Scams of Neighborhood HP shops

I cannot believe that this is happening in Singapore!

I passed by Arrow Communications hp shop in Toa Payoh on sat evening a caught glance of an attractive hp promotion of motorola's E398 at S$68. Lady in the shop was initially confused about the price of the hp when I asked about it. She thought that it was going at $98. We both came out of the shop to look at the poster again and she acknowledge that it was her mistake. Next to the hp, there was a little tag that says 18mths. After being an M1 customer for 4yrs. I know that 18mths means that that price of $68 on E398 was only valid for customers with at least 18months contract served with M1.



I'm at the 23rd month... so the offer should be valid for me right? So I asked if I'm okay to get the hp E398 at that price she nodded her head.

Great! I'll ask my hubby if I shd get it....

Hubby say ok...

So sunday evening I returned to Arrow Communications and asked for E398 offer with a young man. He took a look at the shelves and replied that the handset is available. Thereafter he insisted that the handset was at $298 for those who are upgrading (ie no new line). We had a prolonged arguement over this fact and again we stood outside the shop both staring at the E398 promotional signage. Nowhere does it says that it REQUIRES new line for that offer. In fact it has 18mths next to it. So it SHOULD be made available for me.

He was unable to contest to that and turned to the lady whom I met on the first day... she remembered me from the day before and agreed to the price of E398.

Unfortunately, they ran out of the handset at the shop already. She even asked why I returned to the shop so late.
Her sarcastic remark of why I'm "late" was upsetting and uncalled for.

So today, I returned to the shop, ON TIME and gues what I found out?

Mr. Daniel Wong took my IC and hp number down and checked his M1 system and returned very eagerly to tell me that there is a PROMOTION in the shop. The promotion is for me to purchase an additional battery, desktop charger and 128 SD RC card at $128 after an incredulous discount of more than 40%. He could not let me ask if I could have just the handset ONLY at $68. He kept insisting for me to hear him out, to listen to the REASONS why I would NEED to spend MORE money to buy the additional UNneccessary accessories.

AFter listening for about 3mins, I declined his PROMOTIONAL offer and he took his slip of paper which he wrote down his PROMOTIONAL offer crashed it and threw it into the bin and told me that I CANNOT have the E398 at $68. Because I am still under contract.... 4 weeks away....

I asked why? He insisted that it was in their "Terms and Conditions" that E398 cannot be sold at $68 to customers who still have 4weeks of contract. We must be contract free....

Fine. I asked to SEE the "Terms and Conditions" which states that because clearly it is NOT on the poster displayed on the outside of his shop. He showed me a piece of expired pamplet and pointed to the bottom of the page stating just "Terms and Conditions apply". Just that.

So there is NO real terms and conditions. It just all up to each of them to STATE their own terms. Its such a scam. They draw potential clients into the shops with Incredulous offers and do not match it! The idea is that each of them earns their own commission by the hp that they sell. So if they can get someone to spend over $200 in the shop, they will earn much MORE than someone who is genuinely just interested in buying the handset with the offer.

SCAM! Dun ever buy anything from these pple....