Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Unjustified Jump in Food Prices during Chinese New Year Season

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Unjustified Jump in Food Prices during Chinese New Year Season

Dear Mr Tan,

I hope you can post the below link on your blog.
I tried surfing CASE website but then it seems quite troublesome for an individual to lodge a complaint.
I perhaps need some guidance or education on the process.

Loh Hon Chun

15 comments:

Everlearning said...: Don't be upset about paying more during Chinese New Year Season.

This is a die-hard practice by certain food vendors. To avoid being puzzled by the extra-charges, I have stopped the normal traditional-style of stocking-up goodies to symbolise surpluses during this occasion.

Don't eat out at the heartland eateries. Their prices fluctuate according to their prerogative.

Don't buy at the wet market as well. They charge higher in prices during this season.

A Blessed Chinese New Year to all readers.; January 28, 2009 8:15 AM
Anonymous said...: CASE? forget this body. It is watchdog for the gahment.; January 28, 2009 10:13 AM
Anonymous said...: i had to pay 10 cents more per pc of or kueh i bought from the famous yong teochew kueh at Katong. There was no notice, nothing. Just suka-suka charge. The cashier even calculated the price wrongly (charged be 20 cents each extra!) when i queried abt the price.

I love the kueh but the extra charge could have bought me another 2 pcs at normal days. Here i am trying to stretch my dollar's worth in this recession, kenna charged extra by vendors. What a non sequitur.; January 28, 2009 4:07 PM
Anonymous said...: These vendors also want to have Chinese New year bonus also what. But this year economy no good, so they should also not raise prices, like many employees who also have no bonus.; January 28, 2009 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...: Mr Loh Hon Chun,
If you succeed in your case against unjustified price increase during Chinese New Year. Then could you please go and complain about Valentine's Day, X'mas Day, New Year Day.

It is also prevalent among travel agencies, hotel bookings etc etc.

Is the complaint against price increase in this case justified?; January 28, 2009 5:01 PM
vertigoer said...: $3.60 for a meal is not over-charged (especially over Chinese New Year). Probably, the owner's attitude pissed the author off.

Do you complain about the food prices at Sentosa or Singapore Zoo?; January 28, 2009 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...: The mother of all price increases is the whopping salary increase of the ministers, notably the president, MM, SM and PM. Saw on TV the 3.2 million $ president asking Singaporeans to appreciate the fantastic budget. Why so upset about the 10 cents or 1 dollar you are paying when we are paying millions. Hope after getting the millions they can work as hard as Obama, whose one day work can achieve so much yet his pay is so low. I saw an advert about mid career change to tourism studies and called up. The girl told me that the jobs offered will come with a salary of 1,200 dollars and candidate will be rotated amongy three departments. She admitted that the pay is low but they are looking for people with the "Passion" in the service industry. When I asked her about why when come to ministers they talk about high salary but not "Passion" she asked me to ask the ministers.
So, hey, Ministers, why when come to your salary "passion" is not enough must have high salary why when come to us only "Passion" counts? Also when we get older we are supposed to take a pay cut but when comes to you all you get higher and higher pay even though you are well past retirement age? Huh, Huh???; January 28, 2009 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...: Prudie 4.07 pm,

For me, even if I like something very much but if the vendor is not ethical (overcharge) or I see something unhygienic, I will not buy from him/her. Never mind even if it is for Chinese New Year.

If only everyone is like me, then these vendors will learn their lesson.; January 28, 2009 7:58 PM
Anonymous said...: Cher Ni, cher pi

Once a yr, leh.

Go buy from supermkts if not willing to pay the extra. Or shop early. I cut my hair early to avoiid the fare increase.

As to yr favourite vendors, look upon it as giving them a bit extra.; January 29, 2009 5:29 AM
Anonymous said...: I also paid more. $3.50 fot 2 vegetables and 1 meat compared to the usual $2.80 at Peninsula Plaza; January 29, 2009 6:22 AM
Anonymous said...: "January 28, 2009 5:01 PM" has mentioned something which we have taken as obvious all along.
Why meals in hotels cost different during weekdays and weekends?
Why cost of movie tickets depend on the days of the week?
... etc; January 29, 2009 7:36 AM
Anonymous said...: why pick on hawkers always, have u question airline, taxi and more others that extra charges during peak period.; January 29, 2009 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...: they charged extra as CNY is a PH so its like OT to them, but to be fair, they should indicate the extra charges clearly for us to see and assess b4 buying. Since they charge unfairly, lets just take it as a lesson and stop buying from them again.; January 29, 2009 5:20 PM
Anonymous said...: it's not only during LNY. My neighbourhood food centre most stalls increase their prices from the usual $2 to $2.50, $3.00, $4.00for fish ball noodles, laksa, chicken rice and mee-robus, lontong. Notice that most stalls nowaday are rented out to new operators by the original leasee at high rental and to operate profitably they have to sell at higher prices.; January 30, 2009 12:04 AM
Anonymous said...: So while wages set to be cut or gone (for the jobless), transport fees set to be down, more GST credits to be given etc, BUT the most basic food prices continue to surge.
How to balance this equation?

Jasmin; January 30, 2009 1:45 PM