BlueSG is shutting down - what happens next?, Lifestyle News
Technically, the company is 'taking a pause' to do a major upgrade of its platform and fleet, and it promises to be back in 2026 fully refreshed.
In the meantime, the car-sharing service will cease operations at 11.59pm on Aug 8, with the company laying off staff accordingly to 'reflect the reduced operational scale during the pause period', said a BlueSG spokesperson.
Keith Kee, chief executive officer of BlueSG, told The Business Times, "We are not ending the service per se. We call it a pause, because it is in preparation for the upgrade."
He added, "We want to have a refreshed user experience. The new platform will feature a refreshed fleet and upgraded systems, designed to deliver a stronger performance and more seamless user experience."
BlueSG had previously done another upgrade, or 'technical migration', to its platform between 2023 to early 2024 to improve the user experience. While that upgrade took place without any disruption to its services, users experienced some issues with billing and booking cars during that period.
The BlueSG spokesperson told The Straits Times, "Through that migration, it became clear that the current infrastructure needed a decisive, future-ready upgrade - one that could better support the changing mobility landscape. Emerging technological advancements also reinforced the urgency to act decisively."
The need for a stoppage to operations could also be down to BlueSG's fleet of electric cars, which would require extensive refreshing.
The French-made Bollore Bluecar, which was BlueSG's launch model, has been in use since the company started operations in 2017, and is now regarded as being extremely outdated.
The other BlueSG model, the Opel e-Corsa, which was introduced to the fleet in 2022, will also be soon rendered obsolete, as Opel will no longer have any official representation in Singapore. The brand's dealer, Auto Germany, has announced plans to stop Opel sales here by the end of 2025.
That would make servicing and maintaining the Opel e-Corsa BlueSG cars a difficult proposition.
The current fleet are unlikely to be reused when BlueSG restarts operations, and they will be decommissioned or repurposed, said Kee, without elaborating further. I'm a BlueSG user. What's going to happen to my account?
Obviously, you won't be able to make or complete any bookings after Aug 8. Any pre-bookings after that date will be cancelled.
Users on BlueSG's paid subscription pricing plans, which range from $8 to $18, will have their plans adjusted, and any subscription fees billed up to Aug 8 will be refunded accordingly. They will also not be charged any subscription fee from Aug 8 onwards.
All user accounts will remain accessible until 11.59pm on Aug 31, following which they will be closed. The company stated in a press release that it will process all account closures, outstanding billing issues, subscription adjustments and refunds by Aug 31.
Users will be required to update their contact details within the BlueSG app by Aug 16 to a PayNow-linked number, and all refunds will be made through that method. Refunds will be processed in batches starting from Aug 16.
BlueSG's customer service team will provide support until Aug 31 through phone, live chat and emails. Following that date, support will continue to be provided via email only from Sep 1 to Oct 1.
Users can also approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), who have set up a dedicated channel address matters related to the refund of credits and outstanding bills.
Those who need help may approach Case via its hotline on 6277 5100 or its website at www.case.org.sg.
[[nid:720947]]
ben.chia@asiaone.com
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