ANIMAL CRUELTY- Turning live animals into Keychains?!

I'm not sure if this is well-known to many, but I sure had a look of horror plastered all over my face when I came across these photographs that spell "ANIMAL CRUELTY".

(If this isn't animal cruelty, then I don't know what is)

At first glance, they may look like your typical keychain souvenir. Honestly, they look so colorful that you won't believe what is really happening until you take a closer look... ...

Rubber animals encased in a small plastic bag? Cute?

NOT.

Mind you, they are REAL animals (tortoises, fishes, etc) being trapped in small bags and used as accessories to hang on your mobile phones or bags.

According to several online news reports, those animals were suspended in brightly-colored liquid (as pictured above) that supposedly contain the "essential" oxygen and nutrients to keep them alive for a few days. Thereafter, they would be left to die. 

What would be left in that sealed plastic is a lifeless animal that you will be carrying it around everywhere with you. EEEW. Can this get anymore disgusting?

SERIOUSLY?! WHY WOULD ANYONE EVEN BUY THAT?!?!

Not to mention that they are being sold on the ordinary streets of China.

THE EPITOME OF DISGUST.

A closer look at how appalling Mankind can be.

These poor tortoises were trying to swim their way to freedom - but of course that's visibly impossible.

Can any kind soul please cut the bags open and free these animals?! Hello?!?!

Here's a video of them in action:

If I have the money, I would gladly purchase EVERYTHING they have and set these poor animals free. I totally cannot imagine hanging these keychains on my bags or mobile phone and watching the innocent lives of the animals draining away.

What would you have done if you come across these supposed "souvenirs" in China?

(For more information, click here for the original post.)

First post of 2016! (And a bit about unleashing the Shopaholic in me)

I'm trying my best to be an avid blogger like I used to, but I guess time doesn't permit at times.

Still, I'll try to update as much as possible - before my readers begin to think that I am forsaking my blog!

Well, I am starting this new entry in a brand new year - Yes baby, it's 2016! Time flies, isn't it? And this means that I'm one year older ? (No, I don't like the sound of it, please.)

And I have been crazy about online shopping lately - With all the awesome promotions going on, I would feel that I'm living my life with regrets if I don't buy them!

(Thanks ah, Shopee and Taobao) 

I guess I finally understand the definition of online shopping. It is the process of purchasing items that you don't really need but yet YOU WANT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO CHEAP/reasonably priced TO MISS.

Seriously, I've already lost count of how many items that have been delivered to my house on an almost daily basis. 

BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.

NO. I only spent a few bucks purchasing stuff that were originally priced way higher than that. #shopaholicexcuses

I caught on the 12.12 fever sometime back, and got myself some stuff that are simply out of this world - based on their prices.

I posted this image on my Facebook when I got this - It's just so cute. (or was anyone actually tricked into thinking this is an actual Macbook?)

 It's just a portable mirror, lah. 

I'M NOT GONNA LIE. I got it at $1.20!!! Would you have gotten it?!

Shiok max. I have seen this before and wanted to get it a long time back - but it was priced way higher, approximately $5-$6 each. I was glad I placed my temptation on hold and caught on this promotion!

And I got myself a set of Mcdonald's Nanobricks too! (Of course they are pirated, lah... But I still had endless fun with them.)

These were just 3 out of the 6 I've successfully built after much heartache and frustration.

Cute?!

And I got the set of 6 at only $12!! (Actual price was actually $29.90) Faintzzz...

And a Tsum Tsum Lotso as well - $1.20!!!

Tell me, tell me - I can't justify this at all if I don't buy it, right?!?!

(I think this is not really an authentic Disney product also, but I don't mind since I am not a collector of the series. I just collect anything that looks cute to me!! LOL. So you Disney fanatics... Refrain from preaching or telling me that I've gotten myself a bootleg product. YES, I AM AWARE BUT I STILL CHOSE TO GET IT. Tqvm.)

There are still many other stuff that I have yet to post up, but I have gotten some really awesome products too. (Such as a 16GB Sandisk thumbdrive at only $1.20 and mini SDcard at $1.90!!)

What I thought was a scam (Referring to the Shopee app, an online shopping mobile platform) has proven me wrong.

Although Shopee did not take initiative to look me up to do any advertorial for them, but I shall give them a shoutout since they are so awesome, lah.

Thanks for the constant discounts that came with unbelievable price tags. 

OK, I can't believe I just rambled on for the past half hour.

I've more to share on my next blog entry! Stay tuned.. 

AND HERE'S WISHING ALL MY READERS A HAPPY BLESSED 2016!!! :)

Review: Spa Symphony - 313@Somerset

Here's another long-awaited blog review of mine - and surprisingly... It was a negative experience turned positive.

