Salesman charges tourist additional $250 to 'unlock' iPhone

[MarrickG]

A tourist was reportedly overcharged for a used iPhone while shopping in Singapore.

The tourist, who only gave her name as Annalie, said she was duped at a shop in Lucky Plaza.

She told a citizen journalism website:

"I was shopping for an iPhone, checking the prices at Lucky Plaza's cell phone shops. Most of them are quoted me about the same price, $700 for a 3G model with 8 GB of memory.

"However, when I finally decided to buy the phone and was making payment, the salesman at Megatronics Photo increased it to $950 because he said I had to 'pay tax to unlock it'.

"I declined because I know it is too expensive. He then offered me the the iPhone 3G at 8Gb brand new for $750, saying I could claim my GST refund at the airport.

"When I got home, I found out that the phone was not brand new, as there was already an iTunes account signed in for it. I did nto know about this earlier because the phone's battery was flat.

"I was at the Ang Mo Kio Hub area later and happened to inquire about the prices of iPhones there. The salesmen there told me that the one at Lucky Plaza ridiculously overcharged me for an iPhone 3G at 8 GB, saying there is no such thing as an 'unlock charge'.

"Finally, when I reached the airport, I could not claim any GST refund because the receipt was not valid.

"I am terribly disappointed with how shops in Singapore deal with their customers, especially tourists. Here I thought this was a country where you can do business and make purchases without the fear of being conned.

"The government here should take a stern hold of shops here that deals with foreign customers and the prices... After all, this country thrives on the income generated by tourism."

 

[cass888]

With this kind of Ah Beng salesmen in Lucky Plaza and Sim Lim, I am glad we're getting more FTs in Singapore to replace them.

"The government here should take a stern hold of shops here that deals with foreign customers and the prices... After all, this country thrives on the income generated by tourism."

 

[Ramseth]

"The government here should take a stern hold of shops here that deals with foreign customers and the prices... After all, this country thrives on the income generated by tourism."

1. The government is already having difficulty dealing with local stupidity, where got time for foreign stupidity?

2. The country doesn't thrive on tourism; however lucrative, it's just a sideline.

3. Stupidity has no known cure, whether local or foreign.

 

[cass888]

1. The government is already having difficulty dealing with local stupidity, where got time for foreign stupidity?

2. The country doesn't thrive on tourism; however lucrative, it's just a sideline.

3. Stupidity has no known cure, whether local or foreign.

Does BG (minus 5 ranks) MS Goh run his shop like this?

 

[drifter]

My Ah Beng salesmen friends in Lucky Plaza and Sim Lim sq in a good month can earn more then 12k . better then alot of the loser here ...

 

[cass888]

My Ah Beng salesmen friends in Lucky Plaza and Sim Lim sq in a good month can earn more then 12k . better then alot of the loser here ...

By cheating people with low down tricks like "we insist you buy an adapter for $250." Your ah beng friends are the scum of the earth and I can't wait for them to have their lunch eaten by a PRC running the shop next door. Even PRCs won't pull the bait-and-switch tricks the ah bengs are famous for.

 

[drifter]

By cheating people with low down tricks like "we insist you buy an adapter for $250." Your ah beng friends are the scum of the earth and I can't wait for them to have their lunch eaten by a PRC running the shop next door. Even PRCs won't pull the bait-and-switch tricks the ah bengs are famous for.

only people who are cheapo will fall for the tricks ....

by the way , my friends shop also got PRC staff ...
PRC never cheat ? ? ? ? dont argue for the sake of arguing ...you should look at electronic streets in beijing and see what they are going ... mobile phone change to bricks when you reach your hotel ...

 

[Ramseth]

The more you protect consumers, the more stupid consumers become and the cleverer vendors become.

 

[cass888]

only people who are cheapo will fall for the tricks ....

by the way , my friends shop also got PRC staff ...
PRC never cheat ? ? ? ? dont argue for the sake of arguing ...you should look at electronic streets in beijing and see what they are going ... mobile phone change to bricks when you reach your hotel ...

