Cheated! -- Worldwide Cameras Centre @ Peninsula Plaza

[wannapreneur]

Just wanted to post this as a caveat to others to prevent more from getting conned by this shop - Worldwide Cameras Centre.

Basically, I was trying to buy 4 boxes of Polariod film from the shop this afternoon. I managed to see the box of film I needed and so pointed it out to the shopkeeper to enquire about the pricing and he told me that it was $35 per box. I was fine with that pricing as its more or less the average I've seen around so I said I'll take 4 boxes. But he had no stock in the shop so he got his colleague to run back to their nearby stock room to pick it up.

During this time, since we were waiting, I paid up (foolishly) for the 4 boxes I wanted as I needed to go somewhere else after that.

Then, when the colleague came back, he passed me 2 boxes instead, claiming then he understood that I wanted 4 packs and not 4 boxes! (Polaroid 600 series film normally comes in 1 box of 2 packs/cartridges) and would not budge on giving me a refund.

No matter how I spoke to the staff (who were ever so friendly a moment ago), they just gave a cold shoulder and even ignored me to serve the other customers.

Later, I even called the manager of the shop (a certain Mr. Ling) saying that I wanted to either get a refund or lodge a complaint and all he did was to tell me mockingly to "go ahead and complain if I want to".

Luckily, the difference in amount wasn't too much but I'm definitely taking this as a lesson. Also, since I heard that this forum caters to a large number of photography fans, I thought it was appropriate to caution people a little.

Caveat Emptor!

========
Worldwide Cameras Centre
111 North Bridge Road, #01-38, Penisula Plaza,
Singapore 179098

(Along the main road facing Funan)

 

[ianpaice]

Never pay for anything thats not on your hand. I hate salesman who ask you to pay while they go collect the stock from some place. Only pay when you see the actual goods!

 

[sk.images]

Stand outside the shop and tell everyone that looks like they are thinking of going not too, just in case they get ripped off. See how long they let you do that before giving you a refund.

 

[saifulbahar]

Feel sorry for you bro... heard so many bad experience about the shop...

 

[Keltzar]

worldwide?
I've been pass that shop so many times.

There was one time this american (?) lady who came into a shop a few doors away where I was and she was fuming that she had been cheated by them...

if you know enuff to hang around in clubsnap, you also know well enuff which are the usual shops that people here patronise !

I've somehow always felt that ....Worldwide is , IMHO, unhappiness waiting to happen.

 

[Terence]

There have several past threads dealing with complaints against this very same store... it's had a very bad rep for quite a while now. I'm surprised it's still in business.

 

[vince123123]

They have no right to retain the money from you. If it was a real case of miscommunication, you have the right to withdraw your acceptance of the sale.

The next time any funny business happens in the shop, take out yoru mobile camera and then start the video recording function. Then start to talk with the manager and record his refusal to refund. After that, your courses of action become easier.

It also helps if you raise your voice to allow other customers to also hear what is going on.

Do you have a receipt stating that you paid S$35 for 4 boxes?

What I also recommend in such cases is to print out this thread and either email them or pass it to them and tell them that they have just made infamous news headlines in Singapore's largest photography forum.

Just wanted to post this as a caveat to others to prevent more from getting conned by this shop - Worldwide Cameras Centre.

Basically, I was trying to buy 4 boxes of Polariod film from the shop this afternoon. I managed to see the box of film I needed and so pointed it out to the shopkeeper to enquire about the pricing and he told me that it was $35 per box. I was fine with that pricing as its more or less the average I've seen around so I said I'll take 4 boxes. But he had no stock in the shop so he got his colleague to run back to their nearby stock room to pick it up.

During this time, since we were waiting, I paid up (foolishly) for the 4 boxes I wanted as I needed to go somewhere else after that.

Then, when the colleague came back, he passed me 2 boxes instead, claiming then he understood that I wanted 4 packs and not 4 boxes! (Polaroid 600 series film normally comes in 1 box of 2 packs/cartridges) and would not budge on giving me a refund.

No matter how I spoke to the staff (who were ever so friendly a moment ago), they just gave a cold shoulder and even ignored me to serve the other customers.

Later, I even called the manager of the shop (a certain Mr. Ling) saying that I wanted to either get a refund or lodge a complaint and all he did was to tell me mockingly to "go ahead and complain if I want to".

Luckily, the difference in amount wasn't too much but I'm definitely taking this as a lesson. Also, since I heard that this forum caters to a large number of photography fans, I thought it was appropriate to caution people a little.

Caveat Emptor!

========
Worldwide Cameras Centre
111 North Bridge Road, #01-38, Penisula Plaza,
Singapore 179098

(Along the main road facing Funan)

 

[vince123123]

I second this suggestion This is good and warrants a :thumbsup: Make sure you are outside the shop so that they can't exercise any jurisdiction over you.

Stand outside the shop and tell everyone that looks like they are thinking of going not too, just in case they get ripped off. See how long they let you do that before giving you a refund.

 

[stjhie]

yeha. i had once an experience in lucky when i handed 1000 bucks cash to him while he trying to collect my s40. in the mean time he tried to recommend me other camera. lucky my uncle was there and he refunded me the money when he does not have the s40.

