Bad Experience With Singapore Lighting Mart @ Balestier

[DXTO 0]

Would like to highlight and warn other users about the shady practices at Singapore Lighting Mart at Balestier. Under the same owner as Lights and Lights a few shops down.

I bought some lights from them on Sunday. Told them I need it strictly by a certain date as I have a tenant moving in on short notice. They promised me that they had all the lights in stock and it would not be a problem.

During the sales talk, the salesperson (small boy named Xiao Yang) pushed me Phillips brand lighting. He told me it was brighter than the "brandless" Taiwan-made light, and also "branded". So I went for the Phillips brand and paid in full.

On Monday, I received a call from them, saying that the Phillips lights were all out of stock. He then recommended that I replace my order with the brandless Taiwan brand. But then he said the Taiwan lights were the same price, so no discount at all. Of course I rejected this, and asked for a refund. He said he would call me back.

On Tuesday, surprise surprise, he called me back to say that the Phillips lights were in stock because his supplier managed to source them. I asked him to bring the lights down to my unit to show me that he had working stock as I did not believe him. He promised me that he would send his men down to my unit and they would test the lights in front of me. I confirmed a few times that I had electrical supply and wiring ready.

His men came 45 minutes late but were not informed at all that they had to do any testing. In fact, I heard one of the delivery men yelling at the salesperson to tell him that he never told him any such thing (that they had to do testing). The delivery man said they had many other deliveries to do and were in a rush. So they left without showing me the lights or testing any of it.

The salesperson refuses to let me speak to his boss or issue me a refund. So far in our hours of conversation he just keeps repeating that they can promise that they have stock, even though their promises mean nothing to me since they have lied a few times already.

1. Classic bait and switch technique by Singapore Lighting. Make you buy one brand then try to get you to accept either a more expensive brand (with big top up), or else a cheaper brand (with no refund).

2. Repeated broken promises. On Sunday, they "promised" me that the lights were all in stock. On Monday, suddenly items not in stock. On Tuesday, items back in stock, with "promise" that they would test the items in front of me. I waited in the sun for more than an hour, but no testing as the delivery man was not even told that he had to do it. Now they are promising me nothing else will go wrong. Hmm, wonder how that will go?

3. I told the shop many times that I do not trust them. For all I know, they will call me the day before the scheduled installation to come up with more last minute excuses. By that time it will be far too late for me to engage another contractor and I will have no choice but to use their replacement products. They just kept giving me empty promises that the items were in stock and that nothing would go wrong.

4. Lots and lots of excuses and lies. From start to end they have never once apologised, only tried to shift the blame to everyone but themselves. They blamed their supplier for not telling them that there was no stock (then why promise the customer that there's stock?). They blamed their delivery men for not answering the phone, that's why the delivery men were unable to do testing. The salesperson tried to lie that he never promised me that they would do testing at my unit.

I am really at my wits end and don't know what to do. I am leaving overseas soon and have very limited time to engage another contractor if they pull some more nonsense closer to the installation date. I seriously regret buying from them.

Hope others can learn from my story and avoid this unethical shop.

[Nanachan7 1]

I totally feel you!! I already hear alot of stuff about how you should never let your ID bring you to ANY shops. When I went down Balestier to shop for my lights, I felt like a BIG CARROT HEAD waiting to be chopped. No price tag, then price like all anyhow quote one. Ask them whether this lights bright enough for my room or not, they also never ask how big my room is, then anyhow say bright enough. Super anyhow. Like just trying to close deal only.

Lucky after that my friend recommended House of Chandelier to me. The couple was very friendly and gave very good advices. Price was transparent and cheaper than what I see at those Balestier shop. Best part is their residential showroom is at Punggol. SOOO near to my new place! Those looking for lights should try House of Chandelier. Tell them is Janelle recommend one, maybe they will give you some discount. Haha.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Nanachan7

[FFF123 0]

Wow wish I read this before I bought from Singapore Lighting Mart/Lights and Lights. My lights broke down after LESS THAN 2 WEEKS. AND INSISTED ON CHARGING ME FOR REPLACEMENT. I am bringing them to Small Claims Tribunal under the lemon law.

Dealing with them really makes my blood boil. We should all boycott this terrible place.

