Singapore shopping portal streetdeal.sg fined $25,000

SINGAPORE - An online shopping platform, streetdeal.sg, was fined $25,000 on Wednesday for carrying travel deals illegally on its website without a valid travel agent licence.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a statement that Streetdeal Singapore Pte Ltd chose not to renew its Travel Agents (TA) licence after it expired on Dec 31, 2012.

Despite regular notifications and enforcement checks by STB in 2013, Streetdeal continued its unlicensed travel agent activities.

"Additionally, during the period of March 23, 2012 and May 25, 2012 when Streetdeal was a licensee under the TA Act, they were also found to have advertised and sold travel packages offered by AbsolutInspira, an unlicensed travel agent," STB added.

STB commenced prosecution proceedings against Streetdeal on 7 May 7, 2014.

STB said that the licensing requirement applies to Singapore-based online deal portals which advertise, collect and hold money for travel packages on behalf of travel agents.

"Online platforms work as an intermediary, posing the same potential risk to consumers as other travel agents based in Singapore," STB said.

grongloh@sph.com.sg