Getting health supplies like masks and hand sanitisers has already been difficult enough as the Covid-19 pandemic strikes fear into Singaporeans.
Now, a netizen has learnt that finding clean ones are even tougher, after unknowingly buying what appeared to be a used thermometer at a Japan Home outlet in Compass One shopping mall.
The netizen shared her alarming experience on Facebook on Sunday (29 Mar).
According to the post, Ms Michelle Teo visited the Japan Home outlet at Compass One on Saturday (28 Mar) and purchased 2 thermometers there.
Since they came in “a box with the Japan Home label on it”, she didn’t think much of it till she checked the items at home later.
Having left the store with 2 seemingly new thermometers, imagine her surprise upon discovering that 1 wasn’t new at all.
The shock came when she opened the box, only to find a thermometer with a stranger’s name in large, dark blue ink across it.
Thermometers don’t come with customisation, and Tiffany Lim certainly isn’t her name, so she knew something was amiss.
Ms Teo returned to the outlet the next day (29 Mar) to ask for a refund for the thermometer, but claimed that “the staff were quite rude” and seemed reluctant.
She even quoted a staff member, who allegedly said:
I also bought 2 yesterday, also no problem.
After some negotiation, she received a refund for both the thermometers she had bought.
While the incident may be an isolated one and Ms Teo acknowledges that it could have been an error on the supplier’s part, she was disappointed that it went down the way it did.
Ms Teo pointed out that nobody could have swapped the thermometers as they were located behind the counter and only staff would have had access to them.
She also wondered if the product was an item that was refunded, or exchanged, and why nobody checked before putting it back on sale. After all, the large words on the thermometer aren’t easy to miss.
In fact, she questioned why refunds or exchanges would be allowed on an item as personal as a thermometer in the first place.
Japan Home has responded to queries from MS News and expressed their concern over the incident, recognising the importance of hygiene in the current pandemic.
Internal investigations are ongoing and staff will undergo further training to ensure that they follow protocol.
The company claims they have been in touch with Ms Teo and have resolved the incident.
Noting that Japan Home has been efficient in stocking up on hot items like surgical masks and hand sanitisers amid shortages, Ms Teo feels that this incident is a major letdown.
Regardless of whether this mysterious “Tiffany Lim” had used the thermometer or not, reselling it seems rather irresponsible and unhygienic.
We’re glad Ms Teo got the refund she requested, and hope that such an incident doesn’t occur again at the outlet or anywhere else.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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