| We've discovered several things about Singapore that surprised
us. To the positive, most taxi drivers seem to drive passengers straight
to their destination. To the negative, electronics stores seem to be very
corrupt. We don't think many tourists can get a fair deal on digital cameras
or computers - shops seem to be colluding to raise prices significantly
higher than those offered in the USA. Worse, the shop owners can be nasty
if patrons don't buy. Several newspaper articles have documented cases
of assault by shopkeepers on would-be customers. We experienced a few
instances of verbal abuse ourselves (in response to a price question,
one shopowner asked us if we were going to buy. When we answered we needed
to hear the price first, he accused us of wasting his time and asked us
to leave). Singapore needs to pass consumer protection laws, something
that should happen soon. Until then our advice is to take your shopping
dollars across the border to Malaysia. |
