Sim Lim Management and CASE to launch new accreditation scheme

[metalslug]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/415486/1/.html

Sim Lim Management and CASE to launch new accreditation scheme
By 938 LIVE | Posted: 15 March 2009 2259 hrs

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SINGAPORE: For the first time, the managers of an IT shopping mall are joining hands with the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) to address the complaints received about its retailers.

Sim Lim Management is in discussion with CASE to adopt the CaseTrust accreditation scheme for its IT vendors.

Last year, CASE saw a 30 per cent increase in the number of complaints regarding Sim Lim Square retailers, compared to 2007.

So the managment of the IT mall has acted and is pushing for its retailers to be accredited to the CaseTrust scheme, which is a mark of good business and fair-trading practices.

This will complement the existing accreditation scheme called Star Retailer Scheme implemented four years ago.

For a start, they aim to rope in at least 20 per cent or one hundred retailers.

President of CASE, Yeo Guat Kwang, said: "Based on our records over the last two years, we have received more of the complaints of some of the retailers in Sim Lim Square and the management committee hopes that with the accreditation scheme, we will be able to strengthen the consumer confidence for people who like to shop at Sim Lim Square."

According to one shopper looking for a bargain at Sim Lim Square, having a CaseTrust logo displayed will help her make more informed choices.

She said: "If we have the CASE sticker, I think it does help a lot of consumers. The reason being that, once we see the CaseTrust (logo), that is to say the government has actually filtered the stores and they are considered trustworthy so we can buy with a better mindset, compared to when we have to go shop by shop to find if this is a trustworthy company or not."

Chairman of Sim Lim Square's exisiting Star Retailer Progrmame, Raymond Chua, said the CaseTrust logo will give shoppers the added assurance.

He said: "A lot of shoppers, they still feel that with our signature, Star Retailer scheme, they still don't have so much confidence but with the CaseTrust backing, then I think they are much more confident to shop with us. They think that with CaseTrust, they have additional assurance."

Details of the CaseTrust accredition scheme for the IT vendors at Sim Lim Square is expected in May this year.

- 938LIVE/yt

 

[xebay11]

No use lah, the ah beng will point to Case Trust sticker and when u let your guard down, they will then take the opportunity to eat you whole, hook, line and sinker.

 

[metalslug]

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_350662.html

Sim Lim cleans up act
Watchdog also planning accreditation schemes for car and beauty sectors
By Diana Othman

ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

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THE Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) is joining hands with the management of Sim Lim Square to clean up the mall's reputation for fleecing its customers, making misleading claims and selling defective goods.

Stating the case
THE Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has handled about 263,486 cases since it was established in 1971. It has also mediated 869 cases since its mediation centre was opened in 1999.

Case has received an average of 20,000 complaints every year in the last five years and managed to recover about $4million annually over the last two years in disputes for consumers.
... more
Talks are on to launch the CaseTrust accreditation scheme for the mall's 500 shops, which mostly sell technology gadgets.

For a start, the scheme will aim to rope in up to a quarter of the merchants and accredit the trustworthy ones among them.

The accreditation scheme, administered by Case, will also be launched for vendors in two other industries that attract the most complaints - the motoring industry, as well as the beauty and spa industry.

Case president Yeo Guat Kwang, who was at the NTUC Centre in Marina Boulevard yesterday for a family-centred event to mark World Consumer Rights Day, also announced that the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act would have a wider reach from the middle of next month.

Products sold by the financial industry and goods presented to consumers in free-trial promotions will be added to the list of goods and services against which they can file complaints and seek redress.

Another change to the Act was with regard to the maximum amount of claims consumers may seek, which will go up from $20,000 to $30,000.

To launch CaseTrust in an industry, Case examines its trading practices and consumer policies, and sets up dispute- resolution mechanisms. If a business meets the set standards, it will be given the CaseTrust accreditation.

Businesses that are accredited wear their trustworthiness with a decal that is displayed on their premises.

Sim Lim's advertising and promotions manager Sean Chia said: 'We want to give customers more confidence to shop at Sim Lim Square.'

Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits Times.

 

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/415566/1/.html

Fair deals at Sim Lim
By Leong Wee Keat, TODAY | Posted: 16 March 2009 1133 hrs

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SINGAPORE - Sim Lim Square retailers have had enough of being known as a haven for pushy salesmen, shady shop owners and unsavoury sales tactics.

The management of the popular Rochor Road IT mall have approached the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) to adopt an accreditation scheme that will ensure fair-trading and best consumer practices are in place.

Case president Yeo Guat Kwang said this is the first time the association is working with a retail mall to roll out the CaseTrust Scheme. Previously, Case worked with industry partners - such as those in private education - to introduce the scheme.

But Mr Yeo said: "According to the management, the majority are doing it right and have been very fair to consumers ... But they find it difficult to handle some of the black sheep among them."

Last year, complaints against Sim Lim Square retailers rose for the fifth consecutive year, by some 30 per cent to 244. Common grouses include unsatisfactory service, failure to honour refunds, misleading claims, overcharging and defective goods.

Back in 2004, Case received just 69 complaints against the retailers here. This went up to 103 complaints in 2005; 119 in 2006 and 188 in 2007. And this year, 48 complaints have been lodged to date.

Details of the accreditation scheme are expected to be finalised by next month and for a start, Case is targeting a quarter of the 500 retailers to sign on by the third quarter of this year.

While he is keen to find out more about the scheme, Mr Dennis Lim - a partner of an IT store at Sim Lim Square - was concerned about the costs involved. It currently costs about S$1,480 to sign on for the first year. "Times are bad so we need to cut costs," said Mr Lim. "We need to be convinced of the tangible benefits before we join."

While the scheme is voluntary, Case intends to make it simple and affordable to get the retailers to come on board. A special feedback mechanism is also in the pipeline.

Mr Yeo was speaking at Case’s World Consumer Rights Day celebrations on Sunday. He said over the last two years, the association has managed to recover S$8 million for consumers who were involved in various disputes.

Sim Lim Square retailers will not be the only ones who will introduce best consumer practices this year.

Case, together with the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA), will also roll out a CaseTrust Accreditation Scheme for the motoring industry.

Fifty parallel importers and used-car traders - representing key players in the industry — will join the scheme next month. Another 20 companies are still being evaluated.

Mr Yeo said SVTA would also set up a dispute resolution centre - similar to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre - to mediate disputes that may arise.

Last year, some 1,709 complaints regarding the motorcar industry were received, an increase from the 1,562 in 2007. There have been 272 complaints so far this year.

Case is also working to introduce the CaseTrust accreditation scheme to the spa industry later this year. Last year saw an increase of complaints in the industry to 113 cases last year from 98 in 2007. - TODAY/ar

 

[Singapaporean]

How about CaseTrust accreditation scheme for Geylang legal "shop"