Source: Shin Min Daily News
A faulty smart lock connection turned out to be more than just a technical glitch for dozens of Singaporean homeowners. More than 50 customers were affected and frustrated after a dispute between a local distributor and a Chinese manufacturer resulted in their smart locks being remotely disabled.
Sales executive Ms Du (surname transliterated), 39, shared with Shin Min Daily News that she bought a $1,500 smart lock from Technex International in February.
It was installed in March, but three months later, the lock stopped connecting to the mobile app.
“The company said it was due to a system update,” she said.
By mid-July, however, Ms Du couldn’t reach the company. Its website and social media pages vanished, and Google Maps listed the company as “permanently closed”.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
She later discovered that the lock’s app connection was deliberately severed — the serial number had been deleted by the manufacturer due to unpaid fees from the previous distributor.
“The smart lock has become an ordinary lock with no smart features, so we have no choice but to buy a new one.”
She said the ex-distributor’s actions unfairly implicated customers, and she called for justice.
After finding others online with the same problem, Ms Du formed a chat group to share updates.
The group now includes 15 members, some of whom paid but never even received their smart locks.
Attempts to contact Technex International were unsuccessful. When Shin Min visited the residence of the company’s owner, his wife said she was unaware of his business dealings.
According to Shin Min, Chinese manufacturer confirmed a five-year contract with Technex, saying they had agreed to ship goods after receiving a bank slip showing a payment of RMB 1.55 million (S$277,000) on 24 Dec last year.
But the distributor later withdrew the funds and disappeared.
Despite two trips to Singapore to locate the man in charge, the manufacturer was unsuccessful. They eventually recovered about 300,000 RMB (S$53,600), but are still owed RMB 1.25 million (S$223,400).
They’ve filed a police report and sent a lawyer’s letter. All further shipments have been blocked.
“To our knowledge, some distributors bought this batch from Technex at low prices and resold them. We hope distributors stay vigilant,” said a spokesperson.
Technex’s former shop at Vertex Building on Ubi Avenue 3 now stands empty.
A notice on the door states that the unit has been locked due to unpaid rent amounting to S$21,732.
Attempts to contact the owner were unsuccessful.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Mr Lin (surname transliterated), who now oversees new distributor Ascend Hardware, said they officially took over in mid-July.
He revealed that they have been the new distributor for about a month and a half after the previous distributor stopped providing after-sales service in June.
Mr Lin said they have received over 50 complaints within a week of becoming the new distributor, including missing deliveries and app issues.
Ascend Hardware has offered to help where they can.
“For those who paid in full but haven’t had installation, we’ll cover 50% of the cost; for partial deposits, we’ll still try to help.”
Ms Du praised their efforts, saying the new team has already done more than expected.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) confirmed it has received six complaints against Technex since January, involving defects, poor service, and unreachable staff.
CASE president Melvin Yong advised consumers to carefully check warranty terms and verify service providers before purchase.
Consumers needing help may contact CASE at 6277 5100 or via their website.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.