Who on earth in their right mind would pay $2600 for a Sony PSP. That amount can buy a nice laptop.
Frankly, I dun know if the lady was gullible, ignorant or plain stupid? Mostly all three.
If I was quoted such a ridiculous price, I would just walk away. What a con job and no one can do anything about it. How many more unknowing and ignorant suckers would be suckered by this shop?
But according to CASE, what the shop did is not considered overcharging. So criminally they are not illegal And CASE even said that retailers are free to set their own prices because of differences in cost structures and locations.
GASP! Double Gasp! That means they can technically commit daylight robbery and the police cannot do anything about it! *Faint*
That's why I never shop for any IT or electronics or electrical products from Lucky Plaza. Only ignorant tourists do.
Bunch of blood thirsty blood suckers, they have there.
----------------------
The New Paper
06 Aug 2008
Woman pays $2,600 for 'upgraded' PSP
Salesman told her she was paying for 'original' software licences.
HER 12-year-old daughter wanted to buy a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) to share with her friends.
On 12 July, a 41-year-old sales assistant, who wanted to be known only as Nicole, went with her daughter to shop for one at Lucky Plaza. After checking with several shops, she found out that the price ranged between $300 and $600.
She told The New Paper that she went to a shop owned by Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises. She said that the sales assistant there was polite and helpful, and helped her daughter to choose a black-tinted PSP.
He advised Nicole to upgrade the software on the PSP, explaining that this would allow her daughter to play more games as well as surf the Internet, among other things.
When Nicole asked him how much the games cost, he told her that they were free of charge. He added that she only needed to pay for the PSP and licence for software upgrading. He then took the PSP away to download the games and upgrade the software, she said. He returned 15 minutes later with the PSP and the bill - a whopping $3,550.
Said Nicole: 'I was shocked. I thought he had written an extra zero by mistake. 'I told him that if the upgraded PSP was going to cost as much as a laptop, I might as well get my daughter a laptop.' Nicole said that her daughter agreed that the PSP was too expensive, and said she didn't want it anymore.
But the sales assistant told her that it was too late as he had already downloaded original software onto the PSP and the licences were costly.
AGREED TO REDUCE PRICE
He agreed to reduce the price to $3,100, but Nicole said it was still too expensive. He then offered reduce it further to $2,610, saying that he wouldn't include anti-virus software.
When Nicole insisted that she didn't want it, he said she still had to pay for the licences of the downloaded games, which would cost $2,000. Said Nicole: 'Although it was crazy that I had to pay $2,000 for nothing, I thought that I could not expect the shop to pay for the licences.
'I couldn't walk away as it would be irresponsible of me.' She asked him why other shops sold PSPs for between $300 to $600.
'He claimed that the PSPs they were selling were different because the licences for the software were not original.'
Convinced by the shop assistant, she paid $2,600. But her brother told her that night that she had paid too much.
They went back to the shop the next day and asked to see the licences for the software, but were told it was confidential. The shop insisted it did not overcharge Nicole, but agreed to waive the service charge.
After lengthy negotiations, the price came down to $1,400. But Nicole insisted the maximum she would pay was $1,000. She got her way and received a $1,600 refund. 'It was still very expensive but I did not want to waste time,' she said.
She later went to the Consumers' Association of Singapore but was told that because she had agreed to pay $1,000, it could not pursue the matter further. 'All the while, the sales assistant had an innocent face, and was helpful and appeared sincere,' she said. She added that she was not intimidated into paying.
When contacted, Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises declined to comment.
'My friends all say I'm so stupid,' Nicole said.
------------------------
No need for extra licences, Sony says
PSP users can download official firmware upgrades from the PlayStation network that are free for all users, said a Sony spokesman.
These firmware upgrades include security patches and the use of services from partners like Skype. No physical upgrades are available for the PSP but users can buy accessories such as the Skype headset to make Skype phone calls, and the PSP Camera to take pictures.
Official PSP games are sold individually in the optical disk format known as UMD, available through authorised resellers. They can also be bought from the PlayStation Network at http://asia.playstation.com and transferred from their PC to the PSP through the PSP Media Manager, also available at the same site.
There is no need to purchase additional licences to play PSP games. Any unauthorised modifications to the PSP will void the warranty.
----------------------------
Buyer beware, Case says...
THE New Paper examined the $2,600 PSP to see if original software had been installed on it. The 'upgraded' PSP had a software version of 3.90 M33-3, which is understood to be a common hack to enable pirated games to be downloaded onto the PSP. It is not original software.
As for the anti-virus, The New Paper understands there are no commercial anti-virus programmes available for the PSP.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said 31 cases involving Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises had been reported over the past three years.
Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said customers such as Nicole can ask for a full refund if she had bought something she did not intend to buy. He added that overcharging is a breach of the Consumer Protection Act.
But Nicole's case cannot be considered overcharging.
He said retailers are free to set their own prices because of differences in cost structures and location.
'We think that businesses should compete fairly. If you quote something higher, the consumer has the right to buy from somebody else who can quote lower. 'A competitive environment will ensure that prices are kept down.'
To avoid being overcharged, Case advises consumers to compare prices from various shops, verify claims made by retail shops with the main dealer or distributor, and do market research such as reading online forums before buying.
