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Car dealer cheats 40 customers
- Thread starter Jah_rastafar_I
- Start date
More claiming car dealer cheated them of deposits
Mobile chat group draws over 80; total sum paid more than $1.5 million
By Kok Xing Hui
More people are now claiming they were cheated by car dealership Volks Auto after it was reported on Monday that the parallel importer had been shuttered since Saturday, with the boss nowhere to be found.
A WhatsApp chat group started on Monday doubled to more than 80 participants yesterday.
Customers said they had paid deposits of $20,000 to $30,000 on average but had yet to get their vehicles. Business owner Tan Poh Yong, 48, paid $44,000 for a Porsche in July.
IT systems integrator K.K. Lo, the de facto organiser of the WhatsApp group, said 57 buyers had given him their details as of 8pm yesterday and that 51 had made police reports. The total sum paid by the 57 amounts to more than $1.5 million.
Attempts to contact the owner of the car dealership, which was registered in April, were unsuccessful. Many claimants said they got a voice mail message when they called Mr Alvin Loo last week, but that the cellphone has now been turned off.
At least three said they managed to contact a salesman, known to them only as Andrew. According to Mr Tan, Andrew sent him a text saying his boss would be back in Singapore "this week to settle all customer car issues as promised". Andrew also said the police had already contacted his boss.
More than 20 worried customers showed up at Volks Auto's showroom in MacPherson Road yesterday with sales agreements they had allegedly signed with the company, which claimed to import a variety of makes, including Mercedes, Toyota, Porsche and Honda.
At about 11.30am, the Whatsapp group chat went into a frenzy when businessman Richard Lee, 61, told everyone there was a man trying to take away the last car in the showroom, a white Bentley. Members were worried that the only visible Volks Auto asset might be taken away and they would lose all possibility of compensation. Police were then called in to assist.
The Straits Times arrived to find police talking to a handful of claimants, including Mr Lee and others clutching news clippings and their sales agreements.
The man who was purportedly there to take the car away was identified by a namecard sent to the chat group as Gavin Neo, sales director at DTZ Property Network.
Mr Neo told The Straits Times he wanted to check if the car was still there as it belonged to a friend, but declined to elaborate.
Police were overheard advising anxious newly arrived buyers to file reports.
The residential address used by Mr Loo to register his business had its blinds drawn.
40 car buyers look for missing dealer in showroom showdown:
'This is worse than Jover Chew -
Dec 16, 2014 6:00am
By: NG JUN SEN and DAVID SUN
An angry crowd of around 30 customers gathered outside a car dealership in MacPherson Road yesterday afternoon to demand their money back.
They believe they had been conned of their downpayments for their new cars - between $20,000 and $40,000 each - by the director of Volks Auto, a parallel importer.
Said Mr Kenny Lim, 36, who paid a $37,000 deposit for a Honda Vezel S meant as a gift for his father: "I almost wanted to smash the glass down to get in."
At $108,000, including a certificate of entitlement for the car, it was a bargain.
The same car usually went for $130,000 at other parallel importers.
Said another angry buyer: "Jover Chew is nothing compared to this."
Read the full report in our print edition on Dec 16.
'This is worse than Jover Chew -
Dec 16, 2014 6:00am
By: NG JUN SEN and DAVID SUN
An angry crowd of around 30 customers gathered outside a car dealership in MacPherson Road yesterday afternoon to demand their money back.
They believe they had been conned of their downpayments for their new cars - between $20,000 and $40,000 each - by the director of Volks Auto, a parallel importer.
Said Mr Kenny Lim, 36, who paid a $37,000 deposit for a Honda Vezel S meant as a gift for his father: "I almost wanted to smash the glass down to get in."
At $108,000, including a certificate of entitlement for the car, it was a bargain.
The same car usually went for $130,000 at other parallel importers.
Said another angry buyer: "Jover Chew is nothing compared to this."
Read the full report in our print edition on Dec 16.
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By: DAVID SUN and NG JUN SEN
More customers visited Volks Auto's locked showroom at MacPherson road yesterday, seeking answers from the parallel importer.
At stake are huge sums of deposits they had paid Volks Auto.
Among them yesterday was a man who claimed to represent the owner of a white Bentley - the only car left in the cleared-out showroom.
He, too, was looking for Volks Auto's director Alvin Loo.
His friend had placed the Bentley with Volks Auto intending to trade it in for another car. Now the owner wants his car back but can't get
into the showroom.
27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="player-element" width="512" height="288" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://static.movideo.com/flash/movideo_player.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="flashVars" value="apiKey=movideoSPHTheNewPaper&alias=TNP_Embed_Desktop&playerId=movideoSPHTheNewPaper_TNP_Embed_Desktop_1 418793341500&mediaId=1107280"/><embed src="http://static.movideo.com/flash/movideo_player.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="512" height="288" name="player-element" align="middle" play="true" loop="false" quality="high" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" flashVars="apiKey=movideoSPHTheNewPaper&alias=TNP_Embed_Desktop&playerId=movideoSPHTheNewPaper_TNP_Embed_Desktop_1 418793341500&mediaId=1107280"></embed></object>[/video]By: DAVID SUN and NG JUN SEN
More customers visited Volks Auto's locked showroom at MacPherson road yesterday, seeking answers from the parallel importer.
At stake are huge sums of deposits they had paid Volks Auto.
Among them yesterday was a man who claimed to represent the owner of a white Bentley - the only car left in the cleared-out showroom.
