Fradulent Retailers @ SimLim Square....Beware!!

[clicker2182]

Hi All,

This was my worst experience of shopping in Singapore....that too in Sim Lim Square. I am sharing here so that nobody else goes thru such problems again & all of us can be more careful before we deal with such fradulend retailers...

Yesterday evening I bought a Sigma 105mm 2.8 DG Macro from "FocusPoint Electronics Pte Ltd (#01-4B)" at Sim Lim Square. I spent about an hour in the store checking out various options of lens & finally settled for this lens. The price quoted was $1500 and finally settled for $1485 with a free soft focus filter & UV. I paid by my Amex credit card. Somehow I felt something was wrong. I checked the pricing on Sigma site & today morning also checked at other reputed retailers in Singapore and found that its only $730!! (inclusive of GST, Credit card charges etc etc..). I HAVE BEEN CHARGED MORE THAN DOUBLE!! I discovered that the store guy did not give me any invoice (he had told me that all warranty card, invoice etc in the lens box...... And I trusted his word..).

Today morning when I went back and asked for the invoice, I got it. After that I told him that I feel I have been worngly charged $1485, where as the actual price is much lower. For about 30minutes, the shop guy tried to convince me that the pricing is correct & tried to show me all false price lists. Finally I said I am not interested, and hence want to return the lens & take full refund (I know it will get refuned to my credit card only...and that I cannot expect cash..). He tried to convince me, and I did not accept any other offer.

Then he called somebody else in to the shop & that guy took the lens back & kept in his shelf & said...YOU GO & DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT. YOU NEVER RETURNED THE LENS TO US...WHAT'S THE PROOF! BETTER ACCEPT THE DEAL OF TAKING SOME PART OF CASH BACK OR YOU WILL LOSE THE COMPLETE LENS & WILL NOT GET ANY REFUND.

I had no choice but to accept his offer of some part of cash refund. When this was done, while I was walking out of the store, two more store staff told me " dont try to be smart & complain anywhere...we will take care of you outside once you go out of here...and we will get the cash back from you"..... This was a straight threat!!

I complained to the Sim Lim Square management (while discussing the complaint with the officer at the counter, I could see there were 4-5 guys from other shops trying to listen to what I was telling & in a very systematic manner the message was being relayed to the store from where I came out...).

My learnings:

1. Do not buy from Sim Lim Square.
2. If at all you have to, do adequate homework on pricing of products before you go there.
3. Do not go alone...take couple of friends along
4. I would never go back to buy any high value items from SimLim Square. I woud trust the more reputed retailers in Funan, Penninsula area....etc.

 

[egnaro]

Hi All,

This was my worst experience of shopping in Singapore....that too in Sim Lim Square. I am sharing here so that nobody else goes thru such problems again & all of us can be more careful before we deal with such fradulend retailers...

Yesterday evening I bought a Sigma 105mm 2.8 DG Macro from "FocusPoint Electronics Pte Ltd (#01-4B)" at Sim Lim Square. I spent about an hour in the store checking out various options of lens & finally settled for this lens. The price quoted was $1500 and finally settled for $1485 with a free soft focus filter & UV. I paid by my Amex credit card. Somehow I felt something was wrong. I checked the pricing on Sigma site & today morning also checked at other reputed retailers in Singapore and found that its only $730!! (inclusive of GST, Credit card charges etc etc..). I HAVE BEEN CHARGED MORE THAN DOUBLE!! I discovered that the store guy did not give me any invoice (he had told me that all warranty card, invoice etc in the lens box...... And I trusted his word..).

Today morning when I went back and asked for the invoice, I got it. After that I told him that I feel I have been worngly charged $1485, where as the actual price is much lower. For about 30minutes, the shop guy tried to convince me that the pricing is correct & tried to show me all false price lists. Finally I said I am not interested, and hence want to return the lens & take full refund (I know it will get refuned to my credit card only...and that I cannot expect cash..). He tried to convince me, and I did not accept any other offer.

