Beware of this shop....at harbour front

[sqapg5]

Just to share an unpleasant experience....


Went to this shop in Harbour Front Centre... And got totally ripped off... for a hoya filter.

No doubt the guy was very very helpful and kind in explanation. But i paid 140SGD for a 77mm circular polarizing filter... only to fi:thumbsd:nd out i was totally ripped off after i compared prices. Yes i should always be checking the price and i blame it on my own foolishness...

I went back and talked to the salesman and he told me that his is a higher quality ones and most shops out there are selling lower end... I decided to call up Hoya to ensure what he said was true. To only find out that mine is really the standard filter. Not the Pro 1 Digital etc... With a price which most shops are selling at 89 being most expensive... I could not really argue more as much as the difference in pricing would not cost me my life... I feel that it is a sad thing and i am really disappointed.

Singapore is a open trade market as mentioned by CASE and they could not control pricing... Nevertheless they can still help but there is no guarantee to the outcome of a total refund/ partial refund or no refund... As such, i am now starting to feel sorry for tourists who alights from international cruises, popping by the shop and paying so much more a premium for their goods. if 75 being the cheapest i can find in the market... 140 what i am paying could mean any person could be getting two filters instead of 1...

I hope that my experience could enlighten more consumers when buying of certain goods to really have an idea of what the market pricing is.. That was an oversight and my mistake...

 

[Kit]

Just to share an unpleasant experience....


Went to this shop in Harbour Front Centre... And got totally ripped off... for a hoya filter.

No doubt the guy was very very helpful and kind in explanation. But i paid 140SGD for a 77mm circular polarizing filter... only to fi:thumbsd:nd out i was totally ripped off after i compared prices. Yes i should always be checking the price and i blame it on my own foolishness...

I went back and talked to the salesman and he told me that his is a higher quality ones and most shops out there are selling lower end... I decided to call up Hoya to ensure what he said was true. To only find out that mine is really the standard filter. Not the Pro 1 Digital etc... With a price which most shops are selling at 89 being most expensive... I could not really argue more as much as the difference in pricing would not cost me my life... I feel that it is a sad thing and i am really disappointed.

Singapore is a open trade market as mentioned by CASE and they could not control pricing... Nevertheless they can still help but there is no guarantee to the outcome of a total refund/ partial refund or no refund... As such, i am now starting to feel sorry for tourists who alights from international cruises, popping by the shop and paying so much more a premium for their goods. if 75 being the cheapest i can find in the market... 140 what i am paying could mean any person could be getting two filters instead of 1...

I hope that my experience could enlighten more consumers when buying of certain goods to really have an idea of what the market pricing is.. That was an oversight and my mistake...

That sumed up everything nicely. Get over it and move on.....

 

[zhipeng]

yeah. second that. treat as a lesson learn. for me, if im getting something i will go to all the good reputation shop (TCW,CP,AP, etc) and do a check on the price. And maybe the salesman good in talking and that's why u buy it without doubt.

 

[knpan]

there will be this kind of threads every now and then, u people can post to warn others after doing the mistake but not to research before buying. :dunno:

 

[raydio]

I got cheated in Hong Kong so I know how it feels to pay more for an item than it's worth.

These kinds of threads are good as they serve some useful purposes.

First, we must carry out research prior to making a purchase. This protects us, the consumer, and it also helps us to make an informed purchase.

Secondly, it's good to point out the dishonest merchants so that others may be aware. These merchants need to be avoided. When I was cheated in Hong Kong, I was told that the merchant wasn't breaking any laws. True. But morally he was wrong.

Thirdly, as a community of photographers in Singapore, we need to support the honest, hard working and reputable merchants. We need to identify these shops as loudly and as forcefully as those who have been "outed" as disreputable.

The end goal is to put the crooks out of business and support those who support us.

 

[godzilla60]

Just to share an unpleasant experience....


Went to this shop in Harbour Front Centre... And got totally ripped off... for a hoya filter.

No doubt the guy was very very helpful and kind in explanation. But i paid 140SGD for a 77mm circular polarizing filter... only to fi:thumbsd:nd out i was totally ripped off after i compared prices. Yes i should always be checking the price and i blame it on my own foolishness...

I went back and talked to the salesman and he told me that his is a higher quality ones and most shops out there are selling lower end... I decided to call up Hoya to ensure what he said was true. To only find out that mine is really the standard filter. Not the Pro 1 Digital etc... With a price which most shops are selling at 89 being most expensive... I could not really argue more as much as the difference in pricing would not cost me my life... I feel that it is a sad thing and i am really disappointed.

Singapore is a open trade market as mentioned by CASE and they could not control pricing... Nevertheless they can still help but there is no guarantee to the outcome of a total refund/ partial refund or no refund... As such, i am now starting to feel sorry for tourists who alights from international cruises, popping by the shop and paying so much more a premium for their goods. if 75 being the cheapest i can find in the market... 140 what i am paying could mean any person could be getting two filters instead of 1...

