If a business took your money and wouldn’t make it right
If you’re reading this at 10 o’clock on a weeknight, you’re probably still angry about something. Maybe a contractor took a deposit and vanished. Maybe the car you bought last month keeps breaking down. Maybe the online shop sent something completely different from what you ordered, and now they won’t reply.
I’m Roy. I handle civil disputes at A.W. Law LLC in Chinatown, and I’ve helped many Singapore buyers get their money back from businesses that hoped they’d give up.
This page is for you if you’re the buyer, the customer, or the consumer, and the other side is a shop, a service, or a company. The first 10 minutes are free, and nothing commits you.
What a consumer protection claim in Singapore actually is
A consumer protection claim is a civil action you bring against a business that misled you, sold you something defective, or treated you unfairly. The main law is the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, which most people call the CPFTA. It sits alongside the Sale of Goods Act and the Supply of Goods and Services Act, which together set out what a buyer is entitled to in Singapore.
The CPFTA does two main things.
- It lists unfair practices. Lying about the product, hiding key terms in fine print, pressuring you into a sale, charging for things you didn’t agree to. The Second Schedule spells out more than 20 examples.
- It gives you remedies. You can ask the court for a refund, a replacement, a repair, a price reduction, or money damages for what the unfair practice cost you.
A separate part of the CPFTA is the lemon law, which covers goods that turn out to be defective within 6 months of purchase. It applies to cars, appliances, phones, furniture, and most other consumer goods.
Depending on the size of the claim, the case goes to one of two places:
- The Small Claims Tribunal (part of the State Courts) for claims up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both sides agree in writing. Fast, cheap, and you represent yourself.
- The Magistrate’s Court or District Court for claims up to S$60,000 or S$250,000. Longer, but you can have a lawyer in the room.
Before any of this, many buyers try free mediation through the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). It works for straightforward disputes and costs nothing if you’re not a CASE member.
When it’s worth taking action
Not every bad purchase needs a lawyer. Before I take on a matter, I ask a few questions.
- How much is actually at stake? For a S$200 phone, your best move is usually a credit card chargeback, a CASE complaint, or a firm email. For a S$15,000 renovation, it’s worth going further.
- Do you have the paper trail? Receipts, emails, WhatsApp chats, photos, and the original advert or sales pitch. Without these, most claims struggle. With them, a letter of demand often ends the fight in one go.
- How long ago did this happen? For most consumer claims under the CPFTA, you have up to 2 years from when you discovered the unfair practice. For lemon law, the defect must appear within 6 months of delivery, but you can act on it later. Don’t sit on it for too long.
- Is the other side still around? If the business has closed or the trader has vanished overseas, a judgment is worth less. We’ll say so honestly before you spend on legal fees.
The three patterns we see most:
- A defective product or vehicle. The lemon law often applies. Repair first, refund if they can’t.
- A service that wasn’t done properly. Renovation, tuition, moving services, gym memberships sold with false promises. A letter of demand and Small Claims filing usually brings a quick resolution.
- An online purchase that went wrong. Wrong item delivered, or never delivered. Courts treat these like any other sale. Screenshots and payment records matter most.
If your dispute is with another business rather than as a consumer, see our Breach of Contract and Contract Disputes pages. The rules are different.
What to expect, honestly
I’d rather tell you the truth now than have you surprised later.
How long it takes.
A CASE mediation can wrap up in a few weeks. A Small Claims Tribunal case is usually heard within 1 to 3 months of filing. A Magistrate’s Court claim is 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer if the business defends it hard. Most matters settle before the full hearing once the other side sees the claim is serious and you have the documents.
How much it costs.
A single letter of demand is a flat fee of around S$500 to S$1,200 depending on complexity. That alone resolves a lot of disputes. Preparing a Small Claims filing for you is another flat fee of a few hundred dollars. A full Magistrate’s Court claim usually runs S$2,500 to S$6,000 plus court disbursements, capped in writing before we start. The 10-min Discovery Session is always free, and by the end of it you’ll know the realistic recovery net of fees.
What’s the hard part.
Two things.
One, businesses often bet that you’ll give up. The first demand letter is the moment you signal you won’t. Most of the work is about keeping pressure on calmly and in writing until they either settle or appear in court.
Two, even with a judgment in your hand, getting the money out of the business can take a second round (enforcement). We flag this early so the decision to sue is an informed one.
How we handle consumer protection at A.W. Law
A few things we do differently:
- One lawyer, from start to end. Whoever takes your first meeting stays with you through the letter, the filing, and the hearing.
- Flat fees where we can. Letters of demand and Small Claims prep are priced flat so there’s no clock running.
- Letters you can actually read. Every document you sign is explained in simple terms, not legalese.
- WhatsApp in the evenings. We reply on weekdays until 10pm.
- Honest calls. If the claim isn’t worth the fees, we’ll say so and point you at CASE or a credit card chargeback instead.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point. Two minutes’ walk from Chinatown MRT, Exit E.
What happens next
If a business has wronged you, the next step is simple. Book a free 10-min Consumer Protection Discovery Session using the form on this page, or WhatsApp us using the button.
Nothing commits you. Most sessions end with a short list: the papers to gather, a realistic recovery figure, and a clear view of which forum (CASE, Small Claims, or Magistrate’s Court) fits your matter best.
