BlueSG apologises after charging Stomper for trips he didn't make, errors caused by technical outages

Car-sharing company BlueSG apologised after a customer was charged for trips he didn't make because of system errors due to a 2024 technical outage.

The customer, Stomper Murali, said that his brother-in-law was also charged almost $3,000 over a period of nine months.

"BlueSG experienced a system outage in the last quarter of 2024. Vehicles were not properly controlled and people who were driving BlueSG were charged like crazy," said the Stomper.

"I compiled a list of all suspicious trips and flagged it out to BlueSG, but it's been six months since I got a refund for these exorbitant charges.

"My brother-in-law and I believe many Singaporeans out there are experiencing similar issues and yet BlueSG doesn't have a proper accounts team to handle this."

The Stomper also recounted a more recent incident on March 28 where he faced more issues with his BlueSG booking.

"I arrived at the BlueSG station at 5.10pm, the car was not present. I was charged $5.40 after the customer service had to end the trip. Getting hold of the customer service was crazy," he said.

"At 5.25pm, I immediately reserved another vehicle, which was present, and started the rental. This vehicle came to a complete halt just before the estate gantry at about 5.29pm.

"This is when I started calling the customer service and managed to get a hold of them at 5.50pm. I remember the time very prominently because the customer service person told me that she had activated the towing team at that mentioned time, and I had to wait at least an hour to prevent an abandonment charge of $300.

"I was charged $7.56 for waiting on the line just to get a customer service staff member.

"After waiting an hour, I called BlueSG once again at 6.50pm to ascertain whether I could leave without being charged the abandonment fee. I just had to make sure.

"At 7pm, I somehow manage to book a Tada back home."

In response to a Stomp query, a BlueSG spokeswoman said the company had initiated an internal investigation into Stomper's case.

"This issue arose from system errors caused by technical outages during the last quarter of 2024, which resulted in operational disruptions and incorrect charges for some users," she said.

"We have since rectified the affected transactions and are now in the final stages of processing the remaining adjustments."

The spokeswoman said that BlueSG understands the Stomper's confusion and frustration regarding the refund process and the way charges were applied.

"While refunds had been issued to him, we regret that some transactions were unfortunately overlooked due to an internal oversight - a lapse for which we take full responsibility," she said.

She added that the company had contacted the Stomper to apologise for the inconvenience and any distress caused with the assurance that any outstanding refunds will be processed within five working days.

"We have also taken his feedback seriously and are factoring in his experience as a loyal BlueSG customer to help us improve our services," said the spokeswoman.

"As part of our on-going process to improve customer experience, we have put in place measures to strengthen our customer service, operational and billing protocols. These improvements will enable us to swiftly identify, address, and promptly resolve any future discrepancies - minimising the risk of such errors.

"We will continue to work closely with our customers to ensure their concerns are addressed promptly and satisfactorily."