Then he called somebody else in to the shop & that guy took the lens back & kept in his shelf & said...YOU GO & DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT. YOU NEVER RETURNED THE LENS TO US...WHAT'S THE PROOF! BETTER ACCEPT THE DEAL OF TAKING SOME PART OF CASH BACK OR YOU WILL LOSE THE COMPLETE LENS & WILL NOT GET ANY REFUND.

I had no choice but to accept his offer of some part of cash refund. When this was done, while I was walking out of the store, two more store staff told me " dont try to be smart & complain anywhere...we will take care of you outside once you go out of here...and we will get the cash back from you"..... This was a straight threat!!

I complained to the Sim Lim Square management (while discussing the complaint with the officer at the counter, I could see there were 4-5 guys from other shops trying to listen to what I was telling & in a very systematic manner the message was being relayed to the store from where I came out...).

My learnings:

1. Do not buy from Sim Lim Square.
2. If at all you have to, do adequate homework on pricing of products before you go there.
3. Do not go alone...take couple of friends along
4. I would never go back to buy any high value items from SimLim Square. I woud trust the more reputed retailers in Funan, Penninsula area....etc.

Hi,

Really sad to hear such thing, SLS is not that bad place to buy stuff... but of cuz u have to do your homework before going... i ever met bad sales person before.. just leave the place and do what ever complaint u want to whichever authority you want... dun worry about their threat, this is singapore and they still have business to run...

take care and really sorry to hear such stuff...

 

[di0nysus]

sorry to hear your plight, its the same tune played over and over again.

maybe the mods can somehow make sure all new members get some emails or be directed to some threads with some sort of warning for these, it is impossible to force everyone to read such information, but some effort is better than none.

you can try CASE to bring up the matter, they're a little more pro-active now. If you're going to cheong all the way, you can even get a lawyer to sue them for the threats etc

 

[Darcy.Zhou]

SLS, the most "famous" brand in SGP now...

 

[nightwolf75]

sorry to hear your plight, its the same tune played over and over again.

maybe the mods can somehow make sure all new members get some emails or be directed to some threads with some sort of warning for these, it is impossible to force everyone to read such information, but some effort is better than none.

you can try CASE to bring up the matter, they're a little more pro-active now. If you're going to cheong all the way, you can even get a lawyer to sue them for the threats etc

we cannot label shops good/not good simply becos the same shop that people say is good, others will say otherwise. if you search through all the threads, you will probably find that (eg) there will be almost equal number of people saying AP (at SLS) is good vs those who say otherwise. :think:

while most of us will agree dat places SLS or lucky/far east plazas are to be avoided when buying cameras... depending on which side of the fence you are on, there's really no point in maintaining some sort of list of 'reputable' shops because of the differing shopping experiences. end of the day, buyer beware and to do your homework.

 

[rgborj]

I felt sorry to hear your story... You are right, you must do your homework first before buying... how can a Sigma be more expensive than Canon 100mm macro? Canon is only 1100 something.

Hope clubsnap members will be more careful next time when buying their camera stuffs, not only in Sim Lim but in other stores as well.

Cheers!

 

[Hobbesyeo]

Hi All,

Then he called somebody else in to the shop & that guy took the lens back & kept in his shelf & said...YOU GO & DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT. YOU NEVER RETURNED THE LENS TO US...WHAT'S THE PROOF! BETTER ACCEPT THE DEAL OF TAKING SOME PART OF CASH BACK OR YOU WILL LOSE THE COMPLETE LENS & WILL NOT GET ANY REFUND.

I had no choice but to accept his offer of some part of cash refund. When this was done, while I was walking out of the store, two more store staff told me " dont try to be smart & complain anywhere...we will take care of you outside once you go out of here...and we will get the cash back from you"..... This was a straight threat!!

