many students bought many laptops at a Welcome
Carnival organised by NTUSU. date of collection came but not the
laptops. after 2 postponements, laptops still don't have. students
complain, boss of company came to apologize. now he is planning to
sell his HDB flat, but still not enough to repay all students.
students unhappy, helpless, and resentful of the union.
From The Straits Times, OCT 4, 2004
Laptops no-show: Refund glitch for NTU students
Agent fails to make promised payment; students told to wait a year
MORE than 120 Nanyang Technological University students who paid up
to $1,500 for laptops that were never delivered may now have to wait
for a year to get just some of their money back.
The agent returned about one-third of the money he owed two weeks
ago, and had promised to return the remainder in two instalments by
last Thursday and Friday this week.
But he failed to make the Thursday payment and says that he may be
able to pay back only half of what he still owes, and even that only
in a year's time.
The computer company, E-Mobile Technology and Electronics
Consulting, had collected about $105,000 from students at an NTU
fair on July 29 and July 30, but failed to deliver the IBM, Fujitsu
and Toshiba laptops.
The company owner, Mr Mohamed Naser Zainol, has said that he was
cheated by a supplier who absconded with the money, and had no way
of contacting him.
Mrs Seah Wai Choo, divisional director of NTU's Student Affairs
Office, said Mr Mohamed Naser told the office last Wednesday that he
could not meet the promised repayment schedule.
In a letter to the students on Wednesday, he said that he could pay
them only half of what he still owed them - and only a year later.
He told The Straits Times on Friday: 'I've engaged a lawyer to
mediate with the students. I don't want to let the matter escalate.'
He said that his parents hoped to sell their four-room Housing Board
flat to settle the payments, but they were unable to sell it until
next May.
Mrs Seah said that it was up to the students to decide if they
wanted to either accept Mr Mohamed Naser's offer or file a complaint
with the Small Claims Tribunal.
Students affected said they felt helpless.
'Most of us are really unhappy. There is very little that we can
do,' said a student who declined to be named.
The student, who is hoping to get back about $500, added that Mr
Mohamed Naser's claim that he did not have the contact number of the
supplier was 'ridiculous'.
