excerp from
http://blog.simplyjean.com/2008/06/12/are-you-naughty-by-nature-d/comment-page-1/
Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 12th June 2008
THEY were promised free makeovers and photo shoots. Instead, the customers of a photo studio in Circular Road said that they were pressured into buying packages that cost up to $4,000.
The hard-sell from studio Naughty by Nature sparked dozens of complaints to Singapore’s consumer watchdog and eventually landed the company in court.
Yesterday, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said that the company had agreed to change its sales pitch earlier this year.
Last September, Naughty by Nature had been temporarily barred by a district court from pushing pricey photo packages, Case said in a press release.
The consumer group had applied for the injunction after receiving 63 complaints about Naughty by Nature between 2005 and 2007, said Case executive director Seah Seng Choon.
Most of the complaints had been filed by women.
Mr Seah said that Naughty by Nature’s employees had once refused to let a customer leave the studio without buying a photo set. After staying for about four hours, the customer bought a package for about $3,000.
The customers got freebies, such as two photographs, only after they agreed to buy a package.
Co-owner of Naughty by Nature Bupendra Ramason defended his company’s sales pitch and said that the unhappy customers were in the minority.
‘I think they were shy people who were uncomfortable with our sales strategies. Most of our customers are families and we don’t have any problems with them,’ he said.
He added that, since the injunction, the studio has tried its best to abide by Case’s requests.
For example, sales presentations are now limited to only an hour when dealing with female customers.
The employees also give the two free photographs to the customers before the sales presentation.
Mr Ramason, 41, set up the studio in Circular Road in 2004 with business partner Raoul Martin Fenianos. He currently employs 90 staff members, of whom nine are full-time photographers.
A check on online forums and blogs showed that there were many customers who were unhappy with Naughty By Nature’s sales strategies.
One, 42-year-old Tan Ngiap Heng, told the Straits Times about being pressured to buy a $1,000 book of photographs after taking part in a photo shoot two years ago.
‘I felt that I was being blackmailed psychologically because they told me they would delete my photos immediately if I decided not to buy the package,’ he said.
He did not buy the package and subsequently made a complaint to Case.
Mr Ramason said that business had not been affected by the bad publicity.
Case and Naughty by Nature have agreed to settle disputes with the unhappy customers through an arbitration session chaired by a neutral third party.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
This story was printed from TODAYonline
Makeover studio is Naughty By NatureThursday
• June 12, 2008
ANSLEY NGansley@mediacorp.com.sg
TWO days after a time-share company admitted that it had adopted aggressive sales tactics, another firm, a makeover studio, has owned up to employing similar methods.And both — which were taken to court by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) for alleged violation of the Consumers Protection (Fair Trading) Act :— have now agreed to be more mindful of their clients’ rights.In a statement, Case said it had entered a consent judgment in January with makeover studio Naughty By Nature, which had admitted to using hard-selling tactics to get consumers to sign up with their photoshoot packages.A consent judgment is one in which parties agree to an outcome to settle an issue without going to trial.Under the terms of the consent judgement, Naughty By Nature agreed, among other things, not to have more than one employee attend to “any female consumer during any sales presentation”.
The firm is also not allowed to “detain” any female customer for more than an hour.Naughty By Nature does not have to shut down, but further complaints could see it being hauled in on a more serious charge of contempt of court.The case began last September when a district court granted the consumer watchdog’s application for an interim injunction against Naughty By Nature.
Case had earlier received many complaints about the studio’s sales tactics.In a typical move, Naughty By Nature would get women to visit its Circular Road office for a free makeover session where they would get to keep several photographs of them in their new look.Once the pictures were taken, however, the studio’s staff would harass the women to take up photo-shoot packages that cost thousands of dollars.
