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Heh, similar situation here too but our authority may be too busy with the in-depth monitoring until no time to take actions in protecting our consumers. Or was the price increases due to many other factors, which make it very complicated, requiring many man-YEARS to calculate? Hahahaha I used to point out some of the offer advertisement to the respective supermarket, where was price was lower than the offer price, and the standard answer are either "Sorry, it is a typo", "The price actually increase quite sometime ago and now it is on offer, so a good time to stock up", etc. Australia supermarkets Coles, Woolworths sued by regulator for misleading discounts Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/coles-woolworths-sued-by-regulator-for-misleading-discounts SYDNEY – Coles Group and Woolworths Group, Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains, have been sued by the country’s competition regulator over claims they misled shoppers over discounting claims on hundreds of common products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged the companies briefly inflated prices on popular items such as Coca-Cola, Tim Tams biscuits and Colgate toothpaste before reducing them to the same or slightly higher than the original price. “The discounts were, in fact, illusory,” ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement on Sept 23. “Many consumers rely on discounts to help their grocery budgets stretch further, particularly during this time of cost-of-living pressures. It is critical that Australian consumers are able to rely on the accuracy of pricing and discount claims,” she said. Australia has one of the world’s most concentrated supermarket sectors, with Woolworths and Coles controlling just over half of the market, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Both chains have come under political fire during the cost-of-living pressures sparked by stubbornly high inflation, with the government in June introducing larger fines for anti-competitive behaviour. “These are serious allegations that the ACCC is bringing before the courts,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sept 23. “If this is found to be true, it’s completely unacceptable. Customers don’t deserve to be treated as fools by the supermarkets.” The ACCC has been taking a tougher stance on protecting Australian consumers, who must contend with duopolies or oligopolies in many industries, including air travel, banking and telecommunications. The competition regulator alleges Woolworths made false or misleading representations about the prices of 266 products between September 2021 and May 2023, while Coles made false or misleading representations about the prices of 245 goods during February 2022 and May 2023. Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the allegations were “very serious”, and that the ACCC is worried both about the harm to consumers and the harm to competition by fake discounts. The allegations come as the ACCC undertakes a broader analysis of the supermarket sector. Ms Cass-Gottlieb added that the commission is looking in depth at competition, cost, pricing and margins. “We encourage genuine discounts – they matter to consumers,” she told reporters on Sept 23. “But they need to be genuine.” In one example cited, from at least Jan 1, 2021, until Nov 27, 2022, Woolworths offered Oreo Family Pack Original cookies for for a regular price of A$3.50 for at least 696 days. On Nov 28, 2022, the price was increased to A$5 for 22 days. On Dec 20, 2022, the cookies were placed on a “Prices Dropped” promotion at a new price of A$4.50 and a “was” price of A$5. The “Prices Dropped” price of A$4.50 was in fact 29 per cent higher than the previous regular price, the regulator said. The regulator also alleged that in many cases both companies “had already planned to later place the products on a ‘Prices Dropped’... promotion before the price spike, and implemented the temporary price spike for the purpose of establishing a higher ‘was’ price”, Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. BLOOMBERG

I came across this article about Ikea cabinets killing children in the US. Ikea USA issued a recall on it some time ago (now "relaunching" that recall). The recall for similar cabinets was extended to China but Ikea Singapore still claims it is safe to use in Singapore. Some questions come to mind: 1. How can the same item be unsafe in USA and China but safe in Singapore? Our children are made tougher than ang mo and PRC children? 2. Ikea Singapore says there are no incidents in Singapore except one from 10 years ago. Are they waiting for something to happen before they act? 3. People have been saying that consumer safety is lacking in China. Guess what, Singapore is worse! (at least in this case). Disclosure: have a toddler and ikea stuff at home

Good idea wonder how he charge his customer?

