Shopping at Sim Lim Square

[Medusa]

Sim Lim Square shop billed him $950 for $334 PSP
Customer was billed $950 for a PSP handheld console and accessories that the salesperson had initially quoted only $334.

A customer claimed that he was overcharged by a Sim Lim Square shop of some $600 when he purchased a PlayStation Portable (PSP) console from the tech mall. What was supposed to have been $334 for a PSP console and accessories turned out to be a $950 purchase. This was $616 more than the agreed price. Local Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that Mr Zhang had visited the store on 1 April, soon after he received his salary.

The 19-year-old factory operator had stopped by the tech mall in the evening in hopes of purchasing a PSP handheld console. Mr Zhang told Wanbao that he stepped into a videogame store at about 7.30pm, and was promptly informed by the shop staff that the store was about to close. He was asked to make his purchase quickly if he wanted to buy anything. When Mr Zhang expressed his interest in getting a PSP, a salesperson then showed him a PSP console and some accessories.

He was then informed that the PSP console itself would cost $190, the memory card costs $59 and an 'upgrade' to make the PSP run faster would cost $89. Calculating the total bill to be $334, Mr Zhang thought that it sounded like a good deal and agreed to the purchase. The salesperson then informed Mr Zhang that paying by NETS would qualify his purchase for a lucky draw. After handing his ATM card over to the salesperson and completing the purchase, the shop staff then handed Mr Zhang's items to him and kept the printed transaction receipt.

It was only when Mr Zhang got home that he realized he was billed $950 for his purchases instead of the formerly agreed-upon $334. The receipt that was in the bag did not provide an itemized bill, but only listed the items sold and a total price of $950. Mr Zhang admitted that he did not double check the purchase price on the NETS machine before going through with the sales. A check with the bank later revealed that $950 was indeed deducted from Mr Zhang's bank account for the purchase.

However, the shop had denied all knowledge of the incident Mr Zhang when he returned to complain about the overcharging. The shop staff that he had approached claimed that the salesperson who handled the transaction was not around and refused to discuss the matter further. When a Wanbao reporter called the store, shop staff were also unwilling to comment. Mr Zhang told the Chinese evening daily that he was planning to make a complaint to CASE.

 

[Medusa]

She bought a PSP for $2,600
A girl shopping for a gaming device ended up paying $2,600 for a "modified" PSP, or about 9 times the recommended retail price. Find out how to avoid being overcharged when buying games and gadgets. -

By Jasmine Osada,

Interested in getting a PSP? Why don't you buy one for $2,600? According to a STOMP report, that was the price a girl paid for a PSP at an Orchard Road store when she went game gadget shopping with her mother. The amount she paid was equivalent to about 9 PSPs. The shop assistant told the girl that the gaming device cost $290, while accessories, including a memory card and a screen protector, added up to $196. However, the salesperson then added a $2,114 "modification" charge to the invoice, the citizen journalism website reported.

The gaming device was also "taken away from the shop to a technician" who performed the said modification. While dubious practices like these are getting less common in Singapore, some electronics and videogame stores here still have separate price policies for different customers who walk in. The ones most likely to fall target to such cases of overcharging at local videogame stores are often female customers and parents with young children. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from less than honest videogame and electronics retailers, and still have a great time:

1. Do your homework

The best way to protect yourself would be to check prices online for any gadget or device you want to buy before you actually step into a store. Most manufacturers will state the recommended retail price(RRP) on their websites, and many tech websites also provide price lists for easy reference. Just Google the brand or model of the gadget you are looking for. The retail price at stores should have too much of a difference compared to what was recommended by the manufacturer. Also, it might good to find out if the manufacturer's site has a list of authorized resellers, as these stores are more likely to follow the recommended retail price.

2. 'Packages' are not always a cheaper

When gadgets come in 'packages' that include accessories and games, always ask for a breakdown of individual items in the list. Ask yourself if you need everything that is included in the package. Do you like that Spongebob Squarepants game that comes free with your PSP? Does that heavy, battery-consuming PSP cooling fan look like a practical and useful accessory? If you find that the bundled software or accessories do not make sense to you or are not to your taste, skip them and go solo.

3. Check several stores before you buy

Visit several stores first before you decide on which one to buy from. Not only will you minimize your chances of ending up with a bad purchase, you also get to compare prices and check out any existing promotions that might be a better deal.

4. Cheapest (or most expensive) doesn't mean it's the best price

Don't jump into a deal just because it's cheap. Is it cheap because the gadget is sold alone, with no accessories? Or is it because it's an older model, or running on older software? Does it come with a warranty? When prices quoted by a store are very different from that of most others you have surveyed, don't be afraid to ask the shop staff why. If you feel that the salesperson is unable to give you a good answer, take your business somewhere else.

5. Ask for more information

When a salesperson mentions technical terms you do not understand, do not be afraid to clarify your doubts. Why did he recommend this model over another one? Is there a product brochure you can take home? Do they have a demo unit you can try? Just because you are a female customer or a parent with a young child eager to try out the latest Pokemon game doesn't mean that shady retailers have the right to charge you exorbitant prices for their wares. Checking out a few stores and comparing prices may not take up a lot of your time, and it will likely save you some money in the long run.

