I AGREE with Mr Lau Kim Lon on having standardised terms for consumer contracts ("Standardise contracts between customers, businesses"; Forum Online, Wednesday).
It would be a boon to both businesses and consumers to have standardised terms where booking cancellation fees are concerned, which could be voluntarily incorporated into consumer contracts.
Standardised terms and conditions are not unprecedented in Singapore - for instance, conveyancing transactions generally utilise the Law Society's Conditions of Sale.
Although the Consumers Association of Singapore's (Case) website contains various model agreements on plumbing, tenancy, renovation and travel, there is no guide for terms which may be used in consumer contracts in general.
Case or other bodies, such as the Singapore Business Federation, could take the lead in engaging stakeholders to distil best practices for the handling of booking cancellation fees, as well as consumer contracts in general, and have them codified into a comprehensive non-binding guide, as a first step.
Wilson Foo Yu Kang
It would be a boon to both businesses and consumers to have standardised terms where booking cancellation fees are concerned, which could be voluntarily incorporated into consumer contracts.
Standardised terms and conditions are not unprecedented in Singapore - for instance, conveyancing transactions generally utilise the Law Society's Conditions of Sale.
Although the Consumers Association of Singapore's (Case) website contains various model agreements on plumbing, tenancy, renovation and travel, there is no guide for terms which may be used in consumer contracts in general.
Case or other bodies, such as the Singapore Business Federation, could take the lead in engaging stakeholders to distil best practices for the handling of booking cancellation fees, as well as consumer contracts in general, and have them codified into a comprehensive non-binding guide, as a first step.
Wilson Foo Yu Kang