Case said it had received 63 formal complaints, with the studio’s customers griping about paying between $495 and $4,288 to the company.So far, 15 customers have received refunds in cash or in kind, said Case executive director Seah Seng Choon.Naughty By Nature’s director Bupendra Ramason refused to comment when contacted, while its other director Raoul Fenianos could not be reached.The makeover studio’s case came not long after timeshare resale firm Global Europ announced that it had entered a consent judgement with Case.
The firm had earlier admitted to using pressure on its customers during sales pitches.The conclusion of the two cases brings to three the number of errant firms that Case has taken to court under the four-year-old Act.While cynics may say three cases in four years suggests that Case is not doing enough to protect consumers’ rights, a lawyer told Today that the watchdog deserves credit for its efforts.
Time is needed for Case to collate complaints and act on them, said lawyer Vijai Parwani, since “you would have to discount the exaggeration by some of the consumers”.“If shown that there is a legitimate complaint, Case would try to reach an amicable resolution with the company concerned before instructing its lawyers to take the matter to court,” said Mr Parwani of Parwani and Co. “This perhaps gives the impression that Case has been dragging its feet.”On Case’s part, Mr Seah said the watchdog would “continue to monitor those companies that chalk up high numbers of complaints and are not taking steps to resolve them”.
October 26, 2009 11:34 PM
Makeover studio is Naughty By NatureThursday
• June 12, 2008
ANSLEY NGansley@mediacorp.com.sg
TWO days after a time-share company admitted that it had adopted aggressive sales tactics, another firm, a makeover studio, has owned up to employing similar methods.And both — which were taken to court by the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) for alleged violation of the Consumers Protection (Fair Trading) Act :— have now agreed to be more mindful of their clients’ rights.In a statement, Case said it had entered a consent judgment in January with makeover studio Naughty By Nature, which had admitted to using hard-selling tactics to get consumers to sign up with their photoshoot packages.A consent judgment is one in which parties agree to an outcome to settle an issue without going to trial.Under the terms of the consent judgement, Naughty By Nature agreed, among other things, not to have more than one employee attend to “any female consumer during any sales presentation”.
The firm is also not allowed to “detain” any female customer for more than an hour.Naughty By Nature does not have to shut down, but further complaints could see it being hauled in on a more serious charge of contempt of court.The case began last September when a district court granted the consumer watchdog’s application for an interim injunction against Naughty By Nature.
Case had earlier received many complaints about the studio’s sales tactics.In a typical move, Naughty By Nature would get women to visit its Circular Road office for a free makeover session where they would get to keep several photographs of them in their new look.Once the pictures were taken, however, the studio’s staff would harass the women to take up photo-shoot packages that cost thousands of dollars.
Case said it had received 63 formal complaints, with the studio’s customers griping about paying between $495 and $4,288 to the company.So far, 15 customers have received refunds in cash or in kind, said Case executive director Seah Seng Choon.Naughty By Nature’s director Bupendra Ramason refused to comment when contacted, while its other director Raoul Fenianos could not be reached.The makeover studio’s case came not long after timeshare resale firm Global Europ announced that it had entered a consent judgement with Case.
The firm had earlier admitted to using pressure on its customers during sales pitches.The conclusion of the two cases brings to three the number of errant firms that Case has taken to court under the four-year-old Act.While cynics may say three cases in four years suggests that Case is not doing enough to protect consumers’ rights, a lawyer told Today that the watchdog deserves credit for its efforts.
Time is needed for Case to collate complaints and act on them, said lawyer Vijai Parwani, since “you would have to discount the exaggeration by some of the consumers”.“If shown that there is a legitimate complaint, Case would try to reach an amicable resolution with the company concerned before instructing its lawyers to take the matter to court,” said Mr Parwani of Parwani and Co. “This perhaps gives the impression that Case has been dragging its feet.”On Case’s part, Mr Seah said the watchdog would “continue to monitor those companies that chalk up high numbers of complaints and are not taking steps to resolve them”.
