Customer questions sales tactics after paying $150 for ‘free sample’, Dualsonic says full refund allowed within 5 days
A customer was left confused and concerned after she purchased a $150 skincare product, leading her to question sales practices by the store.
Stomper Anonymous said she visited Dualsonic at Chinatown Point on Sept 21.
She felt “compelled” to share her experience after reading a Sept 28 report on Stomp, in which a man accused staff at Dualsonic’s Jem outlet of changing his 68-year-old mother’s ATM limit to buy a $11,048 package.
Noting similarities to her own experience, Anonymous recalled entering Dualsonic at the Chinatown mall and staff mentioning that they were giving out free facial samples to Singaporeans.
“The product they showed me was Orogold Cosmetics White Gold 24K Multi-Vitamin Deep Peeling 50ml,” she said, adding that she was told the product “normally costs around $500+ but they were giving it away for free.”
After being sat down, Anonymous was purportedly told that she had to purchase a facial wash costing around $200+ to receive the “free sample”.
“The staff member also offered me a free facial trial at one of their outlets in Orchard,” recounted Anonymous.
“I declined both the facial wash and the facial trial. After I continued to reject the purchase, the sales staff eventually told me that she could use her staff discount to allow me to buy the $500+ product for $150 nett.”
Anonymous found this “quite confusing” as she had earlier been told that the product was being given away for free.
“At that point, I honestly just wanted to leave,” she added. “After the lengthy sales conversation, I agreed to pay the $150 for the product so that I could leave.”
But the unpleasantness did not end there, said the Stomper.
Anonymous looked up the product online and discovered it was being sold for around $218, rather than the $500+ she had been told.
Stomper questions sales tactic of offering ‘freebies’
She explained: “I understand that some people may say, ‘You wanted a free product, so why complain?’ That is not really the point for me.
“I am sharing this because after seeing the recent $11,048 incident involving an elderly customer, my own experience made me wonder about the sales practices being used in these types of situations, particularly when the initial offer is presented as ‘free’, and the terms seem to change after the customer has already sat down and engaged with the salesperson.”
The Stomper said she had thrown away her purchase receipt, but shared a screenshot of the bank transaction as “evidence”.
She clarified that she was not claiming to have had the same experience as the customer in the Jem incident or making any accusations against Dualsonic or its staff.
“I simply feel that this kind of sales approach deserves closer attention, and that staff should be properly trained to communicate prices, conditions and products clearly to customers before any purchase is made,” she told Stomp.
“I am sharing my experience so that other consumers, especially elderly people, are aware and take extra care before agreeing to anything.”
Dualsonic reviewing incident, notes 5-day cooling period
In response to a Stomp query, a Dualsonic spokesperson said customer satisfaction, trust and transparency remain its utmost priorities. The company takes all customer feedback seriously and maintains a zero-tolerance approach towards any sales practices that may “exploit, mislead, or otherwise compromise the interests of customers”.
The spokesperson said on Oct 1: “To safeguard our customers’ interests, Dualsonic provides a five-day cooling-off period for all sales transactions, during which customers may request a full refund without having to provide a reason.”
This policy also applies to products that remain unopened and in their original packaging, subject to the applicable terms and conditions, he added.
In view of the concerns raised, Dualsonic will be conducting a thorough internal review based on the information and feedback provided, said the spokesperson.
The company will “take the necessary steps to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and assess the matter appropriately” but is unable to provide further comments or a definitive response at this stage, according to the spokesperson.
He said: “For clarity, our promotional bundles are offered on a monthly rotational basis, with the promotional bundles’ offerings varying from month to month. Accordingly, promotional bundle price arrangements may differ depending on the applicable promotional period.”
The spokesperson also clarified that Dualsonic is not affiliated with other companies or responsible for the pricing in their online listings.
“Any price comparisons involving third-party listings should therefore be considered independently of Dualsonic’s own pricing structure and promotional arrangements,” he added.
“We remain firmly committed to upholding fair trading practices, maintaining transparency in our customer interactions, and ensuring that our customers’ interests are treated with the utmost care and respect.”
The spokesperson said Dualsonic values the feedback received and will take it into consideration as part of ongoing efforts to uphold service standards and customer care commitments.
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