People's Park Centre shops

casefan SG

I have never bought anything from People's Park Centre (PPC) for the last two decades at least. Reason?...... the shops there were and are still (as I found out recently) manned by salespeople who should be referred to as swindlers. A week ago I went there to book a tour at one of the many tour agencies there and decided to get a battery charger for my camera batteries. The one I had conked ( I bought it for $30 about two years ago). I was quoted $85 at one of the camera shops. Another one quoted me a price of $75. When I told him I could get one for $30, he kept quiet and didn't even look at me. I eventually bought the same charger for $28 from a shop in Ang Mo Kio opposite the MRT.

My point here is, if you intend to buy anything from PPC, be wary. There are lots of swindlers there.

Ito_^ SG

how come arh? alot of tourist there is it? Confused

casefan SG

I am a Singaporean and definitely don't look like a tourist when I was shopping there. Yes, there are lots of tourists there and I really feel sorry for them. I guess those salespeople are just trying their luck. If they can "ketok" say 5 unlucky customers a day, the rent for the shop would be covered easily....
I will not shop there anymore..... just go there for food or book tours.

robertteh SG

Which over-charge is more serious - People's Park shopkeeper's overcharging on a camera or HDB's monopolistic fixing of flats' prices at inflated market prices when land on which the flats were built were already paid for by the taxpayers.

Utility companies and GLCs too are able to get away with price increases by charging for land and fixed asset and network costs when such costs were already paid for long ago by the taxpayers under taxation.

Transport and Oil companies are given licence too to charge inflated prices with price increases while making huge profits.

In the case of shopkeeper's overcharge, such overcharge is less serious as the transaction is based on willing buyer and willing seller so that even if there is an overcharge there is no great wrong.

CASE will certainly intervene to punish shopkeepers for price inflation but will it dares not intervene in HDB or GLCs overcharges and unreasonable price increases.

If CASE or government takes action on the shopkeeper's price increases, surely it should take actions too on HDB or Utility or Oil companies' relentless overcharging and price increases.

If we want good government, we ought to ask these questions of the government.

FBI SG

yeah we all know abt it