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ISSUE 99: 30 Mar 2007
1) “Walk with CASE”: Thank you to all participants 2) Consumer Alert! Three days cooling off period for door-to-door sales 3) Consumer news from around the world 5) Buyer Beware & Consumer Watch
1) “Walk with CASE”: Thank you to all participants A big thank you to all who turned up at our “Walk with CASE” event on 18 March to support World Consumer Rights Day! Click here to see the highlights of the day Three days cooling off period for door-to-door sales A reader wrote into the TODAY forum (“Fake gate painters”, 23 Mar) about his observations of contractors who falsely claim to be from the Housing and Development Board and who go from door-to-door selling wrought iron gates to HDB residents. CASE has sent in a forum letter, highlighting that: · consumers should always request for proof of identity from salespersons · a three-day cooling off period applies to all door-to-door sales. See here for our official response We advise all consumers to be prudent when approached by door-to-door salesperson and not take any claims at face value. 3) Consumer news from around the world World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) In Singapore, we held a “Walk with CASE” event in conjunction with WCRD. Curious to find out how other consumers around the world commemorated WCRD? Consumers International brings you a recap of the WCRD activities from around the world. Click here False Claims Shame GlaxoKlineSmith, the maker of Ribena, is found to have made false claims about the vitamin content of the drink sold in the New Zealand market. Two schoolgirls who conducted a product testing on the drink in 2004 found it contained only trace amounts of Vitamin C as opposed to advertising claims that "the blackcurrants in Ribena have four times the vitamin C of oranges”. Click the following links for more details: New Zealand schoolgirls find there's no C in Ribena Schoolgirls celebrities after exposing Ribena In Singapore, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority has announced that Ribena sold here met its advertising claims. Contact Lens Practitioner Suspended In Singapore, a registered contact lens practitioner was suspended from practice and fined for allowing an unlicensed person to prescribe and sell contact lenses. See here for the official statement from the Health Sciences Authority. If you’re a contact lens user, do make sure that your contact lens practitioner is registered with the Contact Lens Practitioners Board, Singapore. See here for some handy tips on contact lens care. A consumer saw an advertisement and signed up with a beauty salon for a bust enhancement programme for about $4,000 by credit card. A few days later, she found out that she was pregnant. She informed the beauty salon immediately and was told by the beauty consultant that due to her pregnancy, it was not suitable for her to continue treatment. As she had not started treatment, she requested to cancel the agreement. Her credit card transaction was initially cancelled, but she was later charged the sum again. She approached CASE to ask for a full refund. CASE wrote a letter to the beauty salon, which initially refused the refund as its terms and conditions stated that payment made were not refundable. However, the beauty salon reversed its decision subsequently and the consumer received a full refund. Consumer Tips! 1) Know the limitations of current beauty technology. The Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) has a section that states; every advertisement of a product, service or other activity which purports to alter the shape or appearance of the breasts or the bustline shall contain the following disclaimer: “There is no scientific proof that any non-surgical treatment currently available can enlarge breasts.” 2) Seek medical consultation. Before committing to any beauty treatment, it is advisable to seek the opinion of a medical doctor. Some of the conditions can be treated by a medical professional. 3) Health should be the priority. When considering a new beauty, skin, or slimming treatment, inform the beauty salon of any existing health conditions, e.g. allergies, illness, pregnancy, etc. If in doubt, it is always good to get a second opinion with a doctor. 4) Avoid signing up on the spot. Consumers should not be pressured into signing a contract. If necessary, the consumer should request for time to consider whether to enter into a contract. 5) Check terms and conditions. Many contracts drafted by beauty salons state that “all payment made are not refundable” or disclaimers such as “The saloon is not responsible for any failure of the treatment”. Consumers need to consider these unfavourable terms before accepting any offer made. Verbal promises made should be put in writing. 6) Monitor credit card statements. It is a good practice to monitor one’s credit card statements for transactions made, especially after a disputed credit card purchase. 7) Know your dispute resolution avenues. Besides CASE, consumers can alternatively lodge a claim via the Small Claims Tribunals. Do note that some limitations, such as claim limit and time limit. & Consumer Watch Missed the previous Buyer Beware? Here's a recap: The world of clothing (16 Mar) The world of furniture (23 Mar) Be sure to look out for Buyer Beware, every Friday in The Straits Times.
6) Say It - to us!
Had a bad experience with a retailer that you want to warn others about? Perhaps you’ve come across an email or advertisement that smacks of a scam, or would like to share some consumer tips with our readers. The Consumer magazine would like to hear from you if you have any consumer-related stories to share. Email us at sayit@case.org.sg, with the subject title as “Say It @ Case”, and include your name. Please state if you want your name to be only partially printed. We will be selecting a few entries to be published in our upcoming issues without the names of the companies or any brands. Selected entries may be edited for clarity. Say It @ Case will be a regular feature in The Consumer, so look out for it in the upcoming issues.
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