 

[steve75]

Suggest Mod to make this tread a "sticky" so that more of CS member will not fell into their trap!! especially new member..or our overseas friend who visit CS forum...

wannapreneur, perhaps you would like to send this info to Stomp to warn others...

 

[wannapreneur]

Thanks for all the feedback and ideas, folks ...

Basically just wanted to bring the incident up not so much to complain about it then to highlight to prevent them from pulling off more stunts of this kind on others. Didn't expect so many angry replies -- seems like they must have been around for longer then justified.

Unfortunately, I believe most of their customers are tourists, like most people mentioned so no idea on how to make them more aware of it....

ianpaice >> yeah, ouch on the mistake of paying up first, definitely not going there again.

cyber_m0nkey >> Interesting advice to picket the shop don't think I have the time or energy to really want to do that ... :dunno:

vince123123 >> The invoice had quantity as "4" under that column, which they argued meant 4 packs and not 4 boxes.


I guess I'm lucky to only have made what was on hindsight a smaller loss, compared to many others here who may have gotten cheated on higher-value items. Didn't know that such unethical shops existed, so its pretty much lesson learnt for this one. ;(

 

[panzerpunk]

I have never trusted shops which looks dubious...

While I'm not putting down shops along Orchard Road and other honest traders, know this. Only patronize the shops you have patronized frequently. No matter how desperate you are, never part with your money for promise in words. Make them issue a receipt/invoice. With that, you can call the police, the press and complain to S2006 for poor service too.

Hmmmm.. Someone put 4 million frown poster outside their shop pls :bsmilie:

 

[ricohflex]

May I know what is the fair market price of a box (2 packs) of Polaroid?
Is it $35. Or is it $70.
You paid 4 x $35 = $140.
You got 4 packs meaning 2 boxes.

If the fair market price of 1 box is $70 then maybe they misquoted.

If the fair market price of 1 box is about $35 then maybe they took advantage of you.

Not sure who is right yet.

In this age of Internet, shops still feel immune. (statistics) There will be zillions of shoppers who never read your post in CS and who will buy from them. Thus the shop can continue to do this.

They also know that most of the time, people will just let it go after some grumbling. (psychology) Especially if the amount is below $500.
It is a matter of statistics and psychology.

 

[wannapreneur]

May I know what is the fair market price of a box (2 packs) of Polaroid?
Is it $35. Or is it $70.
You paid 4 x $35 = $140.
You got 4 packs meaning 2 boxes.

I've been looking around and actually found that the fair price (from at least 3 different photo developing shops, even at orchard!) for a twin pack of 2 should be $35.

The only reason I bought it there was because other nearby shops quoted me $40-$45 which I knew where slightly (but understandably) higher.

 

[sk.images]

T

vince123123 >> The invoice had quantity as "4" under that column, which they argued meant 4 packs and not 4 boxes.
(

Is it possible to buy 1 pack? Would they open a box and sell the contents seperately? If this is not possible or not done, then you have grounds for for a complaint.

 

[Terence]

Is it possible to buy 1 pack? Would they open a box and sell the contents seperately? If this is not possible or not done, then you have grounds for for a complaint.

They come in either single or twin packs. Stores sometimes do break open twin packs to sell them separately... they even do that in B & H when I bought some last month.

 

[vince123123]

I asked you whether you had the receipt more as a matter of evidence should you wish to pursue this further with official channels. It wouldn't matter what they argued - if there was a mistake (if indeed so) and if during payment and at the shop this was brought up, they have no reason not to correct that mistake.

Perhaps you want to give CASE a call.

vince123123 >> The invoice had quantity as "4" under that column, which they argued meant 4 packs and not 4 boxes.


I guess I'm lucky to only have made what was on hindsight a smaller loss, compared to many others here who may have gotten cheated on higher-value items. Didn't know that such unethical shops existed, so its pretty much lesson learnt for this one. ;(

 

[freebsd]

Suggest Mod to make this tread a "sticky" so that more of CS member will not fell into their trap!! especially new member..or our overseas friend who visit CS forum...

wannapreneur, perhaps you would like to send this info to Stomp to warn others...

agreed!! we should have a sticky in the 'Consumers Corner' of all the 'black-sheep' camera shops in Singapore. it shops like these that give Singapore a especially tourist a bad name!

 

[wannapreneur]

Seems like a lot of people want advise that I should go to CASE. I would do that but have to actually go to their place, join first then make the claim... Don't really have the time to do that ... :dunno:

But I'm just spreading awareness of this online first I guess ... May post this caveat on other similar forums ...

 

[vince123123]

Yea its always troublesome - which is why I always suspected that shops just continue with such practices, since most of the time, pple wont bother to complain.

For those cases which really get complained, the most they just refund. Refund once and profitteer the next 9 times, quite a good business model.

Seems like a lot of people want advise that I should go to CASE. I would do that but have to actually go to their place, join first then make the claim... Don't really have the time to do that ... :dunno:

But I'm just spreading awareness of this online first I guess ... May post this caveat on other similar forums ...