I hope that my experience could enlighten more consumers when buying of certain goods to really have an idea of what the market pricing is.. That was an oversight and my mistake...

nothing beats a well-prepared person who has done his research. but this small price u paid should prevent you from a bigger loss in future. imagine being overcharged by the same multiplier when you buying a professional camera - say D3 or 1d or etc....:sweat:

to make you feel much at peace, maybe take that extra payment as tip or a service charge for the sales person entertaining you? :dunno:

 

[godzilla60]

I got cheated in Hong Kong so I know how it feels to pay more for an item than it's worth.

These kinds of threads are good as they serve some useful purposes.

First, we must carry out research prior to making a purchase. This protects us, the consumer, and it also helps us to make an informed purchase.

Secondly, it's good to point out the dishonest merchants so that others may be aware. These merchants need to be avoided. When I was cheated in Hong Kong, I was told that the merchant wasn't breaking any laws. True. But morally he was wrong.

Thirdly, as a community of photographers in Singapore, we need to support the honest, hard working and reputable merchants. We need to identify these shops as loudly and as forcefully as those who have been "outed" as disreputable.

The end goal is to put the crooks out of business and support those who support us.

I am not sure that is a proper term to use... just by pricing something higher than the street value or RRP doesn't make one a crook. u dun call chatterbox a crook for selling chicken rice at a higher price than a hawker center right?

a willing buyer and willing seller is all it takes for such transaction to take place. in other words, an uninformed buyer and an opportunistic seller is required for that kind of transaction. In fact, unless the seller made some misrepresentations, he is hardly breaking any laws :dunno: so the best way is to educate all buyers like so many bros and sis have done here to do research before buying. that will reduce the opportunities for such transactions.

 

[zhipeng]

I got cheated in Hong Kong so I know how it feels to pay more for an item than it's worth.

These kinds of threads are good as they serve some useful purposes.

First, we must carry out research prior to making a purchase. This protects us, the consumer, and it also helps us to make an informed purchase.

Secondly, it's good to point out the dishonest merchants so that others may be aware. These merchants need to be avoided. When I was cheated in Hong Kong, I was told that the merchant wasn't breaking any laws. True. But morally he was wrong.

Thirdly, as a community of photographers in Singapore, we need to support the honest, hard working and reputable merchants. We need to identify these shops as loudly and as forcefully as those who have been "outed" as disreputable.

The end goal is to put the crooks out of business and support those who support us.

This is a fraudulent misrepresentation act.

The salesperson made a false statement of fact. you can void the contract. but its just small sum. SO just forget it and carry on shooting.

 

[lioneldude]

I can't remember the name of this shop but 1 year ago when i was just into DSLR i was looking for a 58mm uv filter i walked into that shop on the 1st floor. Thankfully they were out of stock, and hence i just decided to "look" around. By asking for a quote of my EF-S lens, i noted that this shop tend to sell items at a higher price, and hence decided leave the shop before they convince me to buy anything which i dont need.

Unfortunately there is no such price control policy. It is unavoidable that some poor tourist spends more than he should, but so long as the shop provide good service there will be no complains.

 

[zhipeng]

I can't remember the name of this shop but 1 year ago when i was just into DSLR i was looking for a 58mm uv filter i walked into that shop on the 1st floor. Thankfully they were out of stock, and hence i just decided to "look" around. By asking for a quote of my EF-S lens, i noted that this shop tend to sell items at a higher price, and hence decided leave the shop before they convince me to buy anything which i dont need.

Unfortunately there is no such price control policy. It is unavoidable that some poor tourist spends more than he should, but so long as the shop provide good service there will be no complains.

yes. tourist tend to get "chop". not even in singapore u will get chop anywhere.

salesperson has this 3 Cs in mind. Convince, Confuse and Con

 

[CS TAN]

I got cheated in Hong Kong so I know how it feels to pay more for an item than it's worth.

These kinds of threads are good as they serve some useful purposes.

First, we must carry out research prior to making a purchase. This protects us, the consumer, and it also helps us to make an informed purchase.

Secondly, it's good to point out the dishonest merchants so that others may be aware. These merchants need to be avoided. When I was cheated in Hong Kong, I was told that the merchant wasn't breaking any laws. True. But morally he was wrong.

Thirdly, as a community of photographers in Singapore, we need to support the honest, hard working and reputable merchants. We need to identify these shops as loudly and as forcefully as those who have been "outed" as disreputable.

The end goal is to put the crooks out of business and support those who support us.

Perhaps you can name this shop so we can try to avoid it.

 

[CS TAN]

nothing beats a well-prepared person who has done his research. but this small price u paid should prevent you from a bigger loss in future. imagine being overcharged by the same multiplier when you buying a professional camera - say D3 or 1d or etc....:sweat:

to make you feel much at peace, maybe take that extra payment as tip or a service charge for the sales person entertaining you? :dunno:

Most people will do their research when they are dealing with big ticket item such as D3 but not on a UV filter. That is why we heard so many cases with people getting cheated on filters and accessories...

 

[godzilla60]

This is a fraudulent misrepresentation act.

The salesperson made a false statement of fact. you can void the contract. but its just small sum. SO just forget it and carry on shooting.

it depends on what the vendor tried to misrepresent though....

