By Ang Yiying
News Reporter
ayiying@sph.com.sg

 

UNLIKE Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or International Women’s Day, to name a few, World Consumer Rights Day usually passes without much fanfare.

Once a year, the local consumer watchdog would hold an event to mark the occasion.

Otherwise, it goes by without much of a blip on our radar, which is a pity, because there’s still a long way to go in terms of consumer education.

Take for instance, the stories that have been reported about those stuck with timeshare deals that they can’t get out of, cashback schemes that don’t materialise or products that don’t work.

Those highlighted cases, which pop up in the media occasionally, are just a fraction of the woes that consumers face.

Some were enticed into signing contracts worth thousands of dollars with verbal promises or pressured into doing so through presentations that go on for hours.

Others believed the claims about a product without further probing.

I once spoke to a lady who had bought an energy-saving device, a rectangular box with a three-pin plug that supposedly helps you save electricity consumption if you plug it into any socket at home, 24/7. The family had been using it for six to seven years.

So, does it work? I asked.

She didn’t know. The family had never compared their electricity bills before and after installing the device.

(By the way, I’ve asked some academics about this and their opinions are divided about whether such energy-saving devices work. So, if you do decide to get such a product, do some research and pick one that comes with a window period for refund.)

What struck me about the example above, and many consumer horror tales, is the lack of scepticism on the part of the buyer.

How can you be so sure the seller is telling the truth when they’re getting you to part with your money (sometimes, a large sum of money)?

Going by the company’s reputation, getting friends’ feedback and, when it comes to too-good-to-be-true claims, asking for proof or documentation, are some ways. What I’ve also found useful for sussing out unfamiliar companies: You can check if a company is registered by doing a company search at the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority website (www.acra.gov.sg). You can also buy a copy of the company’s business profile to find out more information, like how long they’ve been in business and how much share capital they have.

Sure, we do have legislation protecting consumers and ways to lodge a claim. But by the time you realise that something is wrong and try to act on it, it could mean a lot of inconvenience or it could be too late.

What is equally – if not, more – important than legislation, is a dose of scepticism.