How accurate is this? http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/consumer-reports-best-and-worst-car-brands-in-2015-include-lexus-mazda-and-toyota-1.10387053

To those driving the small cc models with turbo like Ford's Ecoboost or VW's TSI, do you agree with their report? http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/press...my-entry-2.html

More money recouped in 2014 with Case's help The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) helped consumers wrangle back $439,701 from businesses last year, a spike from the $284,465 recovered in 2013. The jump could be a sign that more consumers with unresolved disputes involving high contract values, such as the purchase of beauty packages and cars, are turning to mediation for resolution, the consumer watchdog said in a statement yesterday. The largest settlement involved a woman who was invited to try a slimming session at a promotional price of $18. She was later pressured by the beauty salon into buying various slimming packages for about $88,000, even though she was unemployed. The matter was escalated to Case's mediation centre, and both parties eventually agreed on a cash refund of $55,000. The jump in the total amount recouped last year could also be because more businesses are open to mediation as a way of preventing matters from spiralling out of control, said Case executive director Seah Seng Choon. Last year, Case handled 125 disputes, of which 75.2 per cent were resolved. The sectors with the highest resolution rates were slimming and furniture (100 per cent), motor car (91.3 per cent), and electrical and electronics (85.7 per cent). In 2013, only 68.5 per cent of 146 cases were resolved. The Case Mediation Centre was set up in 1999 to resolve disputes between consumers and businesses in the presence of a third-party mediator - a trained Case volunteer. However, Case cannot force the seller to show up for mediation, as it is a voluntary process. After a settlement is made, it is up to the consumer to enforce it. The association, said Mr Seah, had found it easier to get business owners to the table last year, when several high-profile shutdowns and cheating cases rocked the industry. In January last year, hundreds of travellers were left in the lurch after popular coach and travel agency Five Stars Tours abruptly closed all its eight branches across Singapore. Last November, a Vietnamese tourist went down on his knees to beg for a refund after being allegedly overcharged for an iPhone at a Sim Lim Square shop. "Before, it was harder to get to businesses because they were less familiar with the way mediation is conducted," said Mr Seah. "They now realise that it's a cheaper alternative than getting sued by the customer, and is also less hostile and confrontational." He added that companies may also fear that matters would get out of control, resulting in negative publicity. "If there is an amicable settlement, there is also a higher chance that the customer will return," said Mr Seah. Mr Chan Chong Beng, chief executive of interior furnishing firm Goodrich Global, thinks mediation works. "If it involves a company that is at fault, getting a call from Case will really make those responsible sit up and take notice," he said. "Also, you know the customer is serious about his complaint, so they may be more inclined to take it seriously." But Madam Raja Lachimi, 55, who lost a $200 deposit in 2012 after the contractor who was supposed to paint her house never showed up, thinks that mediation does not help that much. She reported the matter to Case, and it tried to contact the painter, she said, but nothing happened. "I don't think mediation helps where companies are out to cheat their customers. They just won't show up for mediation," she said. "It would work only in cases where the other party is willing to co-operate." - See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/business/more-money-recouped-2014-cases-help#sthash.hyAHQwLd.dpuf

interesting... Singapore most complaint car brand? Volkswagen still bugged by consumer complaints Christopher TanThe Straits TimesMonday, May 25, 2015 20150525_ST_volks.jpg 1 0 0 0 0 Print VOLKSWAGEN (VW) continues to have the dubious honour of hogging the pole position when it comes to customer complaints. Data from the consumer watchdog, Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), showed that the German brand garnered 12 new-car complaints from customers from January last year to the first four months of this year. The figure was more than double that of complaints made against BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which shared the second spot. The two brands had five complaints each for the same period. Comparing complaints measured as a ratio against new cars each of the three brands sold, VW's performance was even bleaker. It had 3.41 complaints for every 1,000 cars sold, versus 1.2 for BMW and 0.76 for Mercedes-Benz. VW fared worse than its previous record. Between January 2013 and April last year, it had 11 complaints, earning it the top spot on Case's list. The Straits Times understands most of the complaints pertain to glitchy gearboxes. Civil engineer Uttar Kumar, 52, who bought a VW Passat 1.4 in December 2012, was among those who filed a Case complaint this year. He said he did so after Volkswagen Singapore failed to resolve problems with the car's gearbox despite numerous attempts. He said he noticed the car made abnormal noises on the first day. The noises grew louder and the car became jerky. "It was in the workshop almost every two to three weeks," Mr Kumar recalled. The car, he said, is still not satisfactory, despite its clutch, a component of the gearbox that is used in changing gears, having been replaced in 2013. "It's still not smooth, it shakes when it starts, there is power loss and sometimes there is a grinding noise," he said. Volkswagen Singapore spokesman James Page dismissed claims that its cars were defective. For instance, he said two of the three complaints filed with Case in the first four months of this year were unfounded. "There was absolutely nothing wrong with the cars," he said. "The customers involved perceived there to be some faults, and requested a warranty extension and a car replacement respectively. We could not accede to their requests and they lodged complaints with Case." In the third case, the customer did have some genuine issues with his car, he said, and repairs were covered under the car's warranty. Volkswagen Singapore also extended the warranty by one year. "Nonetheless, he still made a complaint to Case," he said. Checks with independent service quality firm JD Power revealed that VW's ranking in other markets has not been sterling, either. In the United States, JD Power's 2015 Vehicle Dependability Study found VW had 165 problems per 100 cars - more than the industry average of 147. In Malaysia, the brand ranked last in the firm's 2014 Customer Service Index. Even in its home market Germany, VW ranked above average - but below brands such as Toyota, Mitsubishi and Skoda - in the 2014 Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study. [email protected] This article was first published on May 25, 2015. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories. - See more at: http://business.asiaone.com/news/volkswagen-still-bugged-consumer-complaints#sthash.Z8VrPB7W.SBUBorFC.dpuf

