Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A lesson to learn.

I think it's about time I expose this ill managed (local) company to the world. There is nothing more worse than having a company run by an irresponsible group of people, who has virtually no regards for discharging its duties and obligations properly. This company is responsible for my going back and forth, wasted trips, unnecessary spending of time, effort and money. This company is called Chic Magazine (yes, the same company who organised the Chic Girl competition which I foolishly took part in and won in July this year).

So, this was how it started. I was promised a trip for 2 to Tokyo for winning the overall Chic Girl title (I also won a $300 TinyFry's voucher for being Chic Girl of the week. This is important information. I'll get back to this later) Normally, upon winning, the organiser would contact the winner to provide him/her with the relevant details of the prize (like how to go about claiming it and stuff like that). But this is not the case with Chic. NOBODY contacted me about the prize trip months after winning the competition. NOBODY came to remind me of the unclaimed prize. There was no meetup, no verbal communication, no electronic notification, no phonecall. NOTHING. ZILCH. Naturally, I felt very worried.

I was called down for a photoshoot sometime in August. The shoot was (supposedly) for the September/October issue. Do take note that I wasn't paid for the shoot. I was only informed of the shoot at MBS the night before (super last minute), therefore I had to cancel all my plans for the following day (how inconvenient). This was wasted time, effort and money on my side (because eventually, the magazine was not launched).

In October (3 months into winning the competition), I decided to email Chic and enquire about my prize trip.


Honestly, I was expecting a prompt reply. After months of waiting, all I wanted was an answer. I don't think this was too much to ask for. 3 days passed and not a single reply. And because it was October (the supposed magazine launch month), I wrote on their wall to ask about the no-show.


And SUDDENLY, the launch of the magazine was postponed to December. -_-

12 days after my first email was sent to them, they finally responded. Definitely not the response I was looking for. Just more delay.


12 more days passed, and still no reply. I became impatient.



6 more days (this was my boiling point). STILL. NO. FUCKING. ANSWER.



(This is where the TinyFry's voucher come in) My mum, Iqah and I went down to TinyFry's somewhere in the end of November to utilize the $300 voucher which I got from Chic. There was NO EXPIRY DATE stated on the voucher and it said that the voucher could only be utilised when TinyFry's store opens. TinyFry's opened its doors in August/September. So given the fact that there was NO EXPIRY DATE on the voucher (and no verbal communication of redemption date), I would think that 2 months is a reasonable time to claim. When I asked the staff over at TinyFry's about the voucher, they said it has already expired. LIKE WTF???!!! I was pretty upset because I really wanted to get Iqah an ipod. But the more disappointing thing was I was not formally educated/informed of the rules and regulations governing the claim of the prize.

2 weeks later (from the time the last email was sent), I emailed Chic again.



STILL NO FUCKING REPLY. Things felt wrong. How is it possible that 3 emails can go unnoticed?? So again, I wrote on their wall (to enquire about the magazine now). This time, there was no reply to my post (even to this date). And yes, this was already December.



FINALLY, after weeks (months actually) of waiting for an APPROPRIATE/RELEVANT answer, Chic replied my emails.


Oh look, another brief, uninformative, incomplete and not relevant response (on my main prize). Also, I believe there is enough information here to tell me that they're ceasing operations (eg. I cannot claim my prize till after next year's CNY. Okay, so that'll give them plenty of time to close down and run away from all their liabilities. Read this too: http://www.yebber.com/review/chic-magazine-by-immedius-press/) Also, an ex-photographer of Chic has informed me that Chic was closed for the month of November to ''reserve'' what available funds they are left with. He also told me that if Chic doesn't launch its magazine in December, it is probably closed for good. WTFFFFFF? And wait, how about my TinyFry's voucher?




Can you see the rudeness in this email? 1) Did not address me by my name, 2) Did not sign off properly, 3) THAT'S IT? "WE'RE SORRY" WITH NO FUCKING EXPLANATION?

Up to this day, I still have not received/could not claim ANY of the promised prizes. I still have not gotten the answers I'm looking for. I still have not seen the magazine in which I'm suppose to appear in. I still have not been given consideration for the time and effort spent in preparing for the competition and the photoshoot for the magazine. Going MIA will not bring you to a better position. You are still liable, still obliged to procure me my prize.

Really, at this point of time, all I want to do is get my father to engage a lawyer and bring this matter to court. Thankfully, my dad is on my side and we're ready to do whatever it takes to get us back on the deserving spot. Right now, I'm just waiting. A few more tries, a few more chances. One wrong move and that's it. I guarantee the going down of your company.