Frankly, I dun know if the lady was gullible, ignorant or plain stupid? Mostly all three.
If I was quoted such a ridiculous price, I would just walk away. What a con job and no one can do anything about it. How many more unknowing and ignorant suckers would be suckered by this shop?
But according to CASE, what the shop did is not considered overcharging. So criminally they are not illegal And CASE even said that retailers are free to set their own prices because of differences in cost structures and locations.
GASP! Double Gasp! That means they can technically commit daylight robbery and the police cannot do anything about it! *Faint*
That's why I never shop for any IT or electronics or electrical products from Lucky Plaza. Only ignorant tourists do.
Bunch of blood thirsty blood suckers, they have there.
----------------------
The New Paper
06 Aug 2008
Woman pays $2,600 for 'upgraded' PSP
Salesman told her she was paying for 'original' software licences.
HER 12-year-old daughter wanted to buy a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) to share with her friends.
On 12 July, a 41-year-old sales assistant, who wanted to be known only as Nicole, went with her daughter to shop for one at Lucky Plaza. After checking with several shops, she found out that the price ranged between $300 and $600.
She told The New Paper that she went to a shop owned by Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises. She said that the sales assistant there was polite and helpful, and helped her daughter to choose a black-tinted PSP.
He advised Nicole to upgrade the software on the PSP, explaining that this would allow her daughter to play more games as well as surf the Internet, among other things.
When Nicole asked him how much the games cost, he told her that they were free of charge. He added that she only needed to pay for the PSP and licence for software upgrading. He then took the PSP away to download the games and upgrade the software, she said. He returned 15 minutes later with the PSP and the bill - a whopping $3,550.
Said Nicole: 'I was shocked. I thought he had written an extra zero by mistake. 'I told him that if the upgraded PSP was going to cost as much as a laptop, I might as well get my daughter a laptop.' Nicole said that her daughter agreed that the PSP was too expensive, and said she didn't want it anymore.
But the sales assistant told her that it was too late as he had already downloaded original software onto the PSP and the licences were costly.
AGREED TO REDUCE PRICE
He agreed to reduce the price to $3,100, but Nicole said it was still too expensive. He then offered reduce it further to $2,610, saying that he wouldn't include anti-virus software.
When Nicole insisted that she didn't want it, he said she still had to pay for the licences of the downloaded games, which would cost $2,000. Said Nicole: 'Although it was crazy that I had to pay $2,000 for nothing, I thought that I could not expect the shop to pay for the licences.
'I couldn't walk away as it would be irresponsible of me.' She asked him why other shops sold PSPs for between $300 to $600.
'He claimed that the PSPs they were selling were different because the licences for the software were not original.'
Convinced by the shop assistant, she paid $2,600. But her brother told her that night that she had paid too much.
They went back to the shop the next day and asked to see the licences for the software, but were told it was confidential. The shop insisted it did not overcharge Nicole, but agreed to waive the service charge.
After lengthy negotiations, the price came down to $1,400. But Nicole insisted the maximum she would pay was $1,000. She got her way and received a $1,600 refund. 'It was still very expensive but I did not want to waste time,' she said.
She later went to the Consumers' Association of Singapore but was told that because she had agreed to pay $1,000, it could not pursue the matter further. 'All the while, the sales assistant had an innocent face, and was helpful and appeared sincere,' she said. She added that she was not intimidated into paying.
When contacted, Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises declined to comment.
'My friends all say I'm so stupid,' Nicole said.
------------------------
No need for extra licences, Sony says
PSP users can download official firmware upgrades from the PlayStation network that are free for all users, said a Sony spokesman.
These firmware upgrades include security patches and the use of services from partners like Skype. No physical upgrades are available for the PSP but users can buy accessories such as the Skype headset to make Skype phone calls, and the PSP Camera to take pictures.
Official PSP games are sold individually in the optical disk format known as UMD, available through authorised resellers. They can also be bought from the PlayStation Network at http://asia.playstation.com and transferred from their PC to the PSP through the PSP Media Manager, also available at the same site.
There is no need to purchase additional licences to play PSP games. Any unauthorised modifications to the PSP will void the warranty.
----------------------------
Buyer beware, Case says...
THE New Paper examined the $2,600 PSP to see if original software had been installed on it. The 'upgraded' PSP had a software version of 3.90 M33-3, which is understood to be a common hack to enable pirated games to be downloaded onto the PSP. It is not original software.
As for the anti-virus, The New Paper understands there are no commercial anti-virus programmes available for the PSP.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said 31 cases involving Yeow Tat Trading Enterprises had been reported over the past three years.
Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said customers such as Nicole can ask for a full refund if she had bought something she did not intend to buy. He added that overcharging is a breach of the Consumer Protection Act.
But Nicole's case cannot be considered overcharging.
He said retailers are free to set their own prices because of differences in cost structures and location.
'We think that businesses should compete fairly. If you quote something higher, the consumer has the right to buy from somebody else who can quote lower. 'A competitive environment will ensure that prices are kept down.'
To avoid being overcharged, Case advises consumers to compare prices from various shops, verify claims made by retail shops with the main dealer or distributor, and do market research such as reading online forums before buying.
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