So its another year of gadget galore from CES. Lots of exciting tech this year... and a lot of it involving cars as well. Off the top of my head; Toyota announces that it will offer its about 6000 patents on fuel cell technology and stations for free use by any manufacturer. This is to drive the adoption of the technology. Very similar to what Tesla did for its Li-ion battery and Supercharger station tech. Audi had its experiemental A7 remote drive car all the way from Cali to Las Vegas. Pretty cool that a car can handle the highway by itself without any driver input Merc showed off a a crazy futuristic saloon car that's larger than the S-class. Looks straight out of the future with its Lancia like looks and those doors without a B-pillar nVidia showed off its new Tegra chip and a sample UI for cars. Damn nice. Though their maps demo failed a bit I'm pretty excited about the stuff Sony has shown. Damn fine looking 4K TVs and those smooth lights which have integrated speakers in them Oh... and Olloclips 4-1 lens kit for iPhone 6/6+. The 10x and 15x macro lenses look awesome. The fish eye and wide lense not so much. 100 bucks on the Apple Store.... tempted to buy

I always have this mindset when it comes to buy things, products and services. Especially when i am servicing my car or intending to upgrade some of the parts. When you are looking for cheap and good, it will not be fast. when you are looking for good and fast, it will not be cheap. when you are looking for fast and cheap, it will not be good. Just my 2 cents if thoughts! Do give me your opinion on this!

There's no greater cardinal sin in the automotive world than completely replacing a highly successful model with an inferior machine. According to Consumer Reports, that's precisely what happened with the 2012 Honda Civic. Says David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center: "While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that now it ranks near the bottom of its category." Just how far has the Civic fallen from CR's grace? The 2012 model's 61 points is a precipitous 17-point drop from the 2011 model's score of 78. That discrepancy is enough to force the Civic out of CR's Recommended list of automobiles. The only small sedan to score lower than the Civic is the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, which has also been widely accused of too-obvious cost cutting compared to its predecessor. Many of the Honda Civic's fiercest competitors, on the other hand, scored very well in CR's latest round of compact car tests. The aforementioned and recently redesigned 2011 Hyundai Elantra earned the top spot overall, followed closely by the 2012 Ford Focus, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and 2011 Kia Forte hatchback. Also performing adequately but no longer considered class-leading are the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra and Mazda3. http://maintenance.autoblog.com/2011/08/01...nsumer-reports/

In the papers this morning. I have been considering this car, any comments from current owners?

[extract] The Kia Forte sedan has just been named the top-rated sedan under US$15,000 in the Edmunds.com Consumers

Here

Source from http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_343663.html

I intend to sell off my ride by myself, but whats the rough gauge i should sell it at? 1.5 years old Jazz, COE 16k and OMV 13.5k. And whats the pros and cons? Anyone care to share the experience? Thanks in advance!

urbanrant.blogspot.com/2007/07/meaningless-conclusion-from-stupid.html Crap and nothing but crap

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/...icks/index.html all jap brands?

