Unauthorised ofo charges still unresolved
15 Mar 2019|1,220 views
Undergraduate Hong Seung Hye, 22, stopped using ofo's bicycles last December and cancelled her monthly pass. But she got a rude shock after checking her bank statement in January - the bicycle-sharing operator had made three deductions of $8.99, amounting to nearly $27, from her account on 11 January.
At least dozens of former ofo users like Ms. Hong are awaiting refunds for what they say are unauthorised charges from the Chinese bike firm, The Straits Times has learnt.
These charges took place between last November and February this year. Out of more than 20 affected ofo customers ST spoke to, only one has received a refund from ofo.
They reported unauthorised charges in four different areas - receiving multiple charges for ofo passes, getting charged for passes they did not purchase, getting charged for monthly passes even after cancellation and getting charged for parking outside of parking zones, without receiving a 10-minute grace period to move the bike as per Land Transport Authority (LTA) regulations.
Some users also reported a glitch in which they continued to be charged even after locking their bikes. The excess charges in the various complaints were as high as $36. These disputed charges are among the various woes plaguing ofo, whose operating licence has been suspended for failing to meet the LTA's regulatory requirements.
The operator earned a reprieve on Thursday (14 March), after the LTA extended the deadline for ofo to remove its bicycles from public spaces. In response to queries, the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) told The Straits Times it has received 25 complaints against ofo since January last year.
Case Executive Director Loy York Jiun said existing ofo pass holders may wish to cancel their subscription, as it may be automatically renewed through the mobile application.
He also advised them to document the cancellation, for instance via screenshots, so disputes can be resolved more easily.
Ofo users who have paid ofo using their credit card within the last 120 days can consider lodging a chargeback claim as soon as possible, Mr. Loy added. A few affected users like Ms. Hong who were charged on their DBS accounts said they contacted the bank and were advised to change their bank cards to prevent further charges.
A DBS spokesman said the bank received "a few" queries on ofo over the last six months, and all were resolved. Customers who spot discrepancies in their bank statements are advised to contact DBS. OCBC said it has not received complaints relating to such charges from ofo. ST has contacted the other banks for comments.
A former ofo manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was "not surprised" about the complaints on repeat charges for ofo passes.
The operator previously received similar complaints in June and August last year, he said, which were handled by ofo's office in China. The China office said it was a software glitch and would fix it, he added.
He noted however that there is no one to redirect complaints now, as ofo's externally-sourced customer service team stopped working for the operator since last November.
Consulting engineer Adam Scott, 27, had stopped using ofo, but was charged $15.99 on 8 February even though he did not reapply for a three-month pass. He did not receive a pass from the operator thereafter. "It's disgusting, being charged unlawfully and not even receiving a pass," he said. "I don't expect that I will get the money back."
Undergraduate Hong Seung Hye, 22, stopped using ofo's bicycles last December and cancelled her monthly pass. But she got a rude shock after checking her bank statement in January - the bicycle-sharing operator had made three deductions of $8.99, amounting to nearly $27, from her account on 11 January.
At least dozens of former ofo users like Ms. Hong are awaiting refunds for what they say are unauthorised charges from the Chinese bike firm, The Straits Times has learnt.
These charges took place between last November and February this year. Out of more than 20 affected ofo customers ST spoke to, only one has received a refund from ofo.
They reported unauthorised charges in four different areas - receiving multiple charges for ofo passes, getting charged for passes they did not purchase, getting charged for monthly passes even after cancellation and getting charged for parking outside of parking zones, without receiving a 10-minute grace period to move the bike as per Land Transport Authority (LTA) regulations.
Some users also reported a glitch in which they continued to be charged even after locking their bikes. The excess charges in the various complaints were as high as $36. These disputed charges are among the various woes plaguing ofo, whose operating licence has been suspended for failing to meet the LTA's regulatory requirements.
The operator earned a reprieve on Thursday (14 March), after the LTA extended the deadline for ofo to remove its bicycles from public spaces. In response to queries, the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) told The Straits Times it has received 25 complaints against ofo since January last year.
Case Executive Director Loy York Jiun said existing ofo pass holders may wish to cancel their subscription, as it may be automatically renewed through the mobile application.
He also advised them to document the cancellation, for instance via screenshots, so disputes can be resolved more easily.
Ofo users who have paid ofo using their credit card within the last 120 days can consider lodging a chargeback claim as soon as possible, Mr. Loy added. A few affected users like Ms. Hong who were charged on their DBS accounts said they contacted the bank and were advised to change their bank cards to prevent further charges.
A DBS spokesman said the bank received "a few" queries on ofo over the last six months, and all were resolved. Customers who spot discrepancies in their bank statements are advised to contact DBS. OCBC said it has not received complaints relating to such charges from ofo. ST has contacted the other banks for comments.
A former ofo manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was "not surprised" about the complaints on repeat charges for ofo passes.
The operator previously received similar complaints in June and August last year, he said, which were handled by ofo's office in China. The China office said it was a software glitch and would fix it, he added.
He noted however that there is no one to redirect complaints now, as ofo's externally-sourced customer service team stopped working for the operator since last November.
Consulting engineer Adam Scott, 27, had stopped using ofo, but was charged $15.99 on 8 February even though he did not reapply for a three-month pass. He did not receive a pass from the operator thereafter. "It's disgusting, being charged unlawfully and not even receiving a pass," he said. "I don't expect that I will get the money back."
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