Edited April 9, 2015 by FFF123

[aneco 1]

I totally feel you!! I already hear alot of stuff about how you should never let your ID bring you to ANY shops. When I went down Balestier to shop for my lights, I felt like a BIG CARROT HEAD waiting to be chopped. No price tag, then price like all anyhow quote one. Ask them whether this lights bright enough for my room or not, they also never ask how big my room is, then anyhow say bright enough. Super anyhow. Like just trying to close deal only.

Lucky after that my friend recommended House of Chandelier to me. The couple was very friendly and gave very good advices. Price was transparent and cheaper than what I see at those Balestier shop. Best part is their residential showroom is at Punggol. SOOO near to my new place! Those looking for lights should try House of Chandelier. Tell them is Janelle recommend one, maybe they will give you some discount. Haha.

Ya, I also have very bad Balestier shopping experience too. Dont feel comfortable at all. Can share contact of House of Chandelier?

Edited April 15, 2015 by aneco

[mrlefthand 0]

Thanks for sharing. Almost got my lights from Singapore Lighting Mart today. Lucky I saw this thread. Already didn't felt right at their shop today. So pushy.

[KimmyVan 0]

Wow wish I read this before I bought from Singapore Lighting Mart/Lights and Lights. My lights broke down after LESS THAN 2 WEEKS. AND INSISTED ON CHARGING ME FOR REPLACEMENT. I am bringing them to Small Claims Tribunal under the lemon law.

Dealing with them really makes my blood boil. We should all boycott this terrible place.

Did they not offer warranty? Or are they not honouring their warranty??? Super orh xim shop lor! How can lights spoil after less than 2 weeks? Really must siam far far

[spike 9]

Aiyoh, shops have to give commission to ID. My cousin is an ID and she told me that shops give her 30% commission.

[EYCS 0]

Same terrible experience happened to us at this lighting shop. Apparently it is owned by A.z.o.r.a. group of companies. Here is their website: http://***.com.sg/lighting-curtain-blinds-wallpapers-kitchen-and-bathroom-accessories-supplier-in-singapore/company-overview/

And this is what the shop looks like outside:

Here's the breakdown of the poor experience we had:

1) Clearly overcharged us for the lights and taps. We were naive and thought we could trust our contractor. Who knows, when we went to other shops selling the same things, they were cheaper by half! I've no problem with contractor taking a commission, but by such a big margin? That's really a breach of our trust. Again, we were naive.

2) They were supposed to issue a cheque to us, to refund us for some things that we bought. First time we went down to collect the cheque, the amount was written wrongly. SECOND time we went down, they said they couldn't find our cheque because the finance staff has gone home (HOW RIDICULOUS is that?! Such a big group of company but such terrible administration. Can't even organise and manage one simple cheque.) So they made us go down to the shop the THIRD time, and guess what? At first when we stepped into the shop, there was a group of them chatting at the counter, looking really smug when they saw us. Like they were very confident we won't have problems with them this time round. Guess what? THEY CAN'T FIND THE CHEQUE AGAIN! For the THIRD time! The lady handling our account still dared to say, "Haiz, why you all always come at this hour when my finance staff has gone on leave?"

EXCUSE ME, if you knew the staff was going to be on leave and that we were coming down, wouldn't you have prepared all the documents already?!

It was so frustrating! Even more so when I was already 5 months pregnant and we have been going down to that shop for 3 times for the same thing! The female employee even had the cheek to say to me, "Aiyah, treat it like exercise for a pregnant woman loh..."

You can imagine how angry I was at that point in time. Really showed me how terrible service standards can be in ***.

Finally, she suggested that she mailed us the cheque. I told her forget it, judging by how poor their service is, the cheque might never reach us and they would probably blame the postal service for lost cheque. Eventually, she said she will ask her driver to deliver the cheque to us.

3) A few days after using the supposedly expensive but good quality lights (according to my contractor), for only a few days, we discovered the lights were making buzzing sounds. So much for value for money. That's rubbish when it comes to *** Group of companies. We called the same female sales staff and she said she will arrange for the electrician to come by. We told her, SPECIFICALLY, to send the electrician over in the afternoon. Guess what?! Electrician called us the following day and say he has to come by in the morning and that the shop told him to do so.

I am really stunned. How can you ask the electrician to come to the house when there is no one home in the morning???? HAIZZZZZZZZZZ............ Why *** CANNOT TRAIN EMPLOYEES PROPERLY???

Baffles me.

Sorry, just need to vent. I hope none of the forum users will ever have to face this kind of service.

Stay away from ***'s group of companies. Really fed up with them.

Edited September 25, 2015 by EYCS