If I am not mistaken, you can lodge a case with the police for receiving a threat.
Taking the lens back from you without your consent, at the very least, seems like theft.

 

[mystudio]

I suggest you make a police report on the incident. Whether the police will do anything is another question, but at least if anything happens to you (touchwood), there is a record to reference back.

Not sure if SIM LIM management will take any actions, afterall the shops are their "customer":sweat:

 

[nickoooooo]

Err

How much money did you get back from them??

Its a bit too late now... i dont think you'd have a case against them
1. first time you went there, you agreed to their (over inflated) price, and paid for it.
2. 2nd time you went there, you agreed to their refund price..

If you had reported them before their refund.. you might get the authorities to deal the refund for you.

But, dont be discouraged. Check your amex policy. If my memory serves me right, there should be a clause there about satisfaction / warranty. Go through it, or call amex and explain your situation. and see what they can do.

 

[di0nysus]

we cannot label shops good/not good simply becos the same shop that people say is good, others will say otherwise. if you search through all the threads, you will probably find that (eg) there will be almost equal number of people saying AP (at SLS) is good vs those who say otherwise. :think:

while most of us will agree dat places SLS or lucky/far east plazas are to be avoided when buying cameras... depending on which side of the fence you are on, there's really no point in maintaining some sort of list of 'reputable' shops because of the differing shopping experiences. end of the day, buyer beware and to do your homework.

I agree totally different shops show different faces to different customers. What I'm suggesting is that the readers do their homework (in a 'newbie-please-read kind of article), or at least be made to know that there're 'bad apples' out there...

 

[s2s1]

I also feel that you should make a police report! They are robbers and gangsters when took your lens and threatened you. Besides police report, write the incident to newspaper or channel 8, I believe they are very interested to report it to public. :angry:

 

[angalphoto]

Stop the credit card from paying since the shop has taken back the lens from you. It show transaction void.

 

[blazer_workz]

Next time do some homework before getting anything.
With the price of 1485, you can get a Nikon 105 f/2.8 Micro VR.

 

[shorty]

Doing homework is one point. But the main point seems to be our friend is being threatened!! Life threatening!!! Second to that is word abuse! Under such circumstances or situation, he was reacting to normal ppl would have done when being threatened and out-number. :angry::angry:

 

[Boo...]

After called your Amex than call us...We (CSer) are behind you bro ...
Doing business like this huh...cheating ppl...must hantam them ;(;(

Stop the credit card from paying since the shop has taken back the lens from you. It show transaction void.

 

[evilorgi]

sad to hear that there are still such dealers in SLS. these people really spoils the image of singapore especially to tourist.

however you should do check the prices @ various shops and find out which are the more reputable shops around before you spend such a big sum.

they are simply too much in threatening you in that manner, thanks for highlighting this incident so that newbies and ignorant people will be warned.

 

[greenieadi]

For your current problem, time is of the essence but like what some bro says,

1. lodge police report for threatening,
2. stop Amex transaction, A.S.A.P,
3. go to www.stomp.com.sg and alert every tom, dick and harry in singapore with pics of receipt,police report and real price list,
4. Then go to CASE, apply membership and lodge complaint.

First 3 must do quickly, no.4 tommorrow also can. If I where u, I bring along a group of friends after doing the 4 things mention and go to the shop.

Not to pick a fight but show them don't play play with me......:angry:

 

[chihuahua99]

If you make a police report - suggest you go down to the Commercial Crime Department to make the report. Likely before they let u you make the report, the officer will make "courtesy" call for you to the guys they sure panick one....

 

[greenieadi]

Mods here can do so much. I think it's about time CASE setup a branch office at SLS and Far East Plaza or shopping centres near them.

I can guarantee CASE membership will at least double in no time! and those shops will be less bold...........;(

Hate to read/hear this time and again.

 

[ST1100]

Just to be clear on this: they took back the lens and gave you a partial refund? That means you paid them some money for nothing? And after taking your money, threatened you?