October 26, 2009 11:34 PM
and the list of bad experiences continues...i wonder when anyone can stop them :~
http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/3/5363
http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index.php?qid=20070701
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143097&p
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386096
http://mymind.escrito.info/2008/02/22/scam-naughty-by-natu
http://sgforums.com/forums/8/topics/198991?page=2
http://blog.alicecheong.com/?p=252
http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/3/5363
http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index.php?qid=20070701
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143097&p
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386096
http://mymind.escrito.info/2008/02/22/scam-naughty-by-natu
http://sgforums.com/forums/8/topics/198991?page=2
http://blog.alicecheong.com/?p=252
More bad experience
More bad experience form Keeptouch Forumhttp://forums.keeptouch.net/showthread.php?t=70429&page=4
Another bad experience
Another blog that shares similar bad experience with Naughty by Nature photo studiohttp://zcatz.blogspot.com/2008/04/nbyn.html
same owner as True Yoga and Wax in the City in Cityhall
new updates, just found out from reliable source that the same person who owns Wax in the City and Naughty by Nature photo studio also owns TRUE YOGA!!
Stop Naughty by Nature Photo Studio
http://stopnbyn.blogspot.com/2009/08/victim-of-nbyn-hardselling.html?showComment=1256625292732#c923549272578395613
Victim of NBYN hardselling
Naughty by Nature makeover studio ~
They do cold calls claiming that its referrals contact.
Many customers has complained on their poor service, unable to reach or get appointment, told to wait for months for photo shoot, given dirty clothes to wear, bad photo quality, did not get the photo album after 6 months to a year, etc.
Some unhappy ones has gone to CASE, media, internet, Small Claim Tribunal. So what? None can touch them. The company is still around.
As for our case, we requested for a refund due to their bad service, rude service staff. Didn’t utilize any of the package but the manager/owner refused to answer our call, tried contacting for months, either not in town or not available. Worst still, we are unable to go to SCT as our purchase contract has passed 1 year. It’s too late for us.
Some online readers are lucky to chance upon this blog that warns about NBYN. Apparently, there are many many many blogs that warns about NBYN.
http://benaudz.blogspot.com/2005/08/were-naughty-by-nature-too.html
Recently, upon browsing google and yahoo, I found that this company is growing steadily well and FAT! With new branches in cityhall WAX, etc.
Same hard selling tactics and gimmics, heard the owner is an Indian and a British ang moh. Given the legal loophole, how can we stop this company?
Does Singapore allow class action ( a form of lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court)?
Wonder if we shall all gang up together to bring this company to court.
Please leave your contact if you have similar experience with NBYN.
Victim of NBYN hardselling
Naughty by Nature makeover studio ~
They do cold calls claiming that its referrals contact.
Many customers has complained on their poor service, unable to reach or get appointment, told to wait for months for photo shoot, given dirty clothes to wear, bad photo quality, did not get the photo album after 6 months to a year, etc.
Some unhappy ones has gone to CASE, media, internet, Small Claim Tribunal. So what? None can touch them. The company is still around.
As for our case, we requested for a refund due to their bad service, rude service staff. Didn’t utilize any of the package but the manager/owner refused to answer our call, tried contacting for months, either not in town or not available. Worst still, we are unable to go to SCT as our purchase contract has passed 1 year. It’s too late for us.
Some online readers are lucky to chance upon this blog that warns about NBYN. Apparently, there are many many many blogs that warns about NBYN.
http://benaudz.blogspot.com/2005/08/were-naughty-by-nature-too.html
Recently, upon browsing google and yahoo, I found that this company is growing steadily well and FAT! With new branches in cityhall WAX, etc.
Same hard selling tactics and gimmics, heard the owner is an Indian and a British ang moh. Given the legal loophole, how can we stop this company?
Does Singapore allow class action ( a form of lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court)?
Wonder if we shall all gang up together to bring this company to court.
Please leave your contact if you have similar experience with NBYN.
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