16 comments:

  1. Hi Syirin,

    I support if you take a legal action against them. Very unprofessional of them to belittle you and your efforts. They better be doing something about this! I feel angry on your behalf. I may not be a lawyer but from the looks of it, you really call the shots if you bring this matter to the court. Hope things get settled for you soon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey babe,

    Really appreciate your support. Thank you so much. I hope everything goes well and I finally get the compensation I deserve (:

    ReplyDelete
  3. The managing director is Donna Tang. She was on a Spirit of Enterprise Award.
    http://www.soe.org.sg/files/interview2011.php?i=639&a&c&year=2011

    After managing CHIC Magazine, she is now a partner of Tinyfry's Pte Ltd. Since August 2011.
    #01-105 Millenia Walk / #01-14 Republic Plaza.

    If you want to claim your price, come and get her. Make some noise!

    CHIC Magazine is very not professional. I was offered a sales executive position. All commission based. Lucky I rejected the offer.

    Here is her profile
    http://sg.linkedin.com/pub/donna-tang/43/12b/288

    partner
    TinyFry's Pte Ltd
    August 2011 – Present (1 year 1 month) #01-105 Millenia Walk / #01-14 Republic Plaza

    managing editor
    Immedius Press Pte. Ltd
    Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Publishing industry
    July 2009 – Present (3 years 2 months)

    ReplyDelete
  4. By the way, Evlane Teo is the Human Resource executive...You need to speak good English. Please, as you work at CHIC Magazine, you need to watch your bad breath. I almost fainted when you talk to me. Hao Xiang!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Firstly, thank you for the information. This will help me a lot. Secondly, I do not work at Chic magazine and I definitely do not have a bad breath. I think you got the wrong person! Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Here is the new business of Donna (Managing Editor of CHIC Magazine - Chic Readers by Immedius Pte Ltd). Hopefully the 4000s fans are not having the same fate as you. Got cheated! By the way their Kindle is directly sourced from Amazon.

    http://www.facebook.com/tinyfrys
    9 Raffles Boulevard
    #01-105 Millenia Walk S039596

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tinyfrys is the finalist of Singapore Retail Association Awards. Will they fry their customers again? Just like what they did to the CHIC Magazine?

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=426010020776581&set=a.358879900822927.85524.131698960207690&type=1&theater

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am not saying that you work at CHIC Magazine, I just know the HR there has a bad breath :) I am really sad that you get cheated by them. I will support you and give more information on your blog so the other CHIC customers are not cheated again by the company

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahahaha omg!! Paiseh!! But thank you so muchhhh!! I really appreciate it a lot :) please do provide me with more information if you have them. Thanks love!

      Delete
  9. Anybody want to work at Tinyfry's?
    They have 2 shops at

    1. Millenia Walk: 11am-8pm, Daily (Promenade MRT)
    ☎ 6336-6957
    2. Republic Plaza: 12-8pm, Mon-Fri except PH (Raffles Place MRT)
    ☎ 6536-9749


    They are looking for a counter staff. Hopefully is not a commission based on only. Just like what they did to the sales at CHIC Magazine. and They always increase the sales target so that the sales staff cannot achieve the new target. And they keep the money in their pocket.

    Turnover is very very super high at CHIC Magazine. Warning to the new business of Tinyfry's! They maybe doing the same thing...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Counter Staff Ads:

    http://www.jobstreet.com.sg/jobs/2011/7/default/20/2647995.htm?fr=J

    ReplyDelete
  11. Chic Magazine or Shit Magazine? or Cheat Magazine? - Snap-A-Taxi Contest

    http://contestjunkie.blogspot.sg/2010/07/shit-magazines-snap-taxi-contest.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. CHIC MAGAZINE IS A SCAM. 44 COMMENTS IN TOTAL. SEE BLOG: http://contestjunkie.blogspot.sg/2010/07/shit-magazines-snap-taxi-contest.html

    THEY EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. THE MANAGING EDITOR IS DONNA TANG. SHE IS THE FINALIST OF... Ms Donna Tang - Spirit of Enterprise....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Feel sorry to these ex-staff of CHIC Magazine. Hope they get a job ASAP and have a good career.

    Erasto Manuel
    Advertising Sales Manager at Immedius Press Pte. Ltd

    Denise Djong
    Immedius Press Pte Ltd
    Sales Representative

    MS DONNA TANG
    Managing Editor

    Bernice Lee
    Photographer at Immedius Press Pte. Ltd

    Elizabeth R. Lee
    Assistant Editor at CHIC Magazine

    Chia Erhn Kwa
    Style Assistant at CHIC Magazine at Immedius Press Pte. Ltd

    ReplyDelete
  14. The mastermind behind CHIC Magazine is a person called Joseph Shaw. Donna Tang is only the face of it most likely manipulated and convinced to partner up with Joe. He has done numerous "cons" in the past. He is convincingly deceiving, befriends people and screws them over for money. If you need to speak to him, Joseph Shaw is at Royal Room/Fenix every Friday. At Royal Room, he always stands by the bar (towards the middle), with his bar tender, Vincent serving him drinks.

    Hope this helps

    ReplyDelete
  15. Actually, Joseph Shaw isn't even his real name, it's an alias

    ReplyDelete