SINGAPORE: Love Nest, which touted itself as “the one and only Love Agora in Singapore for couples,” is a one-stop shop for engaged couples, offering services for bridal needs, hotels, jewellery, home interiors, and more.
And while at least 50 couples have pending services with Love Nest, the company has shut down, leaving them high and dry, according to a Shin Min Daily News report on Wednesday (Apr 3).
Seventeen complaints have since been filed with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), the body that protects consumers’ interests, in connection with the closure of Love Nest, as well as with companies associated with it, L’atelier and Love Story.
One “desperate” bride even took to Reddit on Apr 1, writing “Urgent Help Needed! Bridal Studio Shuttering!?”
She explained that she’s getting married in three weeks and is about to claim their photo albums, gown and suit from Love Story. However, they were told over the weekend that the salaries of employees of Love Story had not been paid for months, leading them to walk out.
“Fearing the worst, I visited the shop today to only find 1 employee left, the receptionist, and she downplayed everyone leaving the group chats as ‘some going on maternity’, ‘some going home’. She was single-handedly running the store,” the bride wrote, adding that she met other couples in the same situation and wanted to know what they can do “to salvage the situation.”
Love Nest’s website is still up, although there are no posts on the company’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Shin Min Daily News also said that the company’s store, located at City Gate on Beach Road, was locked and empty when a journalist from the Chinese daily went over.
Some customers who had been left hanging also gathered in front of the store on Apr 2 (Tuesday), a guard told Shin Min Daily News.
Customers were informed via text that day that Love Story was suspending operations until further notice.
CASE confirmed the complaints lodged against Love Nest to Yahoo Southeast Asia. Mr Melvin Yong, who heads CASE, is quoted as saying “The total contractual amount for these affected consumers stands at over $58,000,” and that the customers have no clarity as to when the companies would reopen or honour their obligations to the couples.
Yahoo reported that the company had been given a winding up order on Jan 13, 2023, and that it is listed on the ACRA website as being “In Liquidation,” even though it had sold wedding packages as recently as January 2024 and some packages that had been bought were valid until 2025.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the amount the 50 couples spent at Love Nest and Love Story was $200,000 for services that have yet to be availed of.
It also quoted an employee as saying that he had not been paid for two months, and that over 20 employees who were owed at least $100,000 in back pay, were affected by the company’s closing down.
Since they have been unable to contact the company, these employees intend to lodge a report with the Manpower Ministry. /TISG
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