Ms. Qiu, a 55-year-old retired woman, originally planned to have five dental implants. After spending over $12,000, she encountered the dental clinic’s sudden closure, ultimately closing without completing her treatment. Over the past year, she has repeatedly sought redress, but has been unable to recover her money.
The incident occurred on December 29, 2023. Ms. Qiu visited Ping An Dental Clinic in Jalan Sultan’s Textile Center for dental implant treatment. Over two visits, she paid approximately $7,500 in credit card fees and $5,350 in Medisave, totaling $12,000. The dentist performed bone powder filling and placed metal implants.
On June 8, 2024, Ms. Qiu made an appointment via WhatsApp for a dental model. The next day, the clinic replied that it would be closed for one to two weeks for renovations. She did not press the issue at the time, but when she inquired again three months later, she received no response.
Suspecting something was amiss, she and her husband went to the clinic and found it closed. They visited several times over the next year, only to find the situation repeated. In June of this year, her husband contacted the clinic’s manager by phone, who said a refund was still being discussed, but he quickly lost contact.
Ms. Qiu subsequently reported the incident to the police and complained to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). In a WhatsApp interview with reporters, the manager admitted that the clinic had closed as early as June of last year due to a financial shortage caused by unpaid instalments totaling approximately 100,000 ringgit. He claimed that only “one or two” customers had paid in full, ultimately forcing the clinic to close.
During a visit, reporters discovered that while the clinic had closed, the equipment inside had not been cleared. Nearby businesses revealed that customers had been visiting the clinic over the past week, claiming they had paid but were unable to schedule appointments.
With the implant already in her mouth, Ms. Qiu had to seek another dentist. In November of this year, she traveled to Malaysia to have dental models made, spending RM12,000 (approximately S$3,648), and lamented the relatively low prices there.
The Consumers Association said it had received 10 complaints against the clinic between January last year and July 28 this year, most of which accused the clinic of failing to provide promised services after collecting full payment and losing contact with customers.