Clinic shuts down suddenly after woman pays S$12,000 for dental implants, unable to pay her back
A woman who wanted to get some dental work done paid a total of S$12,000 for five dental implants, only for the clinic to abruptly shut down before her dental work was even completed.
The clinic first claimed it was closing for “renovations”, but months later, it disappeared entirely.
More than a year on, she’s still chasing her money with no success, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Woman pays thousands for dental implants, asked to wait as clinic undergoes ‘renovation’
Ms Qiu (surname transliterated), 55, a retiree, visited Ping An Dental Centre at Jalan Sultan’s Textile Centre on 29 Dec 2023.
After two appointments, she had undergone bone grafting and had metal implants fitted. She paid a total of S$12,000, including S$7,500 by credit card and S$5,350 via MediSave.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
When she tried to schedule the next step — making the dental implant model — the clinic told her via WhatsApp on 9 June 2024 that it would be closed for one to two weeks for renovations.
“At that time, I didn’t chase them and just kept waiting,” she told Shin Min. “After three months, I sent a text message to inquire again, but this time they didn’t reply.”
Clinic shutters suddenly with no notice
Suspicious, Ms Qiu and her husband visited the clinic in person — only to find the shutters down.
She returned several times over the year, but it never reopened. She finally decided to call the police last November.
In June this year, her husband managed to contact the person in charge of the clinic by phone.
The person responded, saying they were still discussing the refund request, but they hadn’t shared any news afterwards.
Source: Consumers Association of Singapore
Ms Qiu thereafter lodged a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) that same month.
Clinic had no choice but to shut down
A Shin Min reporter tried to contact the person in charge of the now-defunct clinic. They reportedly replied via WhatsApp, saying that the clinic had already closed in June last year.
They explained: “Many customers owe us money, about S$100,000 in total. They promised to pay in instalments, but none of them did, so we were unable to continue operating.”
The person in charge also shared that there were very few customers who paid in full. As the debts exceeded their assets, the clinic had no choice but to close down.
When reporters visited the first-floor unit at the Textile Centre recently, the clinic’s items were still inside, but the place remained locked.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
A beauty salon worker opposite said she’d never seen it open in her week of working there.
“In the past week, at least three people asked if the clinic was open, saying they paid and booked services but couldn’t get appointments or reach anyone by phone.”
A nearby shop owner confirmed the clinic moved there about a year ago, but had not been open for some time.
Woman forced to seek dental treatment overseas
After months of discomfort, Ms Qiu paid RM12,000 (S$3,600) last November to get her implant model made in Malaysia.
“I had to find another dentist, and Malaysia is cheaper, so I went there for the treatment.”
CASE told MS News that from January last year to 12 August this year, they had received a total of 10 complaints against the dental clinic, with six of them filed last year.
“Consumers generally complained that the clinic failed to deliver the promised dental services and became uncontactable after full payment was made,” said Mr Melvin Yong, CASE President.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
