Latest news with #cleaningfee
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Chinese tourist gets charged S$200 cleaning fee for bringing durian into hotel, warns others
SINGAPORE: After a tourist from China ate a durian in a local hotel, she was allegedly slapped with a S$200 cleaning fee. The woman took to Xiaohongshu, widely regarded as China's equivalent to Instagram, earlier this week to warn others so that they don't end up making the same costly mistake. Commenters have said, however, that she should have known better in the first place, especially as signs abound saying that durians are not allowed in certain places, such as on public transport. The tourist, who goes by @ 幽蓝桑 (Blue Mulberry) on Xiaohongshu, posted a video on Monday (May 26). In it, she recounted that she and a friend had bought durian from a vendor's stall the day before. They could not eat the fruit at the stall, as there was no seating in the area. Therefore, after the vendor packed up the fruit in a styrofoam box, they took it back to the hotel to eat it there. On the taxi ride back to the hotel, the post author's friend remarked that she could smell the fruit, despite it being in the box. Out of concern for the taxi driver, 幽蓝桑 tied the plastic bag more tightly around the box. See also Exploring the New Wave of Luxury Hotels in Singapore The cabby said nothing about the smell, and the post author added that she was able to enjoy the fruit at the hotel later that night. The next day, after she returned to the hotel from a tour around Singapore, Ms. Fang discovered a letter that the hotel management had left in her room. She was informed that the housekeeping staff had detected the smell of durian in her room, for which the hotel would charge a S$200 cleaning fee. She said in her video that she and her friend were stunned at the charge and could hardly believe it. A screenshot of the letter from the hotel shows that it reads, 'Please be informed that our Housekeeper found durian smell in your room. We would like to gently inform you that a S$200 will be imposed for a cleaning fee.' 'S$200 is about 1,000 RMB,' she said in her video. She then went online to see whether others had been in her situation and found out that many people, like herself, were unaware that they were not allowed to bring durian into their hotel rooms. While she acknowledged to the staff that she had been wrong in bringing and eating durian into her room, she asked for a discount on the cleaning fee, having found out that other tourists had been successful in getting this fee waived. The hotel, however, stood firm, telling her they needed to engage professional cleaning services and that the room would not be usable for some days until the pungent smell of durian dissipated. She ended her video with a warning to tourists not to do as she did. Netizens, however, said that the tourist could have used some common sense. ' Tourist was not 'fined,' a cleaning fee of S$200 was imposed, to make the room ' stayable' for the next guest,' one wrote. ' Is she travelling for the first time? Other hotels in the region also prohibit durian in their rooms,' another asked. ' Upon arrival at Changi Airport, all passengers are greeted with clear visual signages and multimedia displays outlining key local laws—no smoking in prohibited areas, no durians in public transport or certain premises, no spitting, no littering, mandatory toilet flushing, and prohibition on chewing gum importation. These notices are available in English and supported by pictorial guides and multiple language translations. Additionally, most hotels display specific signs at their reception counters and in-room directories—often with a no durian icon clearly visible,' pointed out a commenter. /TISG Read also: Bill Gates spotted trying out durian during Singapore visit
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
I was charged $180 after I returned a rental car in perfect condition. Here's how I knew the mess had been staged
An Aussie mum has called out a car rental company after she was asked to pay a $180 cleaning fee for a mess she claimed was 'staged'. Narissa Cullen, 34, from Perth, hired a car from Bargain Car Rentals Brisbane for two weeks during a family trip to Queensland in March. Ms Cullen said she and her partner quickly discovered that the car had a number of issues, including a faulty headlight and GPS system. Given the couple were using the car while Cyclone Alfred battered Queensland, it 'probably wasn't the safest', she told Daily Mail Australia. When it was time to return the car, Ms Cullen and her partner filled it up with petrol and dropped it back to Brisbane Airport. They took photos of the car's interior which