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Sim Lim shops running scams on customers

Our recent visit to Singapore over the week-end got us scouring around the shops of Sim Lim and Funan Digital IT Mall. Sim Lim has been a favorite gadget mall since a lot of stores carry new and interesting gadgets where you can haggle for discounts. Our recent visit was totally different though.

We headed off to Sim Lim Square on a Friday night of November 2 to look for the new iPad Mini that was released in Singapore that very same day. Most of the Apple Reseller stores in the city had ran out of stocks that same morning (local reports came that stocks of the iPad Mini ran out as early as 30 to 45 minutes from store opening).

We asked each and every store that look like they carry an Apple product for the iPad Mini and found about half a dozen of them still selling units. The prices they quoted us ranged from SGD$549 to SGD$599 for the 16GB model. That’s despite the fact that the same model only has a suggested retail price of SGD$448.

Understandably, these are re-purchased units bought at the base price then resold for a profit and landed in these stores to re-sell. Each time it is bought and re-sold, the price might be jacked up by SGD$50 to $SGD100. This is pretty normal and also applies with other iDevices, including the iPhone 5.

After walking around and scaling all 6 floors of the Sim Lim Square, we went back to the one that gave us the cheapest price only to discover that the first price they gave us wasn’t true and has changed to $600.

We were ready to walk out of there when a last ditch effort pointed us to a shop in the ground floor that offered it for SGD$480 (Php17k). We went inside and confirmed if it was really $480 and the Chinese owner confirmed. I thought it was a lucky break and since the shop was huge and manned by half a dozen people, I did not suspect anything. Since I was on Twitter at that time, a few other friends were also asking if I could buy them an iPad Mini as well.

I asked for the price of the other models and was quoted with a SGD$750 price for the 32GB (roughly Php26k). It was a little odd that the price difference between the 16GB and the 32GB was huge. I ended up confirming my order for a black 16GB and a white 16GB, repeatedly confirming the $480 price .

The store owner even tried to sell me a separate Lightning cable but I declined saying I already have a lot of them from my iPhone 5, iPod Touch and iPod Nano. After I handed him my credit card, he asked me if I wanted it unlocked. I was a bit confused about the “unlocked” but I said yes knowing that there’s no difference anyway for the WiFi model.

After swiping my card, the guy handed my the charge slip to sign. I discovered that the final amount was around SGD$1,440 (Php50k) for the 2 units. I was surprised since I thought it would only be SGD$960 (Php34k). I asked him to clarify and he said it was because I asked for the unlocked model. He then proceeded to show me the computation using his calculator (480 base price + 180 unlock price x 2 units x 10% CC charge = ~ 1,440).

I asked him to explain the unlock charge and he tried to confuse me saying the units came from the US and they had to pay an unlock price so it would work in Asia. After I said I don’t want the unlock and he should just give me a locked unit, he gave another explanation that in order for iTunes and the apps to work, I had to get it to unlock. After saying I didn’t want to use iTunes and any apps so I don’t need the unlock, he replied saying they already paid for the unlock so I should just sign the damn charge slip.

I argued that I did not want to buy it if there was an unlock charge and he didn’t even mention how much was the unlock charge before swiping my card. I added he could have made the unlock charge to $3,000 and I would have no way of knowing before he swiped my credit card.

The guy then tells me there are two models — the Singapore model that sells for SGD$620 and then the US model that sells for SGD$660 — and that I should just pick which one to get. I said I am no longer interested and asked them to reverse the charge.

The guy then suddenly yelled at me saying I am giving him trouble and that if I want to reverse it, he will charge me a 10% reversal fee. I said I will just call my credit card company and tell them to cancel it. We argued on and on for about 30 minutes and even if I said sorry, that this is all just a miscommunication and that I should instead go to the other stores and get the one at $599, he continued to berate me saying I am fooling him and he no longer wants me as a customer.

The guy is now angry, shouting at me, telling me to fuck off and shut up. I said I will shut up once he reverses my charge. After a very excruciating hour, we got out of the store in a hurry. Other customers are now looking at us.

We moved to another store to inquire before heading off to get a taxi back to our hotel. The other store owner conceded that a few stores in Sim Lim have that kind of modus operandi — giving inquiring customers really low prices and then charge them additional fees once the credit cards are swiped. It was a first time for me but fortunately, I was in the mood to argue and didn’t give in to the scam. I’ve been so used to Singapore as a really honest city, that you can leave your bag anywhere and no one would steal it so I did not expect store owners to be that scheming and lying thru their teeth.

Updated: Was able to get the reversal from them and upon checking the copy of the charge slips, I found the name of the store — Smart Connection – SI, Sim Lim Square #01-40, 1 Rochor Canal Road S188504.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

80 Responses

  1. Avatar for Mon Mon says:

    better talaga sa low yat plaza sa KL. prices not as low as in sim lim but at least they’re honest. they will show you the price sa calculator para malinaw and walang mga added charges. i remember we got a samsung galaxy S2 last year even before it officially came out sa south east asia and was quite happy with the price we got.

  2. Avatar for wh@ wh@ says:

    TOO BAd . .
    tsk . tsk. tsk .

  3. Avatar for jpeb jpeb says:

    guidebooks have always warned against Sim Lim Square.

  4. Avatar for eric livelo eric livelo says:

    yes Sim Lim is getting to be notorious. i was able to avoid that experience because i was with a singaporean.. electronics shopping is better in hk or macau, even in kl. and the prices are really almost the same per my experience.

