Fashion retailer MDS Collections hit with warning letter from Case, founder apologises on Instagram
SINGAPORE – The consumer watchdog has issued a warning to fashion retailer MDS Collections after customers complained that they had not received items bought from the store.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said on Tuesday (Feb 9) that it had received 37 complaints about MDS Collections from June 1, 2019 to Dec 31 last year.
Most concerned customers not receiving their orders by the scheduled delivery date or getting incomplete orders.
“In some cases, consumers reported that despite waiting for more than six months after the scheduled delivery date, they still have not received their items,” said Case.
MDS Collections founder Joe Phua apologised on behalf of his company in a series of Instagram stories on Tuesday.
He noted that shipment delays and fabric shortages were some of the reasons why orders were not delivered on time.
Some MDS staff have been trained since last December to take over customer service roles.
Case said on Tuesday that most consumers who contacted MDS Collections to resolve the outstanding issues received no response or a non-committal one.
Mr Phua promised in an Instagram story that the new customer service team will work towards replying and resolving every e-mail it receives within 48 hours.
Some of the other complaints about MDS Collections concerned the retailer’s subscriptions.
Like most fast-fashion brands, MDS Collections lists items on its website but it also offers subscription plans ranging from $29.90 to $99.90 a month.
Depending on their plan, customers have one to four credits that they can redeem for any item online regardless of price. But some items from the retailer’s premium collections require two credits to be redeemed.
Some customers did not receive any credits after signing up for the monthly subscriptions while others also had unauthorised charges.
“MDS Collections had continued charging them the monthly fees despite them having already terminated their subscriptions,” said Case.
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It also said that some customers who were told by MDS Collections to pick up their parcels at MDS stores found the outlets closed on arrival.
Refunds were also a problem for some consumers who did not receive reimbursement after they returned their purchases.
“This is in spite of the company’s refund policy stating that the maximum refund processing time is 45 days,” Case noted.
Consumers with complaints that have not been resolved by MDS Collections can call Case for advice via its hotline on 6100-0315.
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