'Selfish and thick': Bulk-buying of Gardenia EZ-Link charms at Compass One sparks shopper backlash

A group of shoppers at Compass One in Sengkang were left frustrated after a man allegedly bought a large quantity of Gardenia EZ-Link charms, prompting others in the queue to confront him.

The Gardenia SimplyGo EZ-Link charm was announced on SimplyGo's Facebook page on Aug 28, stating that this bread-shaped collectable was available at 10 SimplyGo vending machines.

A video of the incident was shared on Instagram by user sgfollowsall on Saturday (Sept 5), with the post claiming that it took place at the shopping mall between around 3pm and 4.30pm.

According to the contributor, the merchandise team arrived at around 2.45pm to restock the EZ-Link charms, with the restocking completed at about 3.15pm.

As shoppers began making their purchases, a queue formed at the booth.

The contributor claimed that one man initially purchased eight charms before leaving, after which another shopper began buying multiple charms.

The shopper allegedly continued purchasing the charms for more than 30 minutes, while people in the queue became increasingly concerned about the remaining stock.

The contributor said that one man eventually approached him to raise the issue, but he allegedly ignored the confrontation.

Another shopper then reportedly told him off, after which the man stopped his purchases.

The Instagram post also claimed that the man had bought an entire tray of the Gardenia EZ-Link charms.

According to the contributor, the shoppers then counted the remaining stock and coordinated among themselves so that everyone would have an opportunity to purchase one.

Charms resold at higher prices online

The incident has since drawn criticism from social media users, with some calling for shoppers to avoid bulk-buying limited-edition merchandise at the expense of others.

Originally priced at $21.90 each, the charms have since been allegedly listed on online selling platforms such as Carousell for up to $50 per charm.

Many comments under the video encouraged buyers to "boycott the scalpers", arguing that purchasing from them would only encourage such "selfish and thick" behaviour.

Others called for measures to be implemented, such as setting purchase limits to ensure buyers can only purchase a fair amount, giving others a chance to get the charms as well.

But one commented that it is "fair play" for those who wish to bulk buy as it should be "first come first serve".

SimplyGo discourages buying from scalpers

In response to queries from Stomp, SimplyGo said it had received feedback from affected buyers regarding the issue of bulk purchases.

"SimplyGo does not encourage purchases for resale, nor do we authorise or endorse listings by third-party resellers," a SimplyGo spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the charms will be replenished "over the coming days".

AsiaOne has reached out to SimplyGo for more information.

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com

在盛港 Compass One 购物中心，一名男子购买了大量 Gardenia EZ-Link 挂饰，引发排队的其他人上前质问，令一群购物者感到不满。

SimplyGo 的 Facebook 页面于 8 月 28 日宣布推出 Gardenia SimplyGo EZ-Link 挂饰，并表示这款面包形状的收藏品可在 10 台 SimplyGo 自动售货机购买。

事件视频于周六（9 月 5 日）由用户 sgfollowsall 在 Instagram 上分享，帖子称事件发生在下午 3 点至 4 点 30 分左右的购物中心。

据投稿人称，商品团队于下午 2 点 45 分左右到达，开始补货 EZ-Link 挂饰，补货工作于下午 3 点 15 分左右完成。

顾客们开始购物后，摊位前排起了长队。

投稿人称，一名男子最初购买了八个护身符后离开，之后另一名顾客开始购买多个护身符。

据称，这名顾客持续购买饰品超过 30 分钟，而排队的人们越来越担心剩余的商品数量。

这位投稿人表示，最终有一名男子找到他提出了这个问题，但他却对这次冲突置之不理。

据报道，另一名顾客随后斥责了他，之后该男子停止了购物。

该 Instagram 帖子还声称，这名男子购买了一整托盘 Gardenia EZ-Link 挂饰。

据投稿人称，购物者们随后清点了剩余的库存，并互相协调，以便每个人都有机会购买一件。

网上转售的饰品价格更高。

该事件随后在社交媒体上引发了批评，一些用户呼吁购物者避免为了抢购限量版商品而损害他人利益。

这些饰品最初定价为每个 21.90 美元，但据称后来在 Carousell 等在线销售平台上，每个饰品的售价高达 50 美元。

视频下方的许多评论鼓励买家“抵制黄牛”，认为从黄牛手中购买商品只会助长这种“自私愚蠢”的行为。

其他人则呼吁采取措施，例如设定购买限额，以确保买家只能购买合理的数量，让其他人也有机会获得这些护身符。

但有人评论说，对于那些想要大量购买的人来说，这是“公平的”，因为应该是“先到先得”。

SimplyGo 不鼓励从黄牛手中购买商品。

针对 Stomp 的询问，SimplyGo 表示已收到受影响买家关于批量购买问题的反馈。

SimplyGo 发言人表示：“SimplyGo 不鼓励购买商品进行转售，我们也不授权或认可第三方经销商的商品列表。”

发言人补充说，这些护身符将在“未来几天内”得到补充。

AsiaOne已联系SimplyGo以获取更多信息。

asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com