Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Consumer speak against Opt Out Sales Tactics

Monday, December 01, 2008

Consumer speak against Opt Out Sales Tactics

Dear Mr. Tan,

I like to tell you about my personal experience concerning the practice of opt-out Sales Tactics.

Recently, I upgraded my mobile hand-phone with a leading local telecommunication provider.
I have been a loyal customer of this provider for more than 12 years and have been upgrading my phones at each regular cycle of 2 years.

This time round, I noticed that since the upgrading I have been receiving a barrage of SMS such as Gaming results, CNA news flash , ringtones etc.

After this recent financial fiasco, of which I am a victim of the MiniBond mis-selling, I am more wiser and call up the Service Provider hotline representative.

I was told these SMS messages form part of the upgrading contractual package and will be charged at $xxx after the 30th day from purchased date, unless I opt-out during this period.

Further, I was told by this representative that the Provider shop sales person has made this fact known to me during the sales. It was not made known to me ! Of course like the MInibond, I was made to sign some documents, which was quit routine like the previous upgrading I had.

I like to draw some parallel in this episode to the MiniBond selling procedure. Sales people did not disclosed all hidden costs and risks to their customer but only emphasis the unique selling point.

Mr Tan, I Fully support your efforts in educating the public and getting the authorities to review and investigate into the current selling procedures of these Institutions. These Institutions have become more profit focus and lose touch with their loyal customers (we placed too much trust in them) over the years.

In the name of efficiency, Institutions seems to heading this path of “Express Sales “ with fine prints embedded in the contract. Some Day our Life may also be opt-out !

Martho2008

REPLY
I suggest that you bring this matter to the Consumer Association of Singapore , www.case.org.sg. They will be able to act on this matter more effecitively than me.

10 comments:

Unknown said...: "REPLY
I suggest that you bring this matter to the Consumer Association of Singapore , www.case.org.sg. They will be able to act on this matter more effecitively than me."

This..this 'thing' has been going on for quite some time

such market phenomenons are increasingly becoming the NORM that the consumer should be aptly be alerted by such practices by now and that he or she would do the 'necessary followups' by him or herself. even my young teenage cousins and nephews know this like the back of their hands, its certainly not surprising to any of them

social norms aside, if any authorities had been able to look into or even halt such practices dead in its track, it would have been done so MUCH EARLIER.

we are all living in the 21st century aint we. theres the 21st century stuff and theres the 1st century stuff we are STILL practising

this is just like heading for a public toilet with a own personal pack of tissue, simply on the almost fundamental assumption, there would be NONE there. i think the FIs see this fiasco the same way, they know you are acting on the assumption there would be SOME tissue in there simply because you trusted the toilet manager at the entrance having paid 10cents. to them thats a paltry service fee

think about it really; December 01, 2008 2:41 PM
Anonymous said...: I tried to refer land banking marketing to CASE and to the advertising standards two years ago. Was told as I was not a customer who had suffered it was not within their remit to investigate. In Singapore it seems if you see possible scam or fraud you cant do anything about until the scam is reported by many people who have lost money.; December 01, 2008 7:26 PM
Anonymous said...: I am disturbded by this thing, expecting the consumers to read the fine print.Apparently there is no such thing as good will. These institutions are relying on the 'buyer beware'. Where is the trust?; December 01, 2008 8:26 PM
Anonymous said...: CASE is useless..It is so quiet..Hope authorities learned something from this fiasco..Dishonest selling is rampant.It is the worst in the financial industry..The dishonest RMs and the insurance agents,.Billions of dollars have been robbed by these people who don't add value. MAS? don't talk about it..it makes one's blood boil; December 01, 2008 8:32 PM
Unknown said...: Abnomalies are the new Norms.

Keep accepting it or keep complaining about get nicked by it.; December 01, 2008 8:57 PM
Anonymous said...: I told the sales guy i wanted to opt out of the SMS thing, but i got the SMS anyway. I was made to sign the contract on an electronic signature thingy, without looking at what was signing; i was tired after waiting for so long and didn't bother.

anyway i have cancelled the sms thing, but need to wait till "end of month" for it to stop. it is now end of mth but still not stopped. maybe i have to wait 30 days

-hapless; December 02, 2008 11:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Very simple.

For a Buyers' association. In future all sales personal must pass the buyers' association for being a good-honest seller. Every industry sales with approved and rating and exam., will get right Tag!

Mr. Tan can be our chairman.

Should also give rating to product and institution a monthly rating.

//; December 03, 2008 5:08 AM
Anonymous said...: Why many people got trap..cos now got this kind of Perfume...

http://www.pherone.com/womens.html
This kills.
(This is not promoting)
I was told by one sales girl how she closed so many deals...

Once you got attracted visually on her face, body and sexy legs...

as you get closer...the smell turn your mind koko.
I suspect 50% get con due to this products..

ANy counter agent?; December 03, 2008 5:14 AM
Anonymous said...: http://www.pherone.com/pheromones.html#references

Use 'Tiger Plam' 1st on your noise everytime you talk to any sales-Girl: Boy.

it works.-make in Singapore; December 03, 2008 5:19 AM
Unknown said...: Hypnosis only works if the subject BELIEVES he could be hypnotized.

Darn no wonder I was having no fun; December 03, 2008 8:28 PM