Singapore Expats

Hi All,
Hoping some legal whizz can help me here. My wife is locked into an upgraded 24 month Singtel contract (new Blackberry handset + data plan) which she signed in April 2011.

We are now relocating to Macau in November and Singtel are trying to charge her a fortune in Contract Termination Fees.

I can understand them wanting her to pay off the remainder of the cost of the BB handset, but forcing her to pay the remainder of the data plan contract is a bit OTT.

I can understand them not wanting her to join a different network, but there don't seem to be any provisions in the contract for people who relocate overseas for work reasons.

What would happen if she just refuses to pay and we move anyway? (BTW she is PR here).

Any ideas folks?

Cheers.

gerrytubby wrote:Hi All,
Hoping some legal whizz can help me here. My wife is locked into an upgraded 24 month Singtel contract (new Blackberry handset + data plan) which she signed in April 2011.

We are now relocating to Macau in November and Singtel are trying to charge her a fortune in Contract Termination Fees.

I can understand them wanting her to pay off the remainder of the cost of the BB handset, but forcing her to pay the remainder of the data plan contract is a bit OTT.

I can understand them not wanting her to join a different network, but there don't seem to be any provisions in the contract for people who relocate overseas for work reasons.

What would happen if she just refuses to pay and we move anyway? (BTW she is PR here).

Any ideas folks?

Cheers.

Funny that this question pops up often

You read everything before you signed up right ? And the terms state specifically for free x, y and z, what are the penalties.

Now, if you are planning to be dishonest and do a runner, go for it .. just pray that Singtel doesn't take you to court and file legal actions .. oh, they will, and a 1000 $ bill will balloon to 3000 or more, and more, with legal fees ..

And since she is a PR, she can be made a bankrupt .. and the long arm of Law can really harass her ..

And I wonder why you even asked such question ..

"I can understand them wanting her to pay off the remainder of the cost of the BB handset, but forcing her to pay the remainder of the data plan contract is a bit OTT." << Singtel is running a business, and define OTT ?? OTT, in my terms is DONT SIGN UP IF YOU FIND IT UNFAIR .. Case closed ..

PS: Any electronic Item, once sold, are valued at less than half, and sometimes NIL value, once opened and used by customer .. so ..

Thanks Ecureilx for your constructive legal advice.

I did read another entry where someone politely and clearly explained that Starhub waived their fees in a similar situation.

I'm not planning on doing a runner, I am simply asking if anyone else has managed to negotiate the termination fees with Singtel before.

As said, Singtel contract provisions don't include specific clauses for people like us who sometimes need to relocate overseas for work. You know, as expats, that sometimes happens, right? Of course, Singtel are running a business, just like the telcos in the 5 other countries I lived in previously where they simply agreed to cancel the contract once they knew why we were moving.

Anyone else got any constructive feedback please?

Way I see it....

You got constructive advice.

You have two choices. Do a runner. Do what's right.

You make the wrong choice, you burn bridges. Not a good idea if you plan on being an expat long. People have a problem reading the small print when they are goggly-eyed looking at the newest electronic toy.

If Starhub waived their fees, and you are with Starhub, why don't you ask them? What's the worst they can do? Say no.

As far as Singtel is concerned, why should they be bothered by people like us? Once you are gone, your are gone. If you do a runner, then they, like the government here, have a very long memory. It's your name on the dotted line at the end of the day.

Did you make sure you had a dip clause in your rental lease? Why didn't you ensure your telco contract had one or use prepaid cards?

Not trying to be harsh but just direct and to the point.

sms

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Why didn't you ensure your telco contract had one or use prepaid cards?

Exactly. I know enough and more expats, who sign up contracts as contracts come with free phones, free laptop, free LCD TV, and when they need to leave, or loose their job, go mental ..

And I know enough who refuse to sign any free-phones, use cash to buy the instrument, don't get tempted by the FREE UPGRADE offers, and only stick with a subscription only plan.

What the former is doing is akin to buying something on hire-purchase and then finding that they can't pay, or have to leave, or finding out the hard way they should have never signed up for such schemes ..

Any friend of mine, who left, only go the charges waived, when there was like 6 month or so left in the contract. That's for Singtel and Starhub as well.

The rest, they had to fork out the contract subscription till the end of the contract .. no second choice, for Singtel, Starhub and M1

To be clear, for example, you got a 1,000 $ phone, FOC, and Singtel gave it free, with the explicit instructions that you will stick with them for the next 24 months, paying, 80 $ .. which covers your usage AND the equipment cost, so at the end of the 24 months, if you had been a frugal user, Singtel would have just about recovered the leasing cost (Frugal user: a lot of Singaporeans do, never pay more than the monthly subscription cost, and no IDD, and no MMS and nothing that can be billed, no roaming, no extra VAS, so 88$ is 88$ only .. ) and oh, you didn't know that it is not the telcos who are selling the instruments, but they are from a third party leasing company, to whom the Telco is Liable to ??? on top of the interest

So, how would Singtel waive the cost ??

Of course, you can still do the runner ...

PS: are you going to disappear without settling the Credit Card bills, if you do have ? or ask the CC company to waive off the charges ? or claim that the CC companies don't help expats like you who move ??

For some strange reason the termination fees are usually MORE than just leaving the money in your bank account and paying out the rest of the contract!

There may be other new expats here who would be happy to take over the contract as they don't want to sign up for a full 24 months - it has happened.

carteki wrote:For some strange reason the termination fees are usually MORE than just leaving the money in your bank account and paying out the rest of the contract!

There may be other new expats here who would be happy to take over the contract as they don't want to sign up for a full 24 months - it has happened.

As I said the other expenses occur due to the Telco using leasing companies. .. Who add interest

i know because in one of my ex workplace we supplied consumer equipment to the three Telco and payments came from leasing companies

cheers

ps: or op can put Giro for subscription. . Which he seem loathe to do

Hi there, what plan is she on? How much does it cost? I am an Aussie and I just moved here. I am looking to take over someone else's phone contract if they offer me a good deal? It would help you save money and help me save money too.

ecureilx wrote: ps: or op can put Giro for subscription. . Which he seem loathe to do

Actually you can connect the GIRO to a credit card, so no money has to remain in Singapore

But what would happen if the op paid out the monthly cost + remaining months in one lump sum. Would that work? (I don't know the answer which is why I'm asking)

carteki wrote:

ecureilx wrote: ps: or op can put Giro for subscription. . Which he seem loathe to do

Actually you can connect the GIRO to a credit card, so no money has to remain in Singapore

But what would happen if the op paid out the monthly cost + remaining months in one lump sum. Would that work? (I don't know the answer which is why I'm asking)

If you want to settle lump some, it more or less equates to the contract period .. i.e. to run the contract .. i.e. which the OP don't want to pay ...

Essentially OP DON'T WANT TO PAY for the reminder of the dues, either in lumpsum or otherwise ..