Court order filed against alkaline water system retailer over false claims, misleading customers
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on Friday filed a court order against a retailer of alkaline water filtration systems for allegedly making false claims, and misleading customers about the systems and maintenance service packages.
CCCS said it filed court proceedings in the State Courts against Triple Lifestyle Marketing and its sole director and shareholder, Mr Tan Jia Huang, under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.
The company sells water dispensers, alkaline water filtration systems and maintenance service packages to consumers.
CCCS is asking the court to act against the company over its false and misleading claims, and is seeking an injunction to stop the firm from carrying out such activities.
Among several alleged unfair practices, Triple Lifestyle Marketing is said to have misled customers into thinking that alkaline or filtered water can prevent or improve the condition of diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, kidney or colonic disorders and psoriasis.
The company allegedly also made several false claims, including that its products were accredited and that Thomson Medical Centre was a customer; that its water dispenser was free for a limited time; and that it would repair or replace faulty dispensers or change water filters on consumers’ request under the maintenance service package.
CCCS said that from January 2020 until around December 2020, the company accepted payment for its maintenance service packages, which included a one-year warranty for its “tankless” water dispenser. However, it did so knowing that it would not be able to repair or replace faulty water dispensers with functioning units within the warranty period.
In April 2022, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) issued its second alert within a year against Triple Lifestyle Marketing after several consumers lodged complaints.
The company sells door to door what it calls “long-term maintenance service packages” for alkaline water systems.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Friday, Case president Melvin Yong said that consumers had complained about the company failing to fulfil its contractual obligations such as periodic replacements of water filters and replacing faulty water dispensers.
Consumers also complained that the company misled them during the sales process, such as informing them that they could pay for packages - which cost around $3,000 - in instalments, but subsequently charging them the full amount upfront.
Mr Yong advised consumers to be vigilant when dealing with door-to-door salesmen, including not to feel pressured to buy on the spot or allow salesmen into homes if they feel uncomfortable.
He also advised consumers to buy from direct-selling companies accredited under the CaseTrust-Direct Selling Association of Singapore joint accreditation scheme since these companies give consumers the right to cancel a contract within a seven-day cooling-off period without penalty, and to offer a full refund if payment has already been made.
Consumers who encounter false or misleading claims can approach Case for help.
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