Netizens create Facebook group called 'Underweight Unfair Price'

Singapore — A group of netizens has come together and started a Facebook group called 'UNDERWEIGHT UNFAIR PRICE (U2P)' on Friday (Feb 11). At the time of writing, the public group had 206 members. In the group, one of the admins wrote: "NTUC was set up to purchase essential items in bulks so that we Singapore citizens can buy necessities at reasonable price. Little can we imagine we are taken advantage of nowadays". "It is possible for them to admit their mistakes, make good their shortcomings if we collectively prove that it is not an one-off human error but a system failure. It is as simple as ABC," the group admin wrote. They were referring to the case on Feb 5, where a woman in Singapore posted a video showing a packet of boneless chicken breast she purchased. The FairPrice Xtra label on the package stated weight of 0.224 kg and a corresponding price of $2.42. On Feb 9, yet another video has surfaced of an allegedly underweight fresh food product from NTUC FairPrice. The FairPrice Xtra label on the package gives a weight of 0.296 kg and a corresponding price of $9.15. But the netizen claims that when the package of salmon was weighed, it was actually 0.176kg. This would mean that the fish was overpriced by some 68 per cent. When asked, an NTUC FairPrice spokesperson said:

BASED ON THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT FROM THE VIDEO, THE MISLABELLING INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED AT OUR STORE AT FAIRPRICE XTRA @ ANG MO KIO HUB IS LIKELY CAUSED BY HUMAN ERROR.

 

WE ASK THAT THE CUSTOMER WHO POSTED THE VIDEO TO CONTACT US TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION SO THAT WE MAY CONDUCT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION.

 

REGARDLESS, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE PUBLIC CONCERN THIS MIGHT HAVE CAUSED AND AGREE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

 

ACROSS ALL OUR FAIRPRICE SUPERMARKETS, FAIRPRICE FINEST AND FAIRPRICE XTRA OUTLETS, ALL OUR WEIGHING SCALES ARE INDEPENDENTLY CALIBRATED BY AUTHORISED VENDORS CERTIFIED BY THE AUTHORITIES.

 

THE SCALES ARE CHECKED ON A YEARLY BASIS AND UNDERGO MAINTENANCE TWICE A YEAR, THEREAFTER, IT IS AFFIXED WITH ITS RESPECTIVE CERTIFICATION DATES.

 

IN ADDITION, AS AN ADDED PREVENTIVE MEASURE, WE HAVE INSTITUTED ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS WHERE ALL OUR STORES WILL NEED TO CONDUCT DAILY CHECKS ON THE SCALES BEFORE THE START OF BUSINESS.

 

FRESH PRODUCTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN LABELLED WILL ALSO HAVE THE WEIGHT RECHECKED TO ENSURE LABEL ACCURACY.

 

WE KINDLY REQUEST THAT CUSTOMERS WHO FIND ANY LABELLING DISCREPANCY OF PRODUCTS TO APPROACH OUR STORE STAFF IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE MAY RECTIFY THE ISSUE IN A TIMELY MANNER.

 

TO SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF OUR CUSTOMERS, WE HAVE IN PLACE A POLICY WHERE WE WILL HONOUR A FULL REFUND OR EXCHANGE FOR PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN INACCURATELY LABELLED.

Despite this, netizens came together and started the Facebook group. Their aim is to: "consolidate 1,000 bona fide cases of underweighing, we would have built a case (for CASE Singapore alleged there are no complaints against the vendor as at to date). Cyberspace class action is no indifferent to crowd funding etc as transparency is of paramount importance, accountability imperative (maybe we can too teach the vendor a lesson or two of this virtue) and champion our cause as true blue Singaporeans who trusted them for more than half a century". In the group, the admin gave the following instructions: "1. Bring the item you intend to buy to the nearest weighing machine normally located at the fruits section; and 2. Weigh the package and make a comparison of the listed weight and the weighing machine's; and 3. If there is a discrepancy, (i) snap a photo of the product package description, (ii) a photo of the weighing machine and (iii) the shop frontage." Netizens also took to the group comparing prices of NTUC FairPrice's products with those of its competitors.