Courier start-up fails to deliver on its promises, owes thousands of dollars in unpaid salaries and unused credits
Qourier cleared out of their Geylang office and hastily locked up the premises one day last September.
Qourier cleared out of their Geylang office and hastily locked up the premises one day last September.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
PUBLISHEDMAR 11, 2020, 4:42 PM SGT
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Calvin Yang
SINGAPORE - Qourier, a local start-up which promised to make deliveries easy and fuss-free, has run into financial trouble, owing its couriers and customers thousands of dollars in unpaid salaries and unused credits.
Those left in the lurch are still seeking answers from the courier service that closed abruptly late last year, The Straits Times has learnt.
The firm cleared out of its Geylang office and hastily locked up the premises one day last September. The company's sign was finally removed from its office door and the furniture moved out only last month.
Its hotline is not in use any more and various attempts to reach the owners have been unsuccessful. The firm's social media pages have also been inactive for a few months.
Qourier, which claimed to have a pool of more than 9,000 couriers, was co-founded by Mr Elston Yee, Mr Wong Yongjie and Mr Satheesh Thekku Veethil in 2014.
Couriers interviewed said they have not been able to get in touch with the company. Some have lodged police reports.
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One freelance courier said she and her husband, who both worked for the company, were owed about two months' wages adding up to a few thousand dollars.
Initially, the company told them it was facing financial difficulties but promised they would get paid.
Soon, calls and e-mails to the start-up went unanswered, said the 32-year-old, who added: "We even went to their warehouse a few times but nobody was around."
Another courier, who has worked for the firm for more than two years, has tried contacting it weekly. However, Qourier's only feedback was that it was "working towards some potentially positive opportunities".
"I think they are trying to drag it (out) until everyone forgets about it," said the 45-year-old, who is owed about $1,000 in unpaid wages.
Customers, too, are disappointed as they cannot use the remaining credits in their accounts.
One firm, which has a few hundred dollars in unused credits, has been unable to book deliveries since late September - shortly after the delivery start-up celebrated its fifth anniversary - and its refund requests have been ignored.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has received two consumer complaints against Qourier since Oct 1 last year.
Mr Loy York Jiun, Case's executive director, said: "Consumers complained that they had paid for the courier's delivery service but the company had failed to deliver their packages. Consumers also (gave) feedback that they were unable to obtain refunds for the monies paid and that the company had run into financial difficulties and was uncontactable."
Qourier was started when one of its co-founders had an off-putting experience while sending a parcel, according to a 2016 article in ST. By then, it was servicing more than a hundred corporate clients.
One affected business, which started using Qourier in 2017, said it was frustrating not having any answers.
"If Qourier had been open and honest, informed their couriers and customers that they were having some problems, set and adhered to a timeline for refunds or payment, and had not gone completely quiet, I think most people would be more understanding," it added.
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Case advised those who use courier services to research a company's track record, and avoid paying large sums upfront to avoid losses in the event of sudden business closure. Customers should also check if the courier offers insurance protection for delayed, missing and lost items.
"If the courier fails to honour the delivery or contract, consumers who paid by credit cards can file a charge-back request with their banks within 120 days of the date of transaction," the association said, adding that a charge-back allows credit card users to dispute a charge and reverse the transaction should a purchase go awry.
TOPICS: CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORESERVICES SECTOR