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http://www.digitalone.com.sg/news/article/21491
It pays to read the fine print - or you could end up paying more.
Bangladeshi businessman Shaikh Bashir Ahmed found this out the pricey way.
Mr Ahmed, 56, thought he had snagged a decent deal when he agreed to pay $2,550 for two new iPhone 5 handsets at Eone Mobile Plus at Lucky Plaza.
After all, he was told that the market price of one handset at other electronics shops in the mall were from $1,150 to $1,200 before tax.
But after Mr Ahmed signed a slip of paper and was about to leave the shop, he was stopped by the shopkeeper.
He claimed the shopkeeper then demanded that he pay the remainder of the bill, which amounted to $10,103.
The five-figure sum shocked Mr Ahmed.
The same combination of two iPhone 5 handsets and two AppleCare Protection Plans, a warranty extension, costs $2,373.99 in the Apple online store.
The incident happened on Nov 9, when Mr Ahmed, who was in Singapore on business, was due to fly off later that day.
He was having breakfast at McDonald's in Lucky Plaza when mobile shop Eone Mobile Plus caught his eye.
Thinking it convenient, he decided to get two iPhone 5 handsets from the shop before catching his flight back to Bangladesh the same evening.
Mr Ahmed thought he had struck a decent deal at $1,150 per handset.
"The shopkeeper wanted to explain to me many things and tried to sell me the in-house warranty, but I didn't really listen as I was not interested," Mr Ahmed, who is back in Bangladesh, told The New Paper over the phone.
"I told him I was in a rush and to just pass me the guarantee cards." The shopkeeper then made a copy of Mr Ahmed's passport before asking for his signature on the receipt.
The copy was for registration at the store, the shopkeeper told him. As Mr Ahmed mistook the receipt for a warranty card, he signed it without reading the fine print.
The fine print on the receipt read: "Customer understands that $1,150 is not for cash and carry. Market price for iPhone 5 32GB cash and carry is $2,488.
"Inhouse warranty bundle is required for purchase. Customer agree to all terms and conditions applied."
It was also stated on the receipt that Mr Ahmed was billed for two iPhone 5 handsets and two AppleCare Protection Plans.
When he tried to leave the shop, the shopkeeper stopped him, pointing to the $10,103 figure at the bottom of the receipt.
At first, Mr Ahmed refused to pay the outstanding amount.
But when he tried to return the phones and ask for a refund, the shopkeeper raised his voice at him, he claimed.
Mr Ahmed called his friend, Mr Lionel Tan, a businessman, for help.
Within 20 minutes, Mr Tan, 52, arrived at the shop and called the police as both he and Mr Ahmed were at their wits' end.
By then, it was about 1.15pm.
"There was not much the police could do for us," said Mr Tan. "What the police said was that this is a willing-seller, willing-buyer case, hence they could not intervene."
Finally, after much negotiation, the shopkeeper proposed a marked down price of $4,280 for two iPhone 5 handsets, inclusive of GST.
While Mr Ahmed still considered it too much to pay, he gave in as he had a flight to catch later in the evening.
"The whole process from arguing with the shopkeeper to waiting for the police to arrive took two to three hours."
The experience left Mr Ahmed bitter.
He makes five to six business trips to Singapore every year, but it was his first time at Lucky Plaza and his first unpleasant encounter here.
"This is the first time I got cheated. I thought Singaporeans won't cheat anybody. It's unbelievable," he said.
Tourists who find themselves in similar situations can either visit the Case office or do an online case submission via the Singapore Tourism Board website.
Case disclosed that complaints involving Lucky Plaza has gone up to 52 from 40 last year. Case is open to setting up a complaint kiosk in Lucky Plaza too, like the one in Sim Lim Square.
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