Before you think this is another sponsored advertorial/review, I have to tell you it is not. Everything was paid for using our own money, and experiences are shared based on what we personally went through.

I'm not sure if any of you have came across a Groupon deal from Spa Symphony before, but I think I did patronize them years ago and forgotten about it.

(Sorry for the unclear pics, all the below were taken using my phone's camera under low lighting)

It was not until I received a call from them recently and they actually OFFERED me FREE facial session.

OMG, got what motive?!?!

Of course, ANY - I mean, ANY, sensible human will be on high alert and be skeptical about this, right?

FREE LEH. FREE. It's most un..un..un..un..believable.

Come on, there is no FREE lunch in this world. I was pretty sure there would be strings attached.

(No offence, but I am ALWAYS skeptical of spas, massage salons, etc because they are commonly about packages, packages, packages!)

"Do you mean it's tied with packages or what??" I asked the Mr.Nice Man who called me over the phone.

"No, ma'am. It's a one-time thing, and we are offering it for free. You can bring along your friend as well to enjoy the promotion together. Unless if you are interested in a body massage, it will be chargeable at $28."

Mmm, Did he just mention body massage? I would love that anytime!

$28 is actually considered a VERY reasonable price, considering that this is Singapore we are talking about. It's almost like paying at a Groupon deal price, except that this isn't really through Groupon.

Still on a skeptical mode, I agreed to take up the body massage option, much to his surprise.

"You are okay with paying $28 for the body massage, right?"

(LOL, I guess he must have thought all Singaporeans would opt for FREE facial session and did not expect that someone would actually not mind paying for other services)

"Yes, I know, I am okay with it." I replied.

Together with my massage kaki (Let's call her "Shreky"), we made an appointment and headed down for it. I somehow expected us to get into some hardselling shit. 

Unfortunately, they called me on THE day and informed me that one of us would have to give up the massage due to their masseur's last minute of urgent leave. They offered the option for us to switch to the free facial session instead.

Being a hardcore massage lover, I was quite disappointed, lah. Honestly, I had been looking forward to a good massage after all the body-ache!

Nonetheless, I took up the free facial session and let Shreky proceed with her massage.

When we reached the place, I was kinda' impressed by the glass door design. LOL.

Quite atas-looking, I would say.

As we entered, the staff greeted us with smiling faces.

Hmm. Not bad. Friendly. Wait till we reject all those packages during their hard-sell talk...

For a start, we were asked to fill in a form with our particulars.

We did not wait long before we were being ushered into our individual rooms. 

As I am a person who has sensitive skin, I was kinda' worried about the facial massages. (And not to mention it was FREE)

The staff assured me that all their products are made from organic ingredients and suitable for all skin types.

Hmm, well... Okaaay.

A young and pleasant-looking lady attended to me during the session. Somehow, we clicked and started chatting away- even sharing our personal stories.

The facial session was surprisingly quite comfortable, and I really love the ambiance of the room. (I noticed that they have an exquisite design placed on top of their ceiling in 3D mode.. And you will feel like you are looking at a sky/ top of a tree top!)

I was glad that there was no hard-selling done during the process (I have heard enough horror stories of customers going through a tedious hard-selling talk during facials)

When we came out of our rooms after 60 minutes, tea was served.

A lady walked in and greeted us.

I REALLY THOUGHT THE HARD-SELLING PART WOULD COME ANYTIME NOW.

Indeed, the lady did introduce us of their services - but that was surprisingly it. 

There was completely no expected hard-selling from their side, and even politely thanked us when we told her that we would think about it.

WAH, this is seriously BEST.

The facial session really came with NO string attached. It was just their way of service introduction to us, and I really appreciate that Spa Symphony was true to their words.

You know, this is the kind that I wouldn't mind signing up packages or paying for - instead of some others who use methods of hard-selling.

If you are any business owner who use hard-selling tactics, I hope you read and LEARN from them. Hard-selling will get you nowhere. In fact, it will only get on customers' nerves and cause them to shun.

So yes, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Spa Symphony for being such a good sport! The facial session was superb and your staff are really friendly.

I won't mind bringing other friends back there again if there are any other promotions in future. 

Tried, tested and highly recommended from SGComplainQueen! Hahaha.

Here's their website if any of you is/are interested:

http://www.spasymphony.com.sg/

(Too bad that I did not get the chance to take many photos there as I did not intend to blog about it but eventually decided to!)

The different kinds of people you meet on Carousell

Ok, so I'm freaking pissed right now as I've blogged a whole entry using my iPad and it's all GONE!

