Case"s No. 1 concern: Timeshare products

SINGAPORE – The high-pressure selling tactics of timeshare companies are a cause of concern, with an average of over 2,000 complaints a year, said the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

This is why the consumer watchdog has been working closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to give more protection to consumers, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck yesterday.

MTI has proposed amendments to timeshare-related provisions in the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and will seek public views, added Mr Teo. Among the proposals is a five-day cooling-off period during which timeshare businesses will not be able to collect money.

Speaking at a Case event to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day, the minister said: “Most importantly, (it) is to help the consumer have a little bit more time to go through some thought processes before they make a decision.”

Mr Teo said that it is the seller’s responsibility to provide information that is “true, fair and complete”.

Case president Lim Biow Chuan said the watchdog’s top concern is timeshare products, such as holiday-club memberships, especially the way they are sold.

Painting a typical victim’s scenario, Mr Lim said: “They bring you into a room and show you the product, spend two to three hours telling you (about the product). If you say no, they’ll get another person to talk to you.

“It’s the pressure (they put on consumers), we feel they shouldn’t sell a product in that manner.”

At the event, Mr Seah Seng Choon, Case’s executive director, commented on payment company Visa threatening last week to stop rendering services to ComfortDelGro by June, unless the taxi operator removes the 10 per cent surcharge on fares paid with Visa cards.

Mr Seah, who called for greater transparency, said: “They (ComfortDelGro) have to be transparent (in) telling the consumer what the 10 per cent is for, other than paying the bank’s fees.”

Merchants typically pay the bank a fee of about 3 to 4 per cent per transaction.

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Case"s No. 1 concern: Timeshare products