 

[godzilla60]

Most people will do their research when they are dealing with big ticket item such as D3 but not on a UV filter. That is why we heard so many cases with people getting cheated on filters and accessories...

that is true. i only dun bother to do research on stuff i can live with the price differences. But of course, i always know the RRP of most items.

 

[catola1010]

Perhaps you can name this shop so we can try to avoid it.

Maybe TS on tight Budget...that's why go shop there...lolz;p

 

[commonjunks]

I think there is only one camera shop.
Once i went there and ask them about Nikon 300mm f4.5 and he quoted 4.5K and Sigma 150-500mm for 3K. I asked him if he is sure about the price and he asked if i have already done research. When i told him yes i did then he asked what is my asked price, after hearing my price he start cursing others shops and said other shop always give wrong price as they never have ready stock and make their customer wait for 2 months and spoil market price.

 

[raydio]

I am not sure that is a proper term to use... just by pricing something higher than the street value or RRP doesn't make one a crook. u dun call chatterbox a crook for selling chicken rice at a higher price than a hawker center right?

a willing buyer and willing seller is all it takes for such transaction to take place. in other words, an uninformed buyer and an opportunistic seller is required for that kind of transaction. In fact, unless the seller made some misrepresentations, he is hardly breaking any laws :dunno: so the best way is to educate all buyers like so many bros and sis have done here to do research before buying. that will reduce the opportunities for such transactions.

I guess it is a matter of opinion. A person that misrepresents the truth involving a financial transaction is, in my opinion, both a liar and a crook. By your definition a con artist would not be a crook.

I think that you are optimistic by saying that no misrepresentation was made. In fact, when a crook inflates the price of an item to an unsuspecting customer, not only is he misrepresenting the true value of the object in question, but he is also taking advantage of the uninformed buyer. Many senior citizens are duped of the little money they have by these crooks. Whether it is a "small" misrepresentation or a "big" misrepresentation, it is still misrepresentation and morally that's wrong.

I agree with your last statement.... by doing careful research one can steer clear of these crooks and reduce this kind of criminal actively (criminal not in the sense of legalities but of morality - which is a totally different concept).

 

[godzilla60]

I guess it is a matter of opinion. A person that misrepresents the truth involving a financial transaction is, in my opinion, both a liar and a crook. By your definition a con artist would not be a crook.

I think that you are optimistic by saying that no misrepresentation was made. In fact, when a crook inflates the price of an item to an unsuspecting customer, not only is he misrepresenting the true value of the object in question, but he is also taking advantage of the uninformed buyer. Many senior citizens are duped of the little money they have by these crooks. Whether it is a "small" misrepresentation or a "big" misrepresentation, it is still misrepresentation and morally that's wrong.

I agree with your last statement.... by doing careful research one can steer clear of these crooks and reduce this kind of criminal actively (criminal not in the sense of legalities but of morality - which is a totally different concept).

haha... actually it depends on what he claims. If claims are made that the product is of a certain price based elsewhere, he is probably misrepresenting. However, if no claims are made but only quoting of his prices, then there is probably no case of misrepresentation. However, the shop stands to be blacklisted and/or taken to task if the shop has a contractual obligation on pricing.

i am picking bones here...but if it is not illegal, you cannot actually call it criminal. However, an appropriate word will be unethical.

Is it just me or am i sounding like someone? Heck! Arguing on the technicalities or legalities is not the way to go here. the way to go here is to spread the word: "Research your prices and avoid the unethical shops at all cost!" :sweatsm:

 

[donut88]

This is a fraudulent misrepresentation act.

The salesperson made a false statement of fact. you can void the contract. but its just small sum. SO just forget it and carry on shooting.

By selling a higher price is NOT a fraudulent misrepresentation act.

fraudulent misrepresentation act is trying to sell a fake imitation stuff as a genuine stuff, or stating higher specs when the stuff has lower specs, etc....

decided to sell at a higher selling price does not mean fraudulent misrepresentation act.

buyers must be fully aware of market prices before buying.

every business sells the same stuff at different prices. even cars are sold at different prices by different agents.

the shop selling at higher price can claim tat his shop overheads are higher then other shops, so he has to sell at higher price to cover costs. its a legitimate business reason. Its up to customers whether they wan to buy at tat price or not.

 

[raydio]

haha... actually it depends on what he claims. If claims are made that the product is of a certain price based elsewhere, he is probably misrepresenting. However, if no claims are made but only quoting of his prices, then there is probably no case of misrepresentation. However, the shop stands to be blacklisted and/or taken to task if the shop has a contractual obligation on pricing.

i am picking bones here...but if it is not illegal, you cannot actually call it criminal. However, an appropriate word will be unethical.

Is it just me or am i sounding like someone? Heck! Arguing on the technicalities or legalities is not the way to go here. the way to go here is to spread the word: "Research your prices and avoid the unethical shops at all cost!" :sweatsm:

Are you a lawyer godzilla? maybe a politician... just kidding... don't take that seriously.

Yes, I think you've hit the nail on the head. The appropriate word here is: unethical. I would even go further and say, morally unethical.