SHE was retrenched from her telemarketing job last Thursday.
That night, Mrs Cheryl Lim, 44, received the first of many angry calls from her former customers.
The stored value cards they bought from her former company, Indigoz Ichqs, were being rejected by F&B outlets partnered by the company.
Mrs Lim said: 'By last Saturday, my handphone was ringing non-stop, with more than 100 calls from customers.'
Customers pay a minimum of $100 for an Indigoz Ichqs card with $140 in stored value that can be used at various F&B outlets, including Tony Roma's and Crystal Jade.
Mrs Lim said her former sales team colleagues were also bombarded with calls from upset customers.
Some, like Madam Jasmine Teo, 30, wondered if the company had run into trouble again as it did in 2005.
Then known as Indigoz Exchange, it was investigated for alleged fraud under the Companies Act by the Commercial Affairs Department, which decided not to take any action.
The company was fined $10,000 for breaching the Banking Act by issuing stored value vouchers without approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
It went into judicial management with more than $1 million in debts.
Madam Teo said she paid $300 for a card with a stored value of $420. She has only spent $8 so far, and has asked for a refund online.
On 21 Feb, the company's staff received SMSes from a director, Madam Mary Lim Mee Lin, informing them to go on 'compulsory leave' from 22 to 28 Feb.
They were told the office would be closed for an 'internal audit' due to an upcoming merger and that the company would move to Suntec City.
On 28 Feb, the company's 26 workers received couriered letters terminating their employment due to 'restructuring'.
OFFICE LOCKED
The next day, Mrs Lim and her colleagues showed up at their office in the UIC Building - only to find it locked.
Calls and SMSes to their former bosses, company directors Patrick Teng Chee Wai and Madam Lim, went unanswered. The New Paper was also unsuccessful in trying to reach them.
The employees then proceeded to the new office at Suntec City where they were apparently told there was no physical office space.
'It's just a mailing address for which the company pays $90 a month,' said Mrs Lim.
They then lodged reports with the Ministry of Manpower and the police.
A former employee, who declined to be named, said a notice about the merger appeared on the company website after midnight on Sunday.
It stated that their infrastructure 'may be changed to contactless terminals' and use of Ichq cards would be put on hold from 1 Mar.
Ms Pan LY, 28, a former senior relationship manager in charge of F&B outlets, said she has received calls from more than 10 restaurants.
She said: 'They're asking me what's happening with payment as they get reimbursed by us for Ichq spending.'
She said some F&B outlets are worried their customer loyalty cards managed by Indigoz Ichqs would also be affected.
A Tony Roma's employee said the restaurant was disbursing vouchers to customers equivalent to the amount remaining in their loyalty card.
A general manager of a Chinese restaurant said it had not received payment from Indigoz Ichqs since Dec 2007. He said it wanted to suspend use of the Ichqs card in January, but was persuaded to carry on by the company.
Yesterday, the employees received an SMS that the company has contacted MOM to help arrange a meeting with them for outstanding matters.
The New Paper contacted one of the directors, Mr Wong Bun Huge, who is also president of the Restaurants Association of Singapore, but he said he was not aware of the complaints.
He said he was not an active partner and last spoke to Mr Teng a month ago.
This article was published by The New Paper on Mar 4, 2008.