  5. Avatar for Rad Rad says:

    It also happened to me and my friends. We also argued with that ‘unlocked’ charges for less than an hour. He want us also to pay for the reversal which is a bit odd. We yell that we’ll just report him to the authorities. He returned the money. Unfortunately,I can’t remember the store name..

  6. Avatar for banahaw banahaw says:

    its common now in sg i will assume its a PRC mainland china business man yan ang modus nila sa sg.they just get away kasi they look singaporean kaya feeling natin ok mag trust btw sg chinese businessman are still honest.Its those mainland chinese that are creating havoc all over asia.

  7. Avatar for EMILY EMILY says:

    TNX SO MUCH FOR INFORMING YOUR READERS…WE SURELY WOULD’NT WANT TO BE IN THAT SITUATION AND WASTE OUR BRIEF TIME IN SINGAPORE ARGUING WITH SCHEMING & DISHONEST SELLERS..LUCKILY, THEY’RE A HANDFUL..GIVING SHAME TO THE GREATER MAJORITY OF HONEST SINGAPOREANS..

  8. Avatar for meh meh says:

    Why are you buying from there instead of the apple store or online? No way i would buy from a retailer of course they will jack the price up

    The sad part is go to apple philippines website they are still only selling the ipad2 !!!!! What a joke, I don’t understand why the philippines is punished when it comes to technology, its like the country is not allowed to have modern tech

    • Avatar for Iyan Sommerset Iyan Sommerset says:

      Not enough rich people here for the country to matter in Apple’s eyes.

    • Avatar for Frhw Frhw says:

      mas ok kung medyo late ang release dito sa atin kasi madalas ang first batch ng new model ay may mga defect pa.

  9. Avatar for Angelo Angelo says:

    Buy gadgets in the PH. Wait lang ng konti.

  10. Avatar for Abiel Abiel says:

    a difference for 14k! mental note… SIM LIM!!!!

  11. Avatar for Dee Dee says:

    Exactly the same thing happened to me when I bought my iP5 during the F1 week, same day the iP5 was released in SG. They should really do something about it hey. I’m surprise the government there isn’t doing anything about it. I had to argue, called my credit card company and threatened the store that I’ll call the authorities before they reversed the charge.

    • Avatar for aids888 aids888 says:

      was it the shop on the first floor named mobile apps pte? my friend also bought an iphone5 during the f1 weekend for SGD1200, which was the lowest price we could find but after paying. he told us that it needed to be unlocked as well and made him sign an agreement. after 30mins, he gave us back the phone and charged my friend SGD 1600 (he bough 2 phones). We argued with the guy but he told us that the “unlock” has already been made and we signed the certificate so my friend was forced the pay him. that experience ruined our perfect f1 weekend

  12. Avatar for Name: Name: says:

    Last September I went there. Sa Level 1 meron na silang pwesto (with computer) where you can report scams. Also may symbol ng star (sa entrance ng selected ) in sim lim square. Assurance daw ito ng quality service, trust and confidence. Personally even the “star” shops hindi ko pa rin natry.

  13. Avatar for SGee SGee says:

    Rule of thumb in Sim Lim, the scammers are usually on the lower levels of the building. The higher you go up the building, the least likely you’d be scammed.

    I’d rather shop for electronics in HK. It’s cheaper because they don’t have GST. Even if the building would look shady like the one in Sham Shui Po, I never felt that anybody there would try to pull a scam on me.

  14. Avatar for Axsyon Axsyon says:

    Almost same experience. I was buying a portable charger. The vendor told me it cost SGD17 but when i was about to pay it was really sgd70! Siguro mali lang pagkakarinig ko but after reading the story above baka nga scam.

  15. Avatar for Jesse Jesse says:

    Had the same experience in Sim Lim, kaya pag balik ko ng SG hindi na ko dun titingin. Lowest price doesn’t mean the best deal.

  16. Avatar for romen romen says:

    Thanks for the warning. Well you could have also mentioned the shop’s name here or better yet post the picture of the shop and the tender.

  17. Avatar for Reynaldo Go Reynaldo Go says:

    Happened to my brother also in Simlim. Same modus operandi. They quote you a low price. Then when you already agreed to the price and pay them, then they say there is a charge for unlocking. And they will not return the money even if you say you will cancel the purchase. My brother even went to look for a police and they cannot even do anything (I think they are in cahoots with the retailers). So, wala sya magawa.. he finally bought the unit at a higher price since the store owner will not return the money and the store owner will agree for a refund with cancellation fee of 10%.. so, just be careful. dont part with your money if you have not confirmed the unit and all the details yet. pay only if have checked everything and ready to part with your money. once you give them your money, its a different story already..

    good day to you all…

  18. Avatar for Vin Vin says:

    Hi,

    Yes sir mga ibang stores po sa SG may ganyang modus lalo na po sa Lucky Plaza.. Minsan umaabot po ng 200sgd ang unlock at sasabihin lang nila pag na open na ang box kaya wala nang magagawa ang customer.

  19. Avatar for henroguy henroguy says:

    A few years ago, I one spent a whole day comparing prices in most of the shops in SimLim and found many of them were plain scammers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim_Lim_Square. I agree that Funan is better, though I ended up buying in Low Yat Plaza in Malaysia instead.

  20. Avatar for joey joey says:

    Sir, ano name ng store baka makapunta kami don bukas, bibili rin kami pero cash. at least aware na ako sa modus nila. hehehe

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