SMA Queries CASE about New Lemon Law
According to the Consumers Association of Singapore's (CASE) website, Lemon Laws are consumer protection laws that provide remedies against defective goods (colloquially known as "lemons"), which fail to conform to the contract at the time of delivery, eg, do not meet standards of quality and performance, especially after repeated repair. Such laws obligate sellers to repair, replace, or refund or reduce the price of those defective goods.
Singapore's very own Lemon Law was passed in Parliament on 9 March 2012, and came into effect on 1 September 2012. The Ministry ofTrade and Industry (MTI) stated in a press statement that the new law will provide more options in terms of recourse for both consumers and retailers through additional remedies, such as repair and replacement, and provide greater clarity on the burden of proof for defective goods.
SMA wrote to CASE to clarify some queries about the new law, with regard to medical services, medicines and medical devices. CASE replied and explained that medical services, like all other kinds of services, are not subjected to the Lemon Law, while the othertwo are covered under the Lemon Law. We reproduce the two letters below.
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