So much for trusting an iPad *rolls eyes*

Well.. It's okay, I guess I shall re-blog it again although I can never put everything in exact words anymore.

Yes, I'm gonna blog about something that may interest many of you (especially if you are one shopaholic). Don't worry, this isn't a sponsored advertorial and I am in no way paid for this.

So I've noticed colleagues and friends around me who are currently using this:

(Yes, that's Carousell)

If you are interested in knowing how Carousell works and the DIFFERENT KINDS OF ANGELS AND DEVILS on the platform, then read on.

In case you have no idea what Carousell is, it is basically a mobile app that allows you to BUY and SELL things fast and... steadily.

I guess one of the reasons why Carousell is getting increasingly popular is due to its easy user interface. 

Seriously, it doesn't take one long to figure out how to use it.

I have been using Carousell since its early days, and there is no denying that I was hooked to it. Somehow it motivated me to search for all kinds of junk items in my house and list them up for sale. LOL.

Of course, I was skeptical whether someone would really offer me $$$ for those junk items but hey, IT WORKED! 

Subsequently, I got addicted to shopping on Carousell too as I could find many items on there at a good deal as most of the sellers are open to negotiations. I'm not ashamed to say this, but I LOVE to HAGGLE and I may be a low-baller sometimes. HAHAHA. Nothing wrong with trying your luck, right?!

Of course, everything has its pros and cons as well. As much as I enjoyed my Carousell experience, it is inevitable to come across unethical people on there, too. I'm gonna' share some of the most commonly-heard experiences here and probably it might benefit someone *shrugs*

1) Sellers who don't mail your items out

So the seller has promised to mail out your items after you've transferred the money to his/her account. 

You wait and wait... 

And finally you ask - after a week-

"WHERE THE HECK IS MY ITEM?!?!?!?!"

To which the seller replies, "Sorry, I am not responsible if it happens to be a LOST MAIL."

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYONE who is confused about postage, I'll take some time to explain it here. You can thank me later.

There are two kinds of postage methods - NORMAL MAIL (likely to have a risk) and REGISTERED MAIL.

So what's the differences between Normal Mail and Registered Mail? Basically, a Normal Mail (NM) is the cheapest mailing option. Simply put, the seller writes your name and address on the envelope, goes to the nearest post box, dumps the envelope into it and Voila! The seller's responsibility ends there.

In other words, there is absolutely NO WAY for you to track where the mail is at after it leaves the seller's hands. Let's just say the postman accidentally misplaces or drops your envelope somewhere (You may not believe it, but this can actually happen), you will NEVER receive it, ever. 

Worse still, you can't blame it on the seller because he/she will tell you that it is not their responsibility for the lost mail. 

And you? Yes, suck thumb and blame yourself why you opted for Normal Mail in the first place.

(There are sellers who take advantage of this and claim to have sent out your items when, well.. in actual fact, DID NOT. They can easily dismiss it as a lost mail and there is nothing for you to fall back on.)

As for Registered Mail, it is considered a safer mailing option that requires an additional top-up $$ for an extra service. (It depends on whether you are stingy or not to spend that bit of money for the security feature)

So what is the "extra service", you ask?

Yes, this means that the seller has to provide you an unique TRACKING CODE (provided by SingPost) after he/she has mailed out your item at the post office. With the tracking code, you'll be able to track the mail online and chances of a lost mail is relatively low.

I've tried to google for an example of the tracking code, and here it is:

(Notice the numbers on the top left)

Here's a screenshot example of the tracking page:

Instead of having the mail delivered to your mailbox, the post man will KNOCK on your door and deliver it personally to you. (& you have to SIGN on the receipt)

My suggestion: If your item is a non-expensive item, then it is alright to opt for Normal Mail. Choose this option only if you can afford to bear the risk. For extra "security", you may request the seller to take a "Photo proof" or "Video proof" of the envelope before mailing. It is quite a common practice on Carousell now, so do not be embarrassed to request for it.

(Picture credits to: www.fionaseah.com)

If your item is kinda' costly (let's say $20 or more), then I would suggest it would be safer to go for Registered Postage. It doesn't hurt to top up that bit of money to exchange for a peace of mind, does it?

Again, the choice is yours.

2) Sellers who do Pre-Orders

So you have finally found that item you always wanted but it is on Pre-Order and requires a waiting time of 2 - 4 weeks. 

Usually, the seller would request for payment or a minimal deposit to confirm your order.

This is based entirely on trust.

There are many cases of sellers making use of Pre-Orders, only to delay stocks or worse, close down their accounts and disappear. JUST. LIKE. THAT.

The buyers will have no other choice but to cry victim and lodge a report... (But seriously, lodging a report even to the police doesn't really work. Its SO common nowadays!)

