Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Mystery shopper

Monday, July 12, 2010

Mystery shopper

The regulator in Hong Kong will be using the mystery shopper to check on how financial products are sold to the public. Read this article.

My view
While this may not be popular with the financial institution, it is necessary to have this check. The financial institution has the duty to ensure that the products are sold properly to the retail investors. I hope that a similar scheme be implemented in Singapore.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: HK SFC is being responsible by perform such check. There are similar schemes around eg Air Marshal was introduced after 9/11, Singapore Police also uses "plain clothe police".

See what HK SFC does ... "Under a planned "mystery shopper" scheme, ... will organise senior citizens and pregnant women to act as "investors" to check on whether bank and brokerages are abiding by ethical sales techniques."

Cashew Nut; July 12, 2010 8:45 PM
Anonymous said...: I think not so suitable for Singapore as we operate in the eyes open big big environment so its for the investors to figure that out.; July 12, 2010 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...: Since the minibond saga nothing much in favour of consumer protection has been implemented. Despite recommendation by consumers and practitioners to remove commission from all financial products and to make need based approach compulsory and removal of product advice option MAS is dragging its feet and seems to be looking for way out of this tight situation for the FIs and the insurance companies. It has been trying to make caveat emptor as the basis of all sales and shift the responsibility to consumers. Their public education through MoneySense seems to indicate that and is supposed to make consumers savvy so that the FIs and insurance can sell and assume all their consumers are savvy and so to con them with impunity. This is helping them to escape responsibility.
MAS, please take note THAT NO CONSUMERS OR IT IS UNFAIR TO ASSUME THAT CONSUMERS CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISION. It is impossible to make consumers savvy until they ALL acquire a tertiary level understanding of finance and insurance.
Imagine the salesmen don't have this level of knowledge how could MAS expect the consumers to have.
This is another reason why these salesmen can only push products and con the consumers.
If MAS is seriously of turning this financial advisory business into a more professional one these are things MAS must insist or make it a must that all the salesmen by whatever names or titles they go by
to have the following skills and knowledge.
1. to have a tertiary education in financial planning, eg the CFP, MFP CFA
2.Fee based or fee only and commission to be banned.
3.make need based approach compulsory
4. make all advisers responsible, accountable and liable for the recommendation of the products. Breach of section 27 is fine, suspension, revocation of license and jail.
With having the above only can consumers be protected from the salesmen, conmen and women disguised as senior or executive financial consultants.
On top of the above allow for online portals for the savvy consumers to buy.; July 12, 2010 10:51 PM
Anonymous said...: ""will organise senior citizens and pregnant women to act as "investors" to check on whether bank and brokerages are abiding by ethical sales techniques." ""

Good news. Will at least provide a bit of income for the unemployed older PMETs...
Th older people should be happy, at least they wld not be "useless".; July 12, 2010 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...: The Singapore motto is "YOU DIE YOUR BUSINESS" so better take good care of yourself.; July 13, 2010 9:14 AM
Anonymous said...: getting the old ladies to go under cover at roadshows is good to nail the insurance agents. Record the conversation.. I know of ntuc agents are still telling prospects that their products are better than the bank rates. Eg. saving in their whole life product like Vivolife the return is better than saving in the bank. Must get them. If MAS is short of staff then recruit third party to be the mystery shoppers or the public who experience unethical practices can report to MAS.I can't stand ntuc agents.. They dare to say anything.; July 13, 2010 10:05 AM
Parka said...: This mystery shopper scheme is no different from an audit, except that the person being audited doesn't know.

The only reason banks don't find it popular is because they are not confident of their own business process. And that's embarrassing.

Singapore should adopt this scheme as well.; July 13, 2010 10:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Our regulator would not be bothered
with such detective work. After all they have expressed explicitly that they could only educate investors, not protect, they go in with big, big eyes opened, kena cheated only blame themselves stupid.
Then GIC and Temasek who lost very big in the investment game, also very stupid, they also went in with their eyes wide opened.; July 13, 2010 3:46 PM
Anonymous said...: anon,July 13, 2010 10:05 AM,
the top of top agents is saying and doing it.On top of it she gives rebate.
The HKMA warned against gifts and rebate, right? But in Singapore is legal to use them as inducement to products.; July 13, 2010 6:03 PM