SINGAPORE: The Singapore Jewellers Association has slammed
a survey conducted by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE)
on the quality of gold in Singapore.
The association said it fears the negative publicity could
hurt business for the upcoming Lunar New Year period.
Its president Ho Nai Chuen said manufacturers cannot guarantee a
fixed level of purity all the time as it depends on what is termed
as "gold flows".
The CASE survey had singled out four jewellers for selling gold
that failed to possess the 91.6 per cent content touted.
Mr Ho from the Jeweller's association said CASE is “picking on a
trivial matter as with jewellery, there is bound to be
error.”
He also accused CASE of going against "a promise" not to conduct
mystery shopper surveys till certification issues are
resolved.
But CASE's executive director Seah Seng Choon said it could not
reveal when it would conduct such surveys as they were meant to be
a mystery shopper exercise.
Mr Ho also blasted the survey sample which took one sample from
each shop.
He suggested more pieces from the same store be tested and more
points from a piece assessed.
CASE though defended its method, which it said is "similar" to
consumers' method of shopping whereby they walk in to buy a piece
of jewellery from the shop.
Mr Seah said "such a method is random and fair".
- CNA/vm