Personally, I have never trusted Pre-orders, despite how reputable a seller may appear to be. One of the main reasons is because I don't like to WAIT. It's either INSTOCKS or nothing. Period.

3) Sellers who MIA-ed (This applies to buyers too)

If you have no idea what MIA means, it stands for "Missing In Action".

Imagine arranging an appointment with the seller only to find yourself standing at the location like a fool for half an hour.

AND NOT A SINGLE SOUL IS SEEN.

Don't think this isn't impossible, because I AM SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE.

I was played out by this #(*$&)(# seller once, and had to return home empty-handed with a huge portion of my time wasted.

Well, the seller eventually got back to me.

"Sorry, my handphone battery was flat."

FLAT?! Are you freaking kidding me?!

(If you are not interested in selling it to me, just say lah!)

4) Sellers who agree to do TRADES

OK,it is a VERY common sight to see people requesting for trades on Carousell. I'm one of them. Trades are for people who are on a tight budget and yet they hope that their item would somehow interest the other party so that a mutual agreement can be met for an exchange of items. It can be a rewarding experience when the deal is completed on a non-monetary basis.

However, I have seen and heard of countless Carousellers who do trades via POSTAGE. Seriously?? Do you really trust the other party - who is a complete stranger - so much that you feel safe trading via postage? 

If you have agreed to do this, then please, for goodness sake... DO NOT whine or complain when you did not receive your item. Either you have been played out by the other party, or the postman has simply left your mail somewhere in Neverland.

Get into the real world and deal via meetup, please.

If you have time to be on Carousell so often, then there should be no issue with you taking time out to travel and meet PHYSICALLY for the trade.

How big can Singapore be?

5) Sellers who are... Creepy

I've came across sellers who are downright creepy. So creepy that I've decided to pull out of the deal despite the item being the cheapest on Carousell.

The seller would SPAM me with constant messages and asked the same question over and over again, repeatedly,

"So do you still want the item?"

"Are we still meeting up?"

"I'll meet you later ok?"

"Hello?"

"How old are you?"

"How do you look like?"

Oh God, tell me.. TELL ME.. Can you picture yourself meeting up with this person?

Shop smart, people. No doubt that Carousell may be a convenient online shopping portal, but be vigilant when dealing with others. 

It's always recommended to ensure that the seller has clicked on the "ACCEPTED OFFER" button before proceeding with the deal so that you will be able to leave a feedback.

(Should the deal goes unexpectedly sour, at least you can leave the seller a -ve feedback!!)

Personally, I feel that it is important for sellers/buyers to have positive feedback. LOTS AND LOTS of them. I am the kind of buyer who will STALK (ok lah, not that scary) the seller's profile page and check out their accumulated feedback before dealing. I am sure many other buyers will do that, too.

So sellers.... Building a good reputation on your page IS important as it pretty much sums up how trustworthy you are.

Of course, I have dealt with people who have zero rating on their profile (Everyone starts from 0, so I'll give chances) and the deal went smoothly. I am NOT implying that those with 0 rating doesn't deserve to buy or sell on Carousell, OK?

You'll have to judge for yourself.

Personally, I opt for meet-up than postage (unless the item I am purchasing is really cheap. I can't possibly meet up for an item that cost $2 or less, right? My transport fare alone cost more than that! LOL)

At least, a meet-up has more pros than cons:

Pros - Able to check the quality of item. Can reject paying on the spot if item is not of satisfactory standard. No money wasted here.

Cons - Only wasting of time or transport fare should the other party doesn't turn up.

There are all kinds of people on Carousell. Some are downright crazy, but there are still legit ones out there.

Just be more cautious when dealing with... Strangers.

Someone has came up with a hilarious site dedicated to people who create hell on Carousell. Quite an interesting read for your morning rides.

http://carouhell.tumblr.com/

If you ever have an interesting Carousell experience, feel free to share with me here!

Complaint: STARHUB

I was seriously fuming .

So much that I was trembling.

*breathes in and out.. *huff* puff*

Mind you, I am going to bring this matter up to the media if Starhub isn't going to resolve this.

The story went like this:

I received my usual monthly bill from Starhub yesterday, and horror of all horrors - My bill, which is supposed to be $38 per month under Student Plan aka PowerValue 100... Ended up a $50+. (I can't freaking believe they called it a student promotion when the amount I was asked to pay up seems to be higher than some normal plans)

I know MY amount isn't considered that much as compared to many out there who are using more expensive plans - But hey, I am talking about HONESTY here, which Starhub obviously lacks. As big as a company they may seem, it's definitely more than it meets the eye.