He, too, was looking for Volks Auto's director Alvin Loo.
His friend had placed the Bentley with Volks Auto intending to trade it in for another car. Now the owner wants his car back but can't get
into the showroom.
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/si...-dealer-tips-how-avoid-rogue-car-dealers-2014
Car buyers demand refund from dealer: Tips on how to avoid rogue car dealers
By Chew Hui Min
SINGAPORE - If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is, said an industry veteran in response to the Volks Auto debacle.
Up to 80 customers have been left in the lurch after they paid deposits on cars to the owner of Volks Auto, a car dealership in MacPherson. The owner has disappeared and the parallel importer has been closed since Saturday.
How can you tell if you are dealing with a rogue car dealer?
Here's some advice from the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA), and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case):
1. Be wary of prices that are too low
While car buyers should compare prices, they should be aware that the profit for parallel importers is "only a few per cent", said SVTA.
"If prices are eight or 10 per cent lower", it is suspicious, SVTA told The Straits Times.
2. Patronise certified car dealers
Case advised that consumers should patronise CaseTrust accredited dealers who will protect the consumer's deposit with a security bond. In a situation like the Volks Auto Pte Ltd where the company failed to deliver the car, the consumer's deposit will be protected.
Consumers can check the SVTA members' directory for dealers that are members of the association. Each dealer has to be recommended by two other members, and go through background checks before being admitted into the association.
3. Minimise deposit paid
With a non-accredited dealer, the deposit placed should be as low as possible so as to minimise risks, Case says.
4. Check the car dealer
Always check out the reputation of the car dealer before signing the contract. Consumers may want to avoid car dealers which are known to delay the delivery of cars, Case says.
Another indication of their trustworthiness is how long the dealership has been in business, says SVTA.
5. What if I've been scammed?
For consumers who think they have been cheated, they should approach the Small Claims Tribunals to lodge a complaint as soon as possible, while the company is still live. They can also consider lodging a police report or seeking further legal action against the company.
Case said it has received 14 complaints against Volks Auto Pte Ltd on Monday and Tuesday.
Car buyers demand refund from dealer: Tips on how to avoid rogue car dealers
By Chew Hui Min
SINGAPORE - If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is, said an industry veteran in response to the Volks Auto debacle.
Up to 80 customers have been left in the lurch after they paid deposits on cars to the owner of Volks Auto, a car dealership in MacPherson. The owner has disappeared and the parallel importer has been closed since Saturday.
How can you tell if you are dealing with a rogue car dealer?
Here's some advice from the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA), and the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case):
1. Be wary of prices that are too low
While car buyers should compare prices, they should be aware that the profit for parallel importers is "only a few per cent", said SVTA.
"If prices are eight or 10 per cent lower", it is suspicious, SVTA told The Straits Times.
2. Patronise certified car dealers
Case advised that consumers should patronise CaseTrust accredited dealers who will protect the consumer's deposit with a security bond. In a situation like the Volks Auto Pte Ltd where the company failed to deliver the car, the consumer's deposit will be protected.
Consumers can check the SVTA members' directory for dealers that are members of the association. Each dealer has to be recommended by two other members, and go through background checks before being admitted into the association.
3. Minimise deposit paid
With a non-accredited dealer, the deposit placed should be as low as possible so as to minimise risks, Case says.
4. Check the car dealer
Always check out the reputation of the car dealer before signing the contract. Consumers may want to avoid car dealers which are known to delay the delivery of cars, Case says.
Another indication of their trustworthiness is how long the dealership has been in business, says SVTA.
5. What if I've been scammed?
For consumers who think they have been cheated, they should approach the Small Claims Tribunals to lodge a complaint as soon as possible, while the company is still live. They can also consider lodging a police report or seeking further legal action against the company.
Case said it has received 14 complaints against Volks Auto Pte Ltd on Monday and Tuesday.
why pay so much deposit? the highest I ever pay was $5k and pay the rest of the deposit when key hand over to me.
What about our CPF?
We expected it to be returned at age 55 but Sporeans were played out when LHL decided to keep the $$$.
dinner is served.
Alvin loo means confirmed sporean? could be a mudland chinese trash like you
Kenny Lim should break the glass and drives away any car he can find inside the showroom.
40%: Feel like smashing her bloody head!
60%: I dare you to touch my dear Leeder! I kok you with my coolie rice bowl then you know! *hee*hee*
40%: *shake head*
Pity these guys..whether they are dumb or not I do not know..
But they are really unlucky..instead of having a blissful Christmas...they are having a bleak Christmas for losing such a large sums of money.
dinner is served = ???
Customers paid Volks Auto at least $2.5m in deposits for cars -
See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/customers-pa...oogle_editors_picks=true#sthash.USIL118h.dpuf
Dec 18, 2014 6:00am
By: DAVID SUN
More than $2.5 million in deposits is believed to have been paid to car dealership Volks Auto, based on invoices from 81 customers.
None of these customers received the vehicles they had booked.
The director of Volks Auto, Mr Alvin Loo, remains uncontactable even as angry customers gathered yesterday at a McDonald's restaurant
in Kallang to compile their police reports and invoices.
"I believe that after this, I won't have to go and look for the authorities. They will come and look for us instead," said Mr K. K. Lo, 53, an
IT manager and de facto organiser of a WhatsApp chat group formed by the customers.
Read the full report in our print edition on Dec 18.