I have shopped in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou among others. While they may try to get you a higher price, they have never applied that bait-and-switch tactic. They will con you to pay RMB 1000 for a RMB 200 product but they will never say RMB 200 then say you need to pay RMB 800 more.

That is what I hate most about the Sim Lim salesmen. Quote a price then state a ridiculous surcharge. If I'm government I'll make the PRCs make them totally irrelevant.

 

[drifter]

I have shopped in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou among others. While they may try to get you a higher price, they have never applied that bait-and-switch tactic. They will con you to pay RMB 1000 for a RMB 200 product but they will never say RMB 200 then say you need to pay RMB 800 more.

That is what I hate most about the Sim Lim salesmen. Quote a price then state a ridiculous surcharge. If I'm government I'll make the PRCs make them totally irrelevant.

you are lucky your goods did not turn to stone when you reach your hotel ...BTW , are you PRC ?

 

[cass888]

you are lucky your goods did not turn to stone when you reach your hotel ...BTW , are you PRC ?

No. But I am a very shrewd shopper who never got duds. If they say it's genuine, don't trust them. But they have never changed the goal posts the way the fucking Sim Lim Ah Bengs have tried with me.

 

[Ramseth]

I've been shopping at SLS shops since SLS was built. I've never been cheated or overcharged. In fact, when I was still a hobbyist, I got the cheapest hardware and software (original) from there. Don't know how people managed to get cheated or overcharged there. Quite a amazing achievement proving stupidity has no known remedy.

 

[cass888]

I've been shopping at SLS shops since SLS was built. I've never been cheated or overcharged. In fact, when I was still a hobbyist, I got the cheapest hardware and software (original) from there. Don't know how people managed to get cheated or overcharged there. Quite a amazing achievement proving stupidity has no known remedy.

Never bought hardware from General of the Army (minus 9 ranks) MS Goh is it?
Neither have I but I still can't stand those stupid Sim Lim Ah Bengs with their bait-and-switch tactics.

 

[Ramseth]

Never bought hardware from General of the Army (minus 9 ranks) MS Goh is it?
Neither have I but I still can't stand those stupid Sim Lim Ah Bengs with their bait-and-switch tactics.

Madcow shop? It's fair price down there, honest. However, I'm no longer a hobbyist or gamer, just a Dell laptop will do, so now rarely need to buy anything at Madcow or SLS or even Funan anymore.

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

Since Singapore cannot ban or closed down shops which cheat on tourists, the Singapore Tourism should perhaps do the following:

- blacklist Lucky Plaza (removed Lucky Plaza's references) from all travel brouchers etc

- print a cautionary advisory about Lucky Plaza's cheats for the tourist


It will be equally frustrating if Singaporeans visit Hong Kong, Bangkok, Australia only to be cheated like this tourist.

 

[glockman]

I sympathise with the tourist. But hey, willing seller willing buyer. We go overseas, they will try to fleece us too.

 

[heartlander]

lol. the tourist should have done a bit of homework. he could have unlocked it himself with a usb cable and an internet connection

 

[cass888]

lol. the tourist should have done a bit of homework. he could have unlocked it himself with a usb cable and an internet connection

You don't understand. The Chow Ah Beng's will not sell it to you without the additional $250.

 

[lovesamleong]

Why must the tourist go to Lucky Plaza? That is a ripoff place. There are so many place to shop in SG.

 

[drifter]

Since Singapore cannot ban or closed down shops which cheat on tourists, the Singapore Tourism should perhaps do the following:

- blacklist Lucky Plaza (removed Lucky Plaza's references) from all travel brouchers etc

- print a cautionary advisory about Lucky Plaza's cheats for the tourist


It will be equally frustrating if Singaporeans visit Hong Kong, Bangkok, Australia only to be cheated like this tourist.

japanese tourguide book already backlisted LP and SLQ .