COMPLAINTS against retailers in Sim Lim Square are on the rise again, five years after the launch of a well-publicised effort to get store owners to clean up their act.

Consumers' Association of Singapore said shopper complaints have risen steadily, from 119 in 2006, to 188 in 2007, to 133 so far this year. The Funan IT Mall, by comparison, usually receives between 20 and 30 complaints a year.

Shoppers commonly complained about being over charged and sold defective goods. Others grumbled about unsavoury sales tactics, misleading claims about products and a failure to honour refunds.

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