Singapore – A total of 3,711 consumer complaints against e-businesses and e-marketplaces in 2023 have been recorded in Singapore, a sharp increase of 47% from the 2,530 complaints received in 2022. This is according to the latest report from the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).
According to the association, they received 13,991 complaints in 2023, a 24% decrease from the 15,144 complaints received in 2022. There was a general decrease in complaints across various industries, except for the motorcar industry which saw an increase of eight per cent, primarily due to an increase in complaints involving rental or shared cars.
The association also noted that through its assistance in negotiating and mediating the complaints, close to $2.5 million (in-cash and in-kind) were recovered for consumers in 2023, an increase from the $2.1 million recovered in 2022.
Meanwhile, complaints involving rental or shared cars nearly tripled from 152 complaints in 2022 to 435 complaints in 2023. Common complaints pertained to disputes on pre-existing defects, damages and repair charges imposed by rental or car-sharing businesses on consumers due to alleged damages.
It is also worth noting that the travel industry saw a 38% decrease in complaints, dropping from 757 complaints in 2022 to 471 complaints in 2023. The airlines industry saw a 22% decrease in complaint, dropping from 478 complaints in 2022 to 375 complaints in 2023. The complaints for both industries had stabilised to pre-2020 levels, primarily due to the easing of travel restrictions globally which led to fewer complaints on cancellation of trips.
Melvin Yong, president at CASE, said, “We are happy to see an overall decrease in consumer complaints in 2023. Nevertheless, more needs to be done to strengthen consumer protection and address common consumer pain points. CASE will continue to engage the government and industry stakeholders to strengthen consumer safeguards and put a stop to undesirable business practices.”