Leaving a baby asleep in a car seat 'may cut off breathing' By JENNY HOPE, Medical Correspondent Last updated at 23:53pm on 7th December 2006 Reader comments (4) Babies could be at risk if left to sleep in standard car safety seats without supervision, say researchers. [/size] Although they save lives in car crashes, they are warning that safety seats should not be used as a substitute for carry cots where babies are allowed to sleep for long periods of time. Doctors believe the upright sleeping position puts infants at risk of obstructing their airways, which could endanger their lives. The 'salutary' warning is designed to alert parents who may rely on car journeys for sending their babies to sleep - and then allowing them to stay asleep in the car seat for many hours longer. A new study looked at nine infants who suffered 'life threatening events' while strapped into a car seat where they were left asleep outside the car. The children were described as "blue", "scrunched up" and "not breathing", says a report from New Zealand researchers in today's British Medical Journal (BMJ). Reconstruction of the events using the baby's own car seat found their heads were bent forward with the jaw pressed down on the chest, which narrowed the airway and caused breathing problems. Paediatrician Professor Alistair Gunn, who did the study with colleagues at the Auckland Cot Monitoring Service, said car safety seats were essential to protect children from injury or death in an accident. But they were not meant to be used as a substitute for a cot or bed when the children were not being transported around, he said. "They should be used for their principal purpose, not as a sleeping aid " he said. "There are several possible reasons why the babies could be at risk in a car seat which is being used outside the car, although we can't fully explain it. "Babies are often left by themselves when they are taken into the house in a car safety seat, which means the parents are not around to keep an eye on them. "It may also be that babies don't sleep so deeply when they are asleep in the car, and the journeys are often of short duration so there is less time for problems to arise" he added. In the study between July 1999 and December 2000 doctors investigated the cases of nine babies aged 3 days to 6 months - one of which was preterm - who had been left to sleep restrained in a car safety seat appropriate for their age. All babies were given breathing monitors and the parents were given advice on appropriate positioning - including not leaving the infant for excessive periods in the car seat. None of the infants had any further reported problems over the next 12 months. Prof Gunn, of Auckland University, said babies were at risk of oxygen de-saturation probably because their heads were bent forward during sleep, which narrowed the upper airway. Modifying the design of car seats to allow a gap for the back of the skull which would better support the head might help, he said. "The infants were very young when head control is not well developed. "They were reported to be asleep at the time of the events - the pharyngeal muscles relax during active sleep" he added. Half the mothers in the study were smokers which may have had an effect, with nicotine exposure reducing the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues. Dr Michael Hayes, of the Child Accident Prevention Trust who wrote an editorial in the BMJ, said "When used properly, child passenger restraints reduce injury by 90-95 per cent for rear facing systems and 60 per cent for forward facing systems compared with not using a restraint." He welcomed new UK legislation that all children in cars should use appropriate child restraints and that adult seat belts are intended for adults, not children. He said "This study looked at car safety seats being used outside the car - inside the car these safety features save lives. "It's unlikely any health problems will arise from sleeping babies being taken into the house in a safety seat for a short period of time, but this study suggests in a salutary way they should not be used for hours as a substitute for a carry cot or proper cot" he added. Some car seats are designed to be fixed to frames which provide a travel system, but the car seat manufacturers said parents were already advised against letting babies spend a long time in them. A spokesman for Maxi-Cosi said "We advise parents not to leave babies in them for long periods because they need to lie flat for some of the time. "Our car seats have built-n adjusters that can make the car seat flatter for younger babies, and allow older babies to sit more upright" she added. A spokesman for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths said "Previous studies have shown that infants, especially if born prematurely, experience falls in their blood oxygen levels when placed in seats of this kind, compared with the levels when they were placed on their backs in a cot or crib. "It is not yet clear, however, whether other factors, in addition to prematurity or poor muscle tone, increase the risk for individual babies of airway obstruction in car safety seats. "The findings of the new study confirm that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a properly designed cot or crib, on their back, and preferably in the same room as a parent or other carer. "Car seats are not ideal places for safe infant sleep in the home. "If a baby is being transported in a car, he or she should be carried in a properly designed and fitted car seat, facing backwards, and be observable by a competent adult." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=421220&in_page_id=1770

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...w/32916/1/.html Hopefully PML gets a wakeup call after this!!!