Grandma loses S$1,200 after being offered S$10 massage
A woman took to Threads last Saturday (19 Sept) to share that her grandmother lost about S$1,200 after being offered a S$10 massage.
She said they are awaiting a refund, but plan to lodge a police report and publicly name the company if they fail to comply within the agreed timeframe.
The Original Poster (OP) asked others whether they or their loved ones have experienced the same around Yew Tee and Choa Chu Kang.
Several users responded, saying they have seen similar booths offering high-cost services to older people.
80-year-old woman offered S$380 massage package
Speaking to MS News, Nabila, 30, said the incident occurred on 18 Sept at around 4.3opm at a promotional booth at Yew Tee Point.
She shared that her 80-year-old grandmother works as a cleaner at Yew Tee Primary School.
She added that her mother usually gets off work at 4pm, but only reached home at around 7pm that day.
Image courtesy of Ms Nabila
Ms Nabila’s grandmother told the family that a salesperson approached her after noticing how she walked and offered her a S$10 massage.
They then offered her a S$380 massage package at an outlet in Holland Village, to which she agreed.
“According to her, she understood that she was paying S$380 and was told the sessions could also be used by family members,” Ms Nabila explained.
Image courtesy of Ms Nabila
The staff also told her grandmother that the price was a special offer.
They claimed it was their “last day” at the booth.
When she didn’t have enough cash, they told her she could pay by card.
They also gave her complimentary mooncakes and herbal patches after the transaction.
Elderly woman’s bank balance falls to S$17
Ms Nabila and her brother found out that their grandmother had been charged fraudulently when they accompanied her to the market during the weekend.
“We discovered that her bank balance had fallen to approximately $17,” Ms Nabila told MS News. “She herself was shocked when we told her.”
Their grandmother then showed them the receipts and said she only agreed to the S$10 massage and the S$380 package.
However, they found that she was charged S$1,254 in total.
Following this, Ms Nabila and her family went to the booth to clarify the transactions and request a full refund.
The vendor initially wanted to refund them part of the package, but Ms Nabila insisted they return the full amount.
Image courtesy of Ms Nabila.
When the company finally agreed, the family signed a refund form. They were then told that the refund would take one to two weeks, subject to HR clearance.
Shortly after, the company reached out asking the family to return the complimentary gifts, which they did.
Image courtesy of Ms Nabila.
Ms Nabila also noted that her grandmother had been told that the booth’s last day was 18 Sept.
“However, the booth was still operating over the weekend,” she said.
Family awaiting refund and may lodge police report
The family has yet to file a police report.
However, Ms Nabila has told the company that they will consider filing a police report if the agreed refund is not made.
She also shared: “When I confronted the staff, I questioned why they were using what I felt were scam-like sales tactics on elderly and vulnerable customers.”
I told them that they should try using the same approach on millennials or Gen Z and see whether we would readily agree to pay such amounts without questioning the transactions.
Ms Nabila noted that such promotional booths appear to be set up in older estates and areas frequented by the elderly, such as markets and supermarkets.
“This makes me worry that older customers may be specifically more exposed to such aggressive sales tactics,” she told MS News.
Elderly customers may not clearly understand what they are purchasing, the full amount being charged, and the transactions processed on their card, she said.
Additionally, Ms Nabila highlighted that the company’s name stated in her grandmother’s transactions did not match the massage outlet’s name.
Also read: Concerned woman in S’pore approaches stranger on MRT to let her know she’s in a scam call
Concerned woman in S’pore approaches stranger on MRT to let her know she’s in a scam call
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Featured image adapted from Ms Nabila.
