it may be tough for the Police to take action just for one isolated case. The other alternative is people may seek help with CASE (http://www.case.org.sg/contact.html) though Askmelah can not recall if they have done any significant intervention for blog scam cases yet.
Best advice Askmelah can give is: make payment with Paypal or Credit Card, at least in these SCAM cases, Paypal can invoke the Buyer Protection scheme to refund you. Askmelah also have good experience with Citibank, who managed to return money for unauthorised deduction from rouge merchants based in USA.
Lodge a case with the police
You can lodge a police a case with police for cases with criminal content. However, visiting the police station is never a pleasant experience. Typically waiting and police constable taking your statement typically takes 2-3 hours. The best way to lodge a case is a little-known online portal: http://www.spf.gov.sg/epc/. Trust me it will save you lots of time and detail interrogation by the earnest police constables.
Stolen and Lost Property Index (SPEX) – Singapore Police Force – contains records of selected property with serial numbers (e.g. mobile phones, laptop etc) which have been reported to the Police as stolen or lost. Useful for checking whether second-hand/used goods are stolen or not.
Consumer feedback website
The followings are locally based websites that champion consumer rights:
- www.redress.me – complaints and compliments about products or service
- http://alldealsleak.com/ – point consumers to credible online discount site
- http://terribleservices.blogspot.sg – air your grievance on bad services and products
- http://scams-singapore.blogspot.sg – Up-to-date scam alerts in Singapore
- http://www.consumercomplaints.sg/ – A new consumer feedback forum just launch in 2014
[Updated Jul 2016] ‘Refund guru’ helps clients get money back by shaming errant businesses on the Internet. It charges 10 per cent of the amount the customers want to claim, much cheaper than engaging a lawyer. More.
Related Links:
- CASE and STB to jointly handle tourist complaints – Todayonline.com
- ‘Lemon law’ to be introduced to protect consumers
- Is S’pore serious about its tourist image? – The Straits Times
- Price Hacking, Singapore – VitualTourist.com
- Don’t believe what Sim Lim shopkeeper said – Singaporebikes.com
- Singapore: Electronics – beware the Tourist Traps – www.tripadvisor.com
- Tourist cheated thrice in one day at Sim Lim – AsiaOne.com
- Still buyer beware at 2 local spots – The Sunday Times
- Cellphone shopping turns ugly at Lucky Plaza – The Straits Times
- Expat alleges overcharging by Boat Quay seafood restaurant after S$1,000 lunch – Todayonline
- List of errant private schools available online – Todayonline
- Sim Lim to set up complaint kiosk
- CASE consumer alert
- Gumtree Scan Alert!
- ‘Refund guru’ seeks redress for buyers
Last updated on Jul 2016
I have been patronizing KKDoggieHaven, aka KK Doggie Haven from Alfred Tan 90223012 since he just started and was delivering on his own with his partner.
Over time, the delivery time got unreasonably longer, items are always almost expiring and those repacking are lesser than the supposed weight. Sometimes there might be cheaper item that are not delivered which I would be too lazy to ask.
However this time round, items missing. Gave Alfred a kind reminder once a week over whatsapp, since he publicly provided his mobile number for contact. Seller kept saying he will check with courier but never ever came back with update.
And when he finally did, after a month of kind reminders, all I got was snide remarks and fraudulent claim that he has already sent out when he doesn’t even know what is missing for the order despite my numerous reminders and requests.
Requested for courier details, but he was not able to provide.
So thanks for the years of pet food. But I think enough is enough.
Consumers pay to get our items delivered; and not have to constantly beg and put up with rude remarks from seller, with the hope that the seller have a bit of integrity to mail the items we paid. If not, please stop your delay tactic and refund me that is never yours, since you did not even deliver the items.
Reminder to always check the total weight of the items that require re-packing. Such as kibbles. Tendency of total weight will be lesser. For example, if the package states 10kg (sometimes in lbs, please convert accordingly), you should be getting at least 10kg. not 9.2kg, 9.3.kg, 9.55kg.
Always write on official platform to the seller, the moment you did not receive the item, even if the item is not that expensive. Never contact the seller directly, as seller will use delay tactic and ignorance so that the order period exceed the period to contest. Upon kind reminders to the seller, seller will rage and act like a gangster. So stay calm and just contact the platform service provider for assistance.
Do an overall check upon delivery, as some of the item appeared moist in the food, which resulted to spoilage of item.
Lastly, always check the expiry and place of manufacture. Do not believe what the seller claim.
Kind advice from a long time buyer of this seller, and no longer wish to condone bad behaviours and scam tactic of this seller anymore. Please stand strong and firm against bad sellers and do not be scare off by their gangster tactic
I had an issue with a qoo10 seller which I’d placed an order 4 days ago. Despite sending e-mails followed up by repeated calls over 3 days with qoo10 to address my issue, the customer service team never fail to make me sound like an unreasonable customer. I’d tried to explain how the seller being dishonest with it’s sales practices, all I was told they were not able to step in and later promised to get back to me after my last call (all these times nobody bothered to return my calls spanning a period of 3 days).
My encounters these days from customer service teams (including ANZ Bank and Shilla group) were always interrupted abruptly when I was still talking. At all times, they sounded impatient and unhelpful. It felt like they were out to drain your patience in order to shut you up and close the issue without a solution.
How do companies train the customer service team?
Askmelah personally has a different experience from you. The Qoo10 customer service has been helpful to me so far for the few claims involving faulty and counterfeit goods and promptly refunded me. The email address to contact is help@qoo10.sg.
Lastly, I have lived long enough to see the huge difference that competitions and high salaries have brought about in the improved services as compared to the 80s and 90s, my experience recently with Singtel, DBS, KTPH, SGH etc have been very positive. If anything, the private sector has not been able to keep up with the high standard set by the Government agencies and big boys.
