Update:
Responding to TISG’s queries, a spokesperson from Dairy Farm (the parent company of Giant Supermarket) said:
Our promotional giveaway items are available in limited quantities on a first-come-first-serve basis. We encourage customers to redeem their giveaway items as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Since the start of this giveaway, customer response has been overwhelming and we have worked on restocking the items regularly for the duration of the campaign.
With regards to Facebook user TsanyBee Jonghyun – we did reserve a bucket of mussels for her but when she arrived at the store later that evening around 9pm, it was wrongly communicated that we had none left. We have since apologised for this miscommunication at our end and have reached out to her to coordinate the redemption details.
We thank Facebook user TsanyBee Jonghyun for the support she’s shown to our giveaway and apologise for the inconvenience caused. We take such customer feedback seriously as we remain committed to improving our customer experience.
Singapore – A member of the public took to social media to air complaints regarding a giveaway event hosted by hypermarket chain Giant Singapore, noting that the said item was never in stock during the two weeks the customer dropped by to claim the free item.
Facebook user TsanyBee Jonghyun took to Complaint Singapore’s page on Sunday (Oct 18) to call out Giant Singapore for a giveaway item that allegedly has been difficult to claim. According to the post, the individual visited a Giant outlet almost every day for two weeks to check if the free bucket of mussels was available to collect.
“I checked with different staff every time I pop by, but all they told me was ‘it’s out of stock’ or ‘it has not been restocked yet’ for two whole weeks!” said TsanyBee.
The netizen then sent a private message to Giant’s Facebook page to inquire and attached a copy of the receipt to validate the purchase. Screenshots of the conversation were included in the post.
The promo appears to be a free bucket of mussels (800g) worth S$5.00 with every purchase of a participating seafood item at the store. The event is valid until Oct 20 and is applicable to all Giant stores except those operating online. “Redemption valid while stocks last and limited to one bucket of free mussels per seafood spent,” the receipt indicated.
From Oct 1 to 17, TsanyBee and Giant communicated with each other regarding the availability of said bucket of mussels. At first, Giant had noted they were checking with the relevant parties for feedback and would revert to the customer. When the deadline for claiming was drawing close, TsanyBee began to doubt the legitimacy of the giveaway.
On Thursday (Oct 15), Giant replied to confirm stock replenishment as per the store manager of the Giant outlet at Ang Mo Kio 161. However, when the customer dropped by at around 9 pm on the same day, he was told by the staff to search for the item. “If you can find, then take it. It’s been out of stock for a long time already.”
“Please don’t use this kind of dirty trick to cheat your shoppers,” wrote TsanyBee. “If you are not sincere and can’t afford to giveaway, don’t even organise it.” The customer wished to know why there was a discrepancy in the information provided regarding the availability of the stock.
Giant provided an apology for the inconvenience and assured the customer that the issue had been escalated to relevant departments for further action.
Members from the online community noted it was never easy to claim free items from any event and was usually offered on a “first come first served” basis or until stocks last. They added that the concerned individual could have dropped by the store too late as the available bucket of mussels were claimed by other eligible customers in the morning.
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