Any one did any purchase from Royal House (The Rome Gallery)

[Maralec ChongLim 0]

Hi,

I am also a victim of this scam, paid $3.6k for my furniture but never get to see it deliver. I have reported them to the Police, CASE, Singapore Furniture Association, Singapore Expo, The event organiser, Home Ministry and also cc to Today Paper regarding this scam and sadly to say that none of them care. My only conclusion from this experience is that Singapore law do not protect we local consumers, if this were to happen to any foreigner, eg. the recent Sim Lim Vietnamese handphone cheating case which tarnish Singapore image, some kind of a law will come into effect immediately. Sadly to say that we local are not that important to these people. After this experience, I am not buying anymore furniture from expo show simply because crooks will likely use this platform to set up shop there and organiser are more concern with their business and accept any paying client.

 

Edited September 21, 2016 by Maralec ChongLim

[shelizi 0]

Dear fellow forumers,

There was an article on the topic on TODAY paper on 21 Sep. You can read them online.

From the Invoice numbers, I think there were at least a few hundreds victims involved. The money must have been in few hundred thousands. More should report police. 

@Maralec ChongLim I feel the same. We are just too trusting. Can we trust that the system will ultimately do the right things? Let's hope so. 

[therat 18]

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/no-signs-furniture-seller-royal-house-had-problems-says-event-organiser

SINGAPORE — Furniture retailer Royal House (The Rome Gallery), which disappeared with thousands of dollars in paid deposits for items that were never delivered, had been actively taking part in home-furnishings fairs, an organiser who used to work with the company said, adding that background checks on the firm did not turn up anything suspicious.

Exhibition organiser Full House Communications told TODAY that it is doing its utmost to help seven to eight affected customers by negotiating with suppliers to get the furniture they had purchased.

 

SingEx Venues — which manages Singapore Expo, a venue in Changi for exhibitions and conventions — said that it has put the company on a blacklist.

TODAY understands that the managing director of Royal House, known as Gary Chia, has been arrested and was charged yesterday morning.

Shoppers told TODAY previously that the company had set up booths at various furniture fairs at Singapore Expo, and they had paid between S$500 and S$2,288 as deposits to the firm for items they bought. Chia later told customers that the company could not “solve financial difficulties” and “could no longer operate”. He was not contactable after that.

Chia and his aunt had been regularly taking part in such fairs since around last October, the Full House Communications spokesperson said, and Royal House appeared to be “doing very well”.

It was initially helmed by the aunt, but Chia later took the reins. It was only until about August this year that customers started lodging complaints to Singapore Expo.

Noting that such cases were uncommon in the industry and that “this is just one individual case”, the spokesperson added: “We’ve (been) very careful about bringing in clients. We would usually see who they are, go down to the shops, talk to them before we (allocate) booths, and (check their documents).”

Since Royal House was not a first-time participant, the organiser mostly monitored how the firm was doing at the fairs, and whether there were complaints.

Responding to TODAY’s queries about Singapore Expo’s vetting process for such companies, Ms Leela V, director of marketing and communication at SingEx Venues, said that it has put Royal House on its exhibitors’ blacklist for future events.

It pointed out that the firm had taken up exhibition booths at the venue through furniture-fair organisers since late 2015 “without incident”.

However, given that furniture fairs are popular consumer events among the facility’s 600 events a year, Ms Leela said that the firm’s “recent action cannot be condoned”.

Singapore Expo is now in “close communication” with event organisers regarding this recent incident and is “giving similar instructions to all other organisers to have the exhibitor blacklisted”.

It reiterated to all organisers to make it “a standard practice” to review the background of all vendors and businesses, and to conduct the necessary checks on the credentials of their exhibitors, both existing and new.

This is not the first case of a furniture seller who failed to deliver goods after accepting payments.

Last year, the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) obtained a court order against Mr Chiok Wee Juo to stop him from engaging in unfair practices. He was the sole proprietor of three furniture businesses, Olena, Bez Gallery and The Exquisite Promenade, which had been the subject of 44 complaints since 2008.

Mr Chiok persuaded consumers to make full payment for furniture items at exhibition fairs and then delayed the deliveries, or delivered items that did not conform to the contracts. He later stopped responding to customers’ enquiries.

Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of Case, said that these incidents show a need to protect consumers’ prepayments, and the authorities must “look into this matter”. Where possible, Case would work with CaseTrust-accredited businesses to implement prepayment protection schemes for consumers.

To date, the association has handled four cases against Royal House from January to Sept 27. There have also been 54 phone calls, email notices, and walk-in cases of counselling made against the firm so far.

[cyberchao 0]

So did anyone actually got their money back? Or is it merely a publicity stunt by the media that the relevant organisation is doing their part? I approach MTI on my situation and they kinda ignore me after contacting me once. Are the authorities really looking into the matter? Blacklisting doesn't solve any problems since it merely cost $1 to set up a new company.

[Leonyeoyeo 0]

I think that Expo is having too much scammers

Last time also mattress scam , now furniture scam 

All cheated our hard earn money

Organiser should bear our loses since the Small Claim & Police cant do anything to help us

[Leonyeoyeo 0]

I dont quite understand , sales staff should know the company unable to deliver goods 

but why they still sell things to us?