I have done a business with a Singapore Company through an Indian Citizen who claimed to be the authorized person and as per him all business contracting and execution of 4 steam coal shipment business done with Bangladesh Buyers through my Business Associate.We have sent our agreement for the business consultancy payment.The same was rereceived and only a part payment was made,but there after the company didnt listen any more and we have done entire job as needed for the business till that company get 100% payment.After getting Payment they started ignoring.So now we have only all email history/record where anyone can study and derive our contribution and the authencity.As such we do not have any valid agreement/contract with us signed by them.
So at this situation can we get shelter from any organization from Singapore for getting justice by rightfully going through our documents..
I request to guide us and to provide the detail contact where we should report for the same….
Thanks & Regards
Ashis Mishra
My family and I went to Singapore last year for vacation. It was our first time to be there. It was a bad experience for me because we got cursed by this young man in the MRT. My mother and I were trying to get out of the MRT, and accidentally pushed him, and he said ‘Calm down b*tch’. I know I was not suppose to care about that but it bothered me so much. There were many tourist and he cursed there. Bad impression for our family. I know this comment doesn’t make sense but it does hurt my feelings though. Sorry.
FORUM SEAFOOD – RESTAURANT IN SINGAPORE, Mar.31.2014
We got cheated in this real rip off place at the first evening in Singapore. Just one fish-plate (1Kg Fish for 328.- SGD)
They not show to you the real weights of the ordered Food, they use Food prices 3 times higher than the real market or the other restaurants at both sides of them .On the end they bring up peanuts and wet towels without order and make you extra charged for that.
BEWARE OF LICENSE MONEY LENDER IN PEARL CENTRE( FAST MONEY)
they are worse than loan shark . they know how to play with the laws n forced you to borrow from them n ask their ugly salesgirls to talk like a sXXXX n coaxed u to borrow money. i borrowed $200 but they charged me interests of 50% rate. in the contract they submitted to iopt was totally different. when u cant pay the lady in office will called n asked u to rob to pay them.. late awhile they asked u to pay double.. loanshark also not so jialat.. bewared of them.. the most SUXXX money lender i had witness. >>>
I am very sad with the LTA red man. I am a wheelchair user and i too like many able body needed to use public transport ~ bus and MRT. I always encounter to very bad experience in the MRT ride.The recent one is on 23.03.2014 and 01.04.2014 morning.I took my ride at Sembawang MRT station.Like what i do, I seek for the red man to see me get up the train.I have to do this is because the train and the platform level are not even and i had a fall at Woodlands Station in 2011, Dec.
First ride : Sembawang / Khatib ~ when i approach to the red man for assistant, he told me to get a able body family member to follow when i need to take train the next time.
2nd ride : Sembawang / Tao Payoh ~ when i request the red man to help me to get a red man to wait for me at the Tao Payoh station to see me alight from the train as this is my first time visiting Tao Payoh and i am not so familiar of the environment.He too said that i should need a able body person to follow for they got no man power to help and they are busy with others.
I plead the LTA / SMRT management to do something for the handicaps and elderly person.Please educate and well train your men so that we can have a happy and safety ride with MRT.The red man is the front line that we can rely on their help,can they be more kind and helpful and approachable ??? Please don’t use not friendly language to the needy person to hurt our feels. We wont ask for help if we can manage on our situation.We are not a trouble maker for them but we needed their help.
I had write a feedback to LTA forum but no reply from them.
Will you reply me this time to acknowledge that you have received my feedback ???
I bought a babyliss nano titanium mira curl product from a push cart at raffles place. Found it faulty and was told to change at Northpoint. Imagine my anger when the replacement was even more spolit! When I called the owner, Lynn, she promised to deliver another replacement in 4 days. Nothing deliverered to my house. When I called her she said wait another 2 days. Again nothing delivered. Called again, and she said that product will definitely be delivered on Saturday. Again nothing delivered!! I had to go back to Northpoint to change myself. Totally screwed up and unprofessional.
We were sold a Singtel hi! Prepaid Sim card for $25 instead of the $15 actual price tag on card. The street phone card vendor outside Robinsons at Orchard Road used $25 sticky labels to mask over the actual price. We only rralised this when we got back to hotel. Please make others aware of this happeningd.
Sent to me by a GUNASEKARA:
On 14/1/2014 I went to buy Samsung Galaxy mobile phone form ‘Tele Infinity LLP’ at 1 Park Road, #01-4/K94 A, Peoples park Complex, Singapore.
I wanted to buy Samsung Galaxy s2 mobile phone on outright. When I asked they said the price is 258 Sin $.Then they showed my the phone and removed the cover as well.However they we asked me to sign some agreement form which I signed by me due to misunderstanding/oversight. I gave my Visa Debit card for the payments. There after they told me that I have to pay another 29.80 $ for package. Since I did not have money in my Visa card my uncle gave his Amex card for the balance amount. When I saw the sale receipt generated form POS machines I saw 1259 sin $ debited. My uncles was refused to sign the sale receipt requested to cancel same immediately. But they said to cancel I have to 630$.We were not in position to return the phone since by the time it was opened and also they have already debited 1259$ from uncle’s account. They told us there is no other way unless we pay $ 630 for cancellation fee. We were rather worried and wonder about tyhis transaction and such a big amount requested for cancellation. Since we have no any other option and this is my first visit to sigapaor as tourist and also they took all my details PP copy I was compelled to pay 630$ and took the phone. Accordingly the total cost of the phone come around 888 $ and for same they have issued official receipt. According to my knowledge the prevailing price of such phone in the market far below this price(Less than 300 $).
I think they have cheated me totally for this transaction .
So please let me have your guidance/advise in this regard as soon possible