Pelancong berbelanja peralatan elektronik di Singapura terdedah penipuan

Peminat gajet di Malaysia yang gemar membeli alatan tersebut di Singapura kini harus lebih berhati-hati ekoran beberapa kes penipuan yang dilaporkan di sana. Terbaru, seorang warga Vietnam yang tertipu dan merayu sujud mohon wangnya dikembalikan menjadi viral dan mencetus simpati warga Singapura sehinggakan $11,000 berjaya dikutip di atas talian dari para pensimpati untuk membantu warga Vietnam tersebut memiliki iPhone 6 yang gagal dibeli.

Lelaki tersebut yang didakwa bekerja kilang dengan gaji $200 sebulan membayar $950 untuk membeli iPhone 6 sebelum tertipu dengan perjanjian yang ditandatanganinya yang meminta dia membayar $1500 lagi untuk jaminan. Dia yang merasakan tertipu berhasrat membatalkan pembelian tersebut tetapi penjual, Jover Chew pemilik Mobile Air di Sim Lim Square hanya memulangkan $400.

Sementara itu, pihak kedutaan China turut mengeluarkan amaran kepada warganya supaya berhati-hati dalam membeli peralatan elektronik di negara tersebut berikutan terdapat banyak laporan penipuan ke atas warganya.

SINGAPORE: More complaints have been lodged against Mobile Air. According to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), a total of 25 complaints were made about this Sim Lim Square retailer from Aug to Oct this year.

This is a spike in what was already a complaint-filled year for Mobile Air. CASE Executive Director Seah Seng Choon told Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday (Nov 4) that the shop had attracted 18 complaints from Jan to Oct this year, up from zero just two years ago. A check at Sim Lim Square on Wednesday revealed the shop was closed. 

On Tuesday, CASE served the store with a letter inviting it to sign a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA), after two cases involving its practices attracted much attention in the media. In one case, Mobile Air tried to force Vietnamese tourist Mr Pham Van Thoai to fork out an additional S$1,500 for a warranty package after he bought an iPhone 6.

Mr Pham reportedly went down on his knees to beg for a refund for the S$950 phone, and was said to have recovered S$400. When ordered by the Small Claims Tribunal to refund S$1,010 to another customer, Mobile Air also tried to give her 18kg worth of coins. 

SINGAPORE: The Chinese embassy in Singapore has warned its citizens to beware of fraud when buying mobile phones and other electronic products here.

A notice posted on China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on Wednesday (Nov 5) said the embassy received many reports last year of Chinese tourists encountering fraud when purchasing electronic goods like mobile phones in Singapore.

The embassy also told Chinese citizens to look out for notices put up in malls of retailers that have received complaints.

The notice comes after a Vietnamese tourist was allegedly scammed by a shop in Sim Lim Square when buying a phone.

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