I think that their boss and staff cooperate to cheat from us and divide among themselves

[wilc 0]

Hi all,

I have also bought a cupboard (which is not due for delivery yet) from them and only found out about the liquidation of the company only today (i did not receive any text or phone call from them) when i went to Expo earlier in the afternoon. Anyone have any latest news on this incident?

From the Today article posted by therat, i noticed some of the victims have approached Full House Communications for help to solve their problem. is there any conclusion to that?

[shelizi 0]

Hi,

My credit card company credited back the amount I paid in my last statement. Smile smile smile :-)

What about the rest of you? 

[PhilTMann 0]

Guys, another vendor at Expo goes rogue.   Customers who have paid deposits have not received their goods.  This time it's Eco Friendly Home that sells mattresses branded as Lady Americana. 

It's all on the Lady americana Singapore facebook page set up by the owner of Eco Friendly Home, William Tay.  Beware of the Lady Americana brand in Singapore.  

This is the name of the company.  Their office has been repossessed by the landlord.

http://ecofriendlyhomemattress.com

 

Anyone affected?

[MckinleyCarter 0]

Hi there, I am also victim of the scam.

[ashleyyoung 0]

Contempo.Artmani Italia,all scammers but informed by my friend that they saw the so called boss or shareholder KC now Working at MASERAZI

 

Feel free to visit him .

Edited March 31, 2017 by ashleyyoung

[kennylow76 1]

On 29/09/2016 at 9:49 AM, therat said:

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/no-signs-furniture-seller-royal-house-had-problems-says-event-organiser

SINGAPORE — Furniture retailer Royal House (The Rome Gallery), which disappeared with thousands of dollars in paid deposits for items that were never delivered, had been actively taking part in home-furnishings fairs, an organiser who used to work with the company said, adding that background checks on the firm did not turn up anything suspicious.

Exhibition organiser Full House Communications told TODAY that it is doing its utmost to help seven to eight affected customers by negotiating with suppliers to get the furniture they had purchased.

 

SingEx Venues — which manages Singapore Expo, a venue in Changi for exhibitions and conventions — said that it has put the company on a blacklist.

TODAY understands that the managing director of Royal House, known as Gary Chia, has been arrested and was charged yesterday morning.

Shoppers told TODAY previously that the company had set up booths at various furniture fairs at Singapore Expo, and they had paid between S$500 and S$2,288 as deposits to the firm for items they bought. Chia later told customers that the company could not “solve financial difficulties” and “could no longer operate”. He was not contactable after that.

Chia and his aunt had been regularly taking part in such fairs since around last October, the Full House Communications spokesperson said, and Royal House appeared to be “doing very well”.

It was initially helmed by the aunt, but Chia later took the reins. It was only until about August this year that customers started lodging complaints to Singapore Expo.

Noting that such cases were uncommon in the industry and that “this is just one individual case”, the spokesperson added: “We’ve (been) very careful about bringing in clients. We would usually see who they are, go down to the shops, talk to them before we (allocate) booths, and (check their documents).”

Since Royal House was not a first-time participant, the organiser mostly monitored how the firm was doing at the fairs, and whether there were complaints.

Responding to TODAY’s queries about Singapore Expo’s vetting process for such companies, Ms Leela V, director of marketing and communication at SingEx Venues, said that it has put Royal House on its exhibitors’ blacklist for future events.

It pointed out that the firm had taken up exhibition booths at the venue through furniture-fair organisers since late 2015 “without incident”.

However, given that furniture fairs are popular consumer events among the facility’s 600 events a year, Ms Leela said that the firm’s “recent action cannot be condoned”.

Singapore Expo is now in “close communication” with event organisers regarding this recent incident and is “giving similar instructions to all other organisers to have the exhibitor blacklisted”.

It reiterated to all organisers to make it “a standard practice” to review the background of all vendors and businesses, and to conduct the necessary checks on the credentials of their exhibitors, both existing and new.

This is not the first case of a furniture seller who failed to deliver goods after accepting payments.

Last year, the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) obtained a court order against Mr Chiok Wee Juo to stop him from engaging in unfair practices. He was the sole proprietor of three furniture businesses, Olena, Bez Gallery and The Exquisite Promenade, which had been the subject of 44 complaints since 2008.

Mr Chiok persuaded consumers to make full payment for furniture items at exhibition fairs and then delayed the deliveries, or delivered items that did not conform to the contracts. He later stopped responding to customers’ enquiries.

Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of Case, said that these incidents show a need to protect consumers’ prepayments, and the authorities must “look into this matter”. Where possible, Case would work with CaseTrust-accredited businesses to implement prepayment protection schemes for consumers.

To date, the association has handled four cases against Royal House from January to Sept 27. There have also been 54 phone calls, email notices, and walk-in cases of counselling made against the firm so far.

mine too

[Maserazi1661 0]

KC is not the shareholder of Maserazi Pte Ltd, neither is he the shareholder of Contempo, Artmani and One Italian. Refer to attached ACRA. We are talking to our legal department for further action.

On behalf of Maserazi, we hereby confirmed that the owner of Maserazi Pte Ltd is Mr Derrick Chan (Chairman of Oxley Bizhub) and owner of 50 properties in Singapore.

Victims please come to Maserazi and we will assist you to get your money back or we can assist/provide you a 50% discount if you will to buy our sofa. Please show proof that you are a genuine victim.

 

[russellnoah52 2]

 

Oh, God!  Are they fraud? Haven’t any strict action taken yet?