Motorcars, maid agencies sectors see rise in complaints
SINGAPORE — For the first time in more than a decade, the timeshare industry is out of the list of top 10 industries with the most complaints, while the overall number of consumer complaints received by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) declined last year.
The motorcars industry, however, bucked the trend with more complaints than in 2014, entrenching itself as the number one source of consumer disputes — for the fourth year running.
The other industry in the top 10 that saw a rise in complaints was maid agencies — even as the total number of cases fell to 22,319 last year, which is 9.7 per cent fewer than the 24,700 complaints in 2014 — while the fitness clubs sector was a new entry in the list.
At the same time, the consumer watchdog is seeing more cases seeking resolution — a 45 per cent increase in filed cases — which has led to a lower resolution rate.
CASE president Lim Biow Chuan noted that these cases largely pertained to the contractor, motorcar and travel industries. “These involved large sums of money, and it’s usually difficult to resolve such cases due to the complexity of the situation and the large amount of monies involved,” he said.
The overall drop in complaints has come in tandem with better consumer education and business practices, he added. For instance, the annual statistics released yesterday by CASE at its 45th anniversary event placed the timeshare industry 11th on the list with 536 complaints. In 2013, that figure was around 1,500.
In the motorcars industry, complaints rose to 2,907 cases last year, up from 2,112 in 2014, and half of the complaints received were about defective parts. CASE’s statistics showed also that around seven in 10 cases involved second-hand cars.
Mr Lim said: “Some (of the complaints) relate to pretty old second-hand cars ... I’m more concerned if the complaints are newer second-hand cars.”
Singapore Vehicle Traders Association second vice-president William Ang told TODAY that the lemon law has given rise to some “grey areas” that led to more complaints, such as those regarding defects that consumers were aware of during the sale process for a second-hand car.
Regular wear-and-tear, not covered under the lemon law, is also another source of contention among consumers, who would “try to find all means and ways” to seek some form of compensation, said Mr Ang.
As for maid agencies, the number of complaints rose by around 50 cases, to 914 last year. Last week, a new grading scheme and customer rating for maid agencies was introduced by the Manpower Ministry and CASE to raise overall standards. Mr Desmond Chin, chairman of agency chain Nation, felt that the rising number of domestic helpers is reflected in the rising number of complaints.
Often, it is a matter of “mismatch of abilities”, as requiring a helper to care for an elderly person is different from needing a helper to look after a child, he said. But Mr Chin added: “The employment agents have an important role to play to bridge the employers’ expectations and the employees’ abilities.”
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing, guest-of-honour at yesterday’s event, noted that consumer-complaint cases will become more complex as business models evolve and consumer expectations increase owing to greater awareness of their rights.
He urged CASE to keep pace with the evolution of business models and consumers’ aspirations to stay relevant in Singapore.