 

[manokie]

These fucking morons deserved to get scammed for their stupidity

These stupid and naive people should also be killed by the roaming killer FTs to reduce burden on Sinkieland

 

[Alamaking]

600 bucks you could buy a nice gun with bullets in the states!

Why do they think they can always get away from their misdeeds?

Someone also used at least a million (from conning) to cut an album in US, do you think she can get away with it also?

 

[Baroko]

All I can say is caveat emptor.

 

[Watchman]

Why Singaporeans love to pay first then complain later .

 

[Dodomeki]

Why Singaporeans love to pay first then complain later .

Got conned and not checking receipt after nets payment.

 

[Kwame]

Sim Lim is a good place to shop for bargain IT products. Just that sinkies are dumb enough not to check for the reputation of the shop before purchasing from there. In short, do your homework and know which are the reputable shops.

 

[gbomega]

Not true anymore, some products are actually more expensive than major electronics store.

Sim Lim is a good place to shop for bargain IT products. Just that sinkies are dumb enough not to check for the reputation of the shop before purchasing from there. In short, do your homework and know which are the reputable shops.

 

[manokie]

It is never cheap to buy IT Goods from small Brick & Mortar stalls, especially in Singapore.

Why??? They have to pay $X0,000 rent per month so they need to sell their items with a higher margin to pay their rent. Of course, you cannot blame them because they need to to feed the owners of the building and their workers.

 

[Kwame]

Not true anymore, some products are actually more expensive than major electronics store.

For desktops, laptops and PC parts, I still feel it is cheaper. But I do hear of people getting scammed when buying cameras in SLS.

 

[Watchman]

It is never cheap to buy IT Goods from small Brick & Mortar stalls, especially in Singapore.

Why??? They have to pay $X0,000 rent per month so they need to sell their items with a higher margin to pay their rent. Of course, you cannot blame them because they need to to feed the owners of the building and their workers.

All these people better start to think of the next best thing to do .

Because in the new economy . There are lots of new changes .

If you have not buy anything over the internet . It's time you do so .

 

[Dodomeki]

Why Singaporeans love to pay first then complain later .

Mr Zhang is a 19 year old PRC.

 

[Logisex]

Was MR Zhang saboed by his anti-FT S'pore colleagues who told him to buy PSP from Sim Lim?

Or was the shop owner an anti-FT S'porean who purposely overcharge the FT?

 

[Alamaking]

what about that auntie who lost billions of your money

will she get away too?

That 1 just got a few smacks in the butt from Pinkie can liao, LOL

 

[elephanto]

what about that auntie who lost billions of your money

will she get away too?

that tumasek auntie is 'honest mistakes'.
that horse-face aunty is pure cheat - deceiving & masquerading.

can see difference ? if not, go & fast & pray for better IQ !

 

[Soul_Reaper]

Not true anymore, some products are actually more expensive than major electronics store.

Sim Lim Square cannot go anymore. I was accompanying a japanese friend who was there to collect her computer that she had sent for repair earlier.

As I needed to buy a lithium battery for my camera, we went to the elecronic shops to look for it. All this while i was speaking to my friend in Nihongo so the salesman must have thought i was a Japanese. He quoted me $102/= for the battery. When I told him Courts was selling for only $64/= he gave all sort of excuses like his battery has higher amp, Courts battery is not original etc.

We went to several more stores, the prices ranged from $85/= to $108/= for the battery that I wanted. I decided not to buy. A few days later I managed to buy the battery at a neighbourhood electronics store located in a HDB estate for only $48/=

 

[Soul_Reaper]

Not true anymore, some products are actually more expensive than major electronics store.

Sim Lim Square cannot go anymore. I was accompanying a japanese friend who was there to collect her computer that she had sent for repair earlier.

As I needed to buy a lithium battery for my camera, we went to the elecronic shops to look for it. All this while i was speaking to my friend in Nihongo so the salesman must have thought i was a Japanese. He quoted me $102/= for the battery. When I told him Courts was selling for only $64/= he gave all sort of excuses like his battery has higher amp, Courts battery is not original etc.

We went to several more stores, the prices ranged from $85/= to $108/= for the battery that I wanted. I decided not to buy. A few days later I managed to buy the battery at a neighbourhood electronics store located in a HDB estate for only $48/=

 

[Soul_Reaper]

Not true anymore, some products are actually more expensive than major electronics store.

Sim Lim Square cannot go anymore. I was accompanying a japanese friend who was there to collect her computer that she had sent for repair earlier.

As I needed to buy a lithium battery for my camera, we went to the elecronic shops to look for it. All this while i was speaking to my friend in Nihongo so the salesman must have thought i was a Japanese. He quoted me $102/= for the battery. When I told him Courts was selling for only $64/= he gave all sort of excuses like his battery has higher amp, Courts battery is not original etc.

We went to several more stores, the prices ranged from $85/= to $108/= for the battery that I wanted. I decided not to buy. A few days later I managed to buy the battery at a neighbourhood electronics store located in a HDB estate for only $48/=

Sim Lim Square is on my banned list now !

 

[Cestbon]

Idiot PRC, since he use debit card why not paying cash all this will not happen.