PETALING JAYA: A student was left reeling after being asked to pay RM2,099 for "insurance" after buying a RM25 screen protector.
However, all was not lost as she managed to get back the RM1,575 she eventually paid to the shop with assistance from the police.
The 23-year-old biomedical science student, who only wanted to be known as Ching, said she was walking around a a mall near Petaling Street when a promoter offered her a screen protector and mobile phone cover for just RM25.
"Coincidentally, I wanted to get a new screen protector so decided to get it from his shop," Ching said.
She added that the promoter told her that he needed to register her for insurance to cover any damage to the screen protector and asked for her MyKad.
"I assumed it was similar to a warranty, which made sense, so I agreed," she said.
Ching, who related her experience in a Facebook post on Feb 28, said when she was about to pay, the cashier told her that the total was RM2,124, which was RM25 for the phone cover and screen protector and RM2,099 for the insurance.
Shocked, Ching had asked for clarification and was told that the 'insurance' could not be cancelled after it was registered.
As a student, she said she did not have that much cash on her and the promoter appeared and "helped" her negotiate the cash price down to RM1,575.
Ching realised she was not the only victim after sharing her experience on social media and a friend said it had happened to her as well.
Ching later contacted Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun's service centre for assistance and his secretary Eric Teh had told her lodge the police report.
Speaking to The Star, she said the shop owner had refunded her RM1,575 after the police intervened.
“Yes, they fully refunded my RM1,575. I appreciate the help of Fong, the Dang Wangi district police headquarters, and the power of social media,” she said.
She added that the shop owner had thrown in the screen protector and phone cover for free.
“Many have since told me that they or their friends had faced similar situations but had never reported it." she said.
Fong, meanwhile, said that after Ching had shared her experience on social media, another two victims had contacted his service centre seeking assistance.
“We suspect the shopkeeper and so-called ‘insurance’ company are same people; these people target students and those who are new to the city,” he said.
