List of Cheating Shops at Sim Lim Square

abraham_1 · Post by **abraham_1** » Sun, 29 Jun 2008 4:18 pm

Hi,

I was just thinking that may be we should compile a list of shops who cheat their customers through their negative tactics. So that people who go there in future may be kept from getting cheated.

In my case I became a victim as well, I went there to buy a digital camera Cannon IXUS 960IS. Before going there I visited some forums and came to know that one should know very well what he is going to purchase and should not believe in the sales guys in their recommendations for alternatives. So I did my research and knew very well about my product and what is included in the package and usual price. The usual price was 600SGD at other places in small shops and it was 699SGD at big shops like best denki etc.

I went to sim lim and visited different shops, finally I went to this shop... I asked the person for the price inclusive of GST, I mentioned explicitely again that it should be including GST. He called someone and told me 535SGD, I confirmed what is in the package and he told me the right things including 1 year warranty. I asked him that okay I wanna purchase, then he said that you will have to pay the GST as well and it will be 570

..... I complained that I asked initially for the GST inclusive but he said that it was without GST, anyways I still had a good price so I asked him okay go for it. He got the payment first and got the package from another shop, I checked for everything including the warranty card and came out.

After reaching home I visited the cannon website and came to know that they had a promotion with this model i.e. digital kit bag worth S$30, and photo printer worth S$220, and 4GB card probably worth S$50 (only this card was given to me by the sales man). I was happy to know about this promotion and was planning to go to cannon dealer to claim it, but then I say my warranty card and it was already stamped as "REDEEMED".

So I think this was the dishonesty on sales man's part he should have told me about it, he gave me discount of 30S$ but infact charged me S$250 extra.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sun, 29 Jun 2008 4:45 pm

To me it sounds like a couple of things. 1. you didn't research as well as you though you did. The first place you should have gone to was the canon site (I bought an 860IS early this year) I knew about the promotion from the canon site.

2. The old saying cavet emptor still holds true. They didn't cheat you, you cheated yourself. Just because it's a promotion, it only from authorized dealers (doubtful if any company in Sim Lim is an "Authorized" canon dealer that's why they call around to other shops). Additionally, the camera kit bag is NOT part of the promotion for the 960IS. The 4GB is but the printer, I believe, like the spare battery I got, has to be redeemed from the Canon place at Harbourfront. You might want to check that before you keep going off half cocked. Again, did you bother to find out if the shop was an "authorized" Canon retailer? So much for your homework.

And if you asked "explicitely" (sp!) like you made your points here, it's no wonder he didn't understand you.

abraham_1 wrote:Hi,

I was just thinking that may be we should compile a list of shops who cheat their customers through their negative tactics. So that people who go there in future may be kept from getting cheated.

In my case I became a victim as well, I went there to buy a digital camera Cannon IXUS 960IS. Before going there I visited some forums and came to know that one should know very well what he is going to purchase and should not believe in the sales guys in their recommendations for alternatives. So I did my research and knew very well about my product and what is included in the package and usual price. The usual price was 600SGD at other places in small shops and it was 699SGD at big shops like best denki etc.

I went to sim lim and visited different shops, finally I went to this shop... I asked the person for the price inclusive of GST, I mentioned explicitely again that it should be including GST. He called someone and told me 535SGD, I confirmed what is in the package and he told me the right things including 1 year warranty. I asked him that okay I wanna purchase, then he said that you will have to pay the GST as well and it will be 570 ..... I complained that I asked initially for the GST inclusive but he said that it was without GST, anyways I still had a good price so I asked him okay go for it. He got the payment first and got the package from another shop, I checked for everything including the warranty card and came out.

After reaching home I visited the cannon website and came to know that they had a promotion with this model i.e. digital kit bag worth S$30, and photo printer worth S$220, and 4GB card probably worth S$50 (only this card was given to me by the sales man). I was happy to know about this promotion and was planning to go to cannon dealer to claim it, but then I say my warranty card and it was already stamped as "REDEEMED".

So I think this was the dishonesty on sales man's part he should have told me about it, he gave me discount of 30S$ but infact charged me S$250 extra.

Bremen · Post by **Bremen** » Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:08 pm

Erm. It's kinda accepted knowledge that you avoid Sim Lim at all costs.

Best places to buy a camera are Cathay, MS Color and John 3:16. And none of them are in Sim Lim

notyesnot · Post by **notyesnot** » Mon, 30 Jun 2008 6:24 pm

Dynasty Audio N Camera is also cool in SLS...

good reputation with awards too...

buy a couple of stuff from it...

abraham_1 · Post by **abraham_1** » Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:08 pm

Hi sundaymorningstaple,

Yeah you are right I made a mistake in my homework the I didn't check the cannon website for the promotions. Regarding rest of your points I have a few things to explain, I think the requirement of the promotion claim is the canon warranty card together with the receipt. And promotion stuff can be claimed from the cannon harbour front, so its not necessary to purchase it from authorised dealers to get the promotion stuff. (By the way the sales person said that they are cannon authorized dealers, I didn't verified cause I thought it doesn't matter). Please correct me if I am wrong so that I may not repeat the mistake next time. The camera Kit Bag was part of promotion with 960IS till 25th June 2008 and I bought my camera about a week before that. The warranty card that I got was stamped as "REDEEMED", which apparently means that the promotion stuff was already claimed.

I know we don't live in a perfect world but still it doesn't take our right to rasie a concern if we face any dishonesty. And I think that on the salesman part, he should have told me about the promotion and bargain on the stuff he had redeemed.

Thanks and Regards,

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:48 pm

Did you call canon at harbourfront to ascertain if that was in fact what the redeemed meant? it may have meant that the locally redeemed promotions were in fact received from the retailer and thereby showing canon that you did received all of the promotion items that the store was supposed to provide. I only ask because you neglected in your original post to let us when you purchased the item, and whether or not you called canon to confirm that you could no longer redeem the gift. Had you done so, then canon could have taken the matter up with the retailer.

bruinbear · Post by **bruinbear** » Sat, 12 Jul 2008 9:19 pm

I read through the original thread a few times and, pardon me, I still fail to see how the threadstarter was cheated.

Maybe the threadstarter would like to educate me again.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:54 pm

He wasn't. It's just his perception because nobody led him by the hand.

DimWit Kid · Post by **DimWit Kid** » Fri, 18 Jul 2008 4:00 pm

For such things as camera, or any other things that has warranty Sim Lim really is not the right place to buy. Cheap stuff such as SD card is alright. Computer parts, some big shops are okay, otherwise you better stay clear. I won't even buy Xbox or PS3 consoles in Sim lim.

ryblogland · Post by **ryblogland** » Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:15 pm

Sorry, you are not allowed advertise your website here.

moderator

bigfilsing · Post by **bigfilsing** » Sat, 13 Sep 2008 1:39 am

you see now this pisses me off . Dont ask why but it does.

Yeah lets all start a list of shops that ripped us off! gimme a break.
( you could just have easily asked which shops do you recommend) but no we have to be negative...don't we.

Look if you venture into sim lim or funan you're obviosuly out for the cheapest deal. Thats fine....but you have to do your home work properely.

If not just set your budget and done. Get over it .

The whole" I want super cheap yet and excellent package" just doesn't happen unless you put the effort in !!!
You have the internet and as a consumer have more resources at hand than ever before.
Pay more attention and stop whinning

ryblogland · Post by **ryblogland** » Sat, 13 Sep 2008 1:50 am

Yes, Sim Lim Square is a place you won't expect most of the Electronic shops to put consumer interest first. I was shocked when the shop assistant could tell me that the camera casing and the camera strap were not part of the original package when he simply removed them in front of me.

With good research, you would still be able to sniff out good bargains. Be firm with what you plan to buy and know what you want to buy at the appropriate price.

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