Apparently, I was charged for Outgoing calls that amounted up to nearly $10 with a talktime of 158 minutes 47 seconds.

I was dumbfounded.

I am someone who does not use Outgoing calls except for purposes such as calling home that would usually last not more than a few seconds per call.

(It would be usual stuff like informing my parents that I will not be home for dinner, etc)

Infuriated, I went through my phone call logs ONE by ONE and counted the minutes I've previously used.

I discovered that I had only used 23 minutes of talktime within the stated period - which is WITHIN the 100 free outgoing minutes that I was given monthly. In other words, this would mean that no charges should be imposed if I do not use more than the 100 minutes limit. However, the bill stated that I have used up more than that-  hence I have to pay for the excess charges.

WHERE and HOW the heck did the 158 minutes 47 seconds come from?!

Magic ah?!

So of course I went to call them up the next day.... 

AND GUESS WHAT?!

More anger ensues!!

*trembles again*

I swore I almost had a heart attack after I hung up the phone call.

Well...I had just wanted to check with them with regards to the excess minutes, and the Starhub personnel told me that I have TO PAY THEM A SUM OF $30 before they can proceed to generate my call logs for me from their system so I could check.

WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!?!?!

WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!?!?!WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!?!?!WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!?!?!

• Firstly, WHY should I pay you when it's my OWN call logs that I am asking for? It's not like I am requesting for somebody else's call logs right?!... Isn't it a huge joke when you are asking me to pay to know what should be rightfully mine?

• Secondly, I was overcharged an amount of nearly $10. What kind of logic is that to make me pay $30 to find out?

• Thirdly... Isn't finding out the reason of why I was overcharged supposed to be part of what Customer Service is about? WHY SHOULD I PAY TO FIND OUT THE REASON WHY I WAS OVERCHARGED?

It's really ridiculous. 

To make matters worse, the Starhub personnel didn't seem to be helpful at all.

I kept insisting that I have counted from my side and its apparent that I didn't use up to such a huge limit - and SHE (yes, it's a SHE) kept telling me to pay up that $30 so I can check from their side.

Appalled, I asked if there are any alternative methods that could be helpful.. And again, she repeated the same thing about that freaking $30.

Hello Starhub, WHY ARE YOU SO MONEY-MINDED?!

Do you even care for your customers - especially a loyal one like me who have been with you for uncountable years??! Is that how you treat your customers - by asking them to pay for something they are supposed to have the rights to?

No wonder Starhub is earning money - They must have been using unscrupulous methods to overcharge their customers, hoping that they wouldn't check their bills thoroughly.

I know there are many of you out there who are paying through Giro - in which entitles Starhub to automatically deduct the amount from your account every month.

And this contributes to our negligence of checking our phone bills because we thought we could trust them.

THOUGHT.

(But ALAS - You can never be too sure.)

It's because of the fact that many of us do not check our bills and calculate them thoroughly that contributes to their advantage! 

I don't think the way they deal with our phone bills are transparent enough as well - Imagine they can "anyhow" come up with a digit and you won't know the accuracy - unless when it suddenly hits you that something is not right.
(Hello, we are not fools!)

VERY SHADY, RIGHT?!

I have enough of you, Starhub.

This is not the first time that you are charging my family more than you should - and you will only return us the money when we found out ourselves after approaching you.

What other reasons do I have to continue having you as my operator?

NONE.

Throughout the years.. ...

1) You don't give loyalty customer discounts, nor do you inform me whenever my contract is nearing the end.

2) Your customer service sucks big time. 

3) You only value NEW customers and leave your existing customers to rot. Do you seriously think I will only depend on you as my sole service provider? 

It's because of horrible experiences that I have made up my mind NOT to ever sign anything with Starhub again. 

Once bitten, twice shy.

My entry serves as a warning to those out there... Sign with Starhub at your own risk.

P/S: I'll be heading down to Starhub tomorrow morning and have a face-to-face confrontation. I am NOT going to fall prey to your shady tactics anymore!!

Heal Spa - Ann unforgettable massage session

I'm sorry for the negligence as I have had a tough week and fell sick before I knew it. 

I was both emotionally and physically strained due to some issues that I will not disclose here, but I would still like to thank each and everyone of my dear friends & colleagues for your concern. 

Yes, you know who you are.

Thank you!

I'll update some of my happier happenings before all the crazy stuff happened - That is my massage treatment last week! It was actually a deal brought from Groupon.

(Yes, I have been on a crazy roll trying out different deals each time so I can share them here with my readers.)

So.. Guess which outlet I went to?

(No, this is not an advertorial and I am not paid to advertise for them in any way. I just wanted to blog about my experience because it was a positive one!)

Yes, it's Heal Spa! 

You know I have this common mindset about purchasing group deals that involve such services. Horror stories being shared by a few customers weren't helping at all.

 Questions such as:

"Is this going to be a scam?"

"Will they hardsell me their services and require me to purchase their packages after the massage?"

"Will they threaten me to buy their packages, if not they'll break my bones?" (LOL)

But I decided to put my worries at rest and just go for it. 

 I won't know until I tried, yes?

So I was ushered to the room by their friendly staff when I reached. 

The masseur (A female, of course) was a friendly and experienced one! What amazed me was her ability to know some facts about me being not able to sleep well, etc when she was massaging me.

I didn't even tell her that I had a pain at my back area, and she seemed to know about it!

The standard of their massage was superb and not those "anyhow" kind. They will ask if there are any affected or painful area(s) of your body, and focus on that area specifically.

I was impressed.

Personally, I have tried different massage services before, and so far... This is one of the best I have experienced! I was served a cup of longan tea after the session...And no, they did not persuade me to purchase their packages at all. (They only introduced me about their ongoing promotion, which I politely declined)

I couldn't believe the feeling I felt when I was walking out of the place. It was as though I was walking on air. (Haha) Yes, I was THAT relaxed. 

I almost wanted to exclaim to the whole world
"THIS IS LIFE!"

If anyone would like to know more about them, you may feel free to visit their website at:

http://www.healspa.com.sg

Online shopping freaks!

Just so you know, I am recently hooked to purchasing deals online.

I have always thought group deals to be a great idea to enjoy food and services at a fraction of its price, which is very much true!

Of course, there are still people out there who doubt the security of the deals and think of them as a scam or gimmick.

Which explains the reason of why I am doing up this entry because I will be personally sharing my experiences (be it good OR bad) of deals I had purchased and used.

Probably a Google search may land you on this page, I don't know. I just hope it will be a beneficial one. 

I've recently tried a 2D1N Batam deal on Qoo10.sg (previously known as Gmarket). 

It was seriously a worthy deal as I had been to the same place (with almost the same itinerary) 2 years back - and it cost me approximately SGD 135.

And Qoo10.sg was having a group deal promotion at SGD 49.90.

Of course, there will be additional compulsory costs that are not included in the $49.90 price tag, such as tips for your tour guide, ferry costs, etc.

But you will still be on the winning end because the total price will not exceed SGD 80. 

(Around SGD 70 ++) 

AND the deal was inclusive of a tour guide, 60-min Javanese massage, 8 course- seafood meal for lunch, 1 night hotel stay, Breakfast buffet.

The tour bus I was in:

Tell me, worth it or not??!!

If you were to go without the deal , a night of hotel stay would easily churn out a bill of $60-$80 already. And this is not even counting the massage deal or lunch.

Of course, I would encourage you to book for weekdays instead of weekends like I did as the place would be packed with humans. (Lol)

In fact, we were stuck at the bus junction for nearly 2 hours and some parts of the trips had to be cancelled
:(
Oh well.

(The itinerary includes a visit to temples and Go-Kart, etc. But it was a pity that we were running out of time and the tour guide cancelled them.)

We were brought to the "Golden Factory Outlet" that is known to sell luxurious brands at a fraction of its price. I doubt its authenticity though. If you are one who is not VERY particular about brands, then I guess this factor will not affect you that much. They do have apparels that come in cool designs!

Nonetheless, the hotel stay was a pleasant one. In fact, I was impressed by its interior design as they made the surrounding look like a luxurious ship. (I was reminded of the Titanic exhibition I went to as the hallway simply looked too much like the Titanic hallway!)

To those who went to the Titanic exhibition when it was here in SG, do you not find this scene familiar??!!

Went for a super duper short shopping spree at their local shopping mall and came across this Karaoke place. *tempted mode*

But of course I didn't go for it as their songs are mainly in their native language which I know nuts.

 Took a photo of my hotel cards before the final check-out during the second day.

I didn't take many photos of my Batam trip (partly due to the factor that I was lazy) as it was my 2nd time there.
To those who are worried about how this deal would turn out, you may go ahead to purchase the deal. It's safe and I am already back in a full piece! (LOL!) :)

.
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.
.

Another recent deal that I tried was the full body massage at Spa de Earth.  It was actually my first time trying out massage in Singapore (My previous massage sessions were at Batam) and I had to say that it was quite a... refreshing experience.

It was a 60-min Javanese massage (and the masseur was quite strong!) LOL.
But it was a 3.5 star experience nonetheless.

Do you know what is ONE fearful thing about online deals that I am most afraid of?

Hard-selling.

Oh damn, I just hate that.

Fortunately, there was completely NO hard-selling at Spa De Earth, even though they do have packages. The staff had merely told me about an ongoing promotion, and that was it.
There was no hard-selling even though I rejected the offer.
It's only places like these that will make me a returning customer.
(Why can't some companies just understand that hard-selling WON'T work?!)
Gosh.

Okay, I guess I have became such an addict that I had just bought 2 more deals with a colleague! Will definitely share my experiences here when I am back.
Should it be a negative experience, be rest assured that I will definitely lodge a complaint.
Haha, ciao~

Shoo! MLM Companies~

I have enough of MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) companies. Seriously. (And I am sure most people who have encountered them will agree with me on this one.)

Firstly, stop MISLEADING people into thinking that this is a profitable business. It's always interesting how many MLM employers have the SAME, or similar, speech. They would sound so convincing and boast about the rewards in this business (such as the company giving you a car, etc). You are just trying to target at what a normal human desires and "lure" them into joining you.

Secondly, stop being such a brainwasher hypocrite. I have friends who work in MLM companies and they are all putting on such a fake "nice" front. They would go on and on about how much they wanted to share this "great opportunity" with me, etc. OH, save it. I can clearly see what lies beneath your speech.
YOU ARE JUST BEING NICE TO YOUR FRIENDS BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM TO FORK OUT THEIR MONEY AND BE "UNDER" YOU, WHICH YOU WILL EARN COMMISSION FROM THEM.

If not for the sake of $$$$, will you even bother putting in so much effort in persuading your friends to join you?!

Let's face it. What's your main motive? Search for your own conscience and you will know if you are SINCERELY "sharing" this "great opportunity" with your friends. Furthermore, why would a friend whom I have lost contact for years suddenly got all close to me? (Yes, I have had "friends" whom would try to ask me out for dinner and sounding all innocent. But it was only in the later part of dinner that I was "introduced" this "great opportunity". Let's face it - This is a very practical world.

Thirdly, YOU just want more people to join because you will then earn back what you've invested in. (Come on, you are a victim yourself and now you are seeking for more victims?) Why are you trying to make use of your friends in earning moolah for yourself?

Of course, if you are a MLM employee and are reading this, you will feel the sense of injustice after reading this. BUT there is no deny that what I've mentioned above are true to an extent, isn't it?

 Although I would not say that MLMs are scams (because there are indeed SUCCESSFUL people who are in this business), but it is definitely MISLEADING.
Everything is made to sound so innocent, but yet what lies behind are motives, motives and motives. The process is ALWAYS like this:

- Coming across a job offer from websites which promises good pay (eg: earn up to 3-5K per month) just by "helping out with manager presentations" and "assistant".

- So you see a number and contacted the person-in-charge, whom sounded VERY thrilled to hear from you. He/she will then make an appointment with you for an "interview", and even offers to bring you to the location.

- After agreeing to meet with the person-in-charge, he/she will then bring you to a legit-looking company and make you meet some "colleagues" to share their success stories with you. Well, everyone is being VERY nice to you, and makes you feel so welcome that you are starting to see them as your family. (Duh)

- Here comes the brainwashing session whereby you will be psycho-ed into thinking everything is a profitable business. You will be convinced that you will be able to earn back what you invested in. They will give you such a firm assurance that you will feel its a regret not to take up this opportunity.

- After seeing that you are convinced but in a dilemma state, they will lure you into taking the first step. For some MLM companies, they will get you to pay the initial "membership" fee. As for the others, they will persuade you to take up their packages (which range from $100 - $1000 plus.), which you will then become their "official employee" and start selling their products. For each product sold, the friend whom had introduced you into this business earlier would earn a commission from your sales. To start earning your OWN commissions, you have to look for people to invest in the same business as you did, just so you can EARN after every sales they made. (Do you see the pattern now??)

-You will be told stories about how everyone is a family there who shares the same goal - earning money together. (Actually, all of you are just FEEDING on each other's $$$!)

- AND you are finally convinced and see them as your real friend. That's the time when you fork out your money, invest in this #(*&$# business, and that's it. You will probably have to start selling the things to your OWN family and friends (Pathetic much?). Of course, having a wide social circle helps, but you will be able to see all of your friends avoiding you in no time.

- It will then be the same cycle all over again. Soon, you will find yourself persuading people to join you in this business while bearing the motive at the back of your head that you can earn from them.


FACE IT. True friends will NEVER do this to you.
If every MLM business is so flawless, will there still be poor people in this world?

And I hate the fact that some MLM employees will deny the fact that they are working for an MLM company. It's so apparent that the strategy is working in the same way... Who are you kidding?

I noticed that most MLM employees are youngsters (some who are still in secondary schools, etc), and there are a few that boasted they are "managers". Well, ANYTHING YOU SAY. If you choose to believe that you are REALLY a manager, then so be it. *rolls eyes*

P/S: People from Venture Era, Premium Pure or whatever MLM companies will definitely hate me for this post. But I am just speaking the truth from my mind. I've seen and heard alot throughout the years. AND I HAVE ENOUGH.

SCAM... OR NOT?

How many of you have received e-mails such as these?!

Yes, this is actually a screenshot of those e-mails in my inbox. AND CAN YOU IMAGINE I RECEIVE SUCH E-MAILS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND MINUTE? It's freaking annoying, I tell you.

Not unless you are a greedy brat who thinks all the above are real.

Come on, if they are REAL, I won't be sitting down here and shaking my legs. I guess I would be somewhere  around the world, travelling with the unlimited amount of money I've won. (Woo! *feigns happiness*)

*Rolls eyes*

SO FREAKING FAKE. I can't believe if there is/are actually anyone who FELL for them. I would usually send these e-mails straight into the trash bins, but I thought it would be ideal to do a post on them for educational purposes (LOL).
(At least, I hope gullible people can read this post after stumbling upon my blog on search engines and such. Don't worry, I have received such scam e-mails throughout the years and its enough to make me a self-proclaimed "expert".)

This is a screenshot of the e-mail from "POWERBALL LOTTERY".

It writes:
"Your e-mail address attached to e-ticket number: 31475600847 199 winning  Ref: UK/9728X3/62  Batch: 074/06/ZY267, which won you the lottery.You are therefore, been approved to claim a total sum of US$2,500,000.00.(TWO MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS).In cash Contact Us Via E-mail: fidicialcenter@yahoo.com.hk or call            +44702 406 7654       CLAIMS OFFICER : Mr.Philips Graham" 


How does that even sound convincing to you?

First of all, I wasn't even addressed personally in this e-mail. (In fact, MOST of the scam e-mails DON'T address you personally. It's one of the obvious points that is telling you "IT'S A SCAM!" Not only that, its telling you that THIS IS A MASS-SENT E-MAIL. In other words, those scammers actually sent them out in a bulk without knowing who you actually are.)

Secondly, do take some time to analyse the e-mail and how it is written. Was it written in a professional/formal manner? Granted, there ARE indeed many scam e-mails I've seen which the scammers did attempt to sound professional. (I believe they must have copied and pasted from somewhere, DUH.) And sometimes, they do sound so realistic that it's HARD not to believe its all scam.
On the other hand, I've also seen badly written e-mails that scream "FAKE" once you read the first sentence.

Thirdly, NOTICE the e-mail address of the so-called "company". They are using e-mail servers from YAHOO (and some HOTMAIL.) I believe a REGISTERED and DECENT company will have a .com of their own. Using Yahoo and Hotmail just make it look all the more fake.

I was just using the above lottery scam as one of the examples. There is still a common e-mail scam that I MUST post it here. They are called the "419" scammers, whom are mostly based in Nigeria.
Let me show you one of the examples:\
(Screenshot credit:)

Sounds legit? NOT.
There have been many more, with e-mail subjects such as "CRY FOR HELP" , "I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE", etc, etc. So many that I can come up with a never-ending list!

Please do not, for once, EVER fall for their scam. They are trying to gain your SYMPATHY for their own advantage. All in all, they only have one motive:

MONEY. MONEY. AND MONEY.

They can go on and on with stories about splitting with you their inheritance, or promising you a "business deal" which will grant you a huge sum of money. YES, I have heard enough stories of people falling for them. Out of curiosity and greediness, they would reply to the e-mails for more details. AND THAT IS THE TIME THE SCAMMERS WILL SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE YOU FALL FOR THEIR SCAM.

And oh, if you are ever wondering how those Nigerian scammers look like, visualize no more:
(I've gotten this image from one of the famous scambaiting 419 sites, and this photo WAS actually a real photo sent by the scammer themselves.)

                                   Oh.. look at me... I'm having this loaf of bread on my head and I think I look cute!


Always remember, IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, then it probably is. And if you are still in doubt, GOOGLE the content of the e-mail. You will be surprised at the results.

Now, you may ask... How do those scammers GET your e-mail addresses?
Yes, its all thanks to you signing up for random websites that require you to enter your e-mail addresses. (I'm sure you have done this before... Rriiiiggghhhtt? If not, then you might have been "betrayed" by certain "trustworthy" websites that exposed your personal e-mail addresses to 3rd parties. I might blog about another  SCAM in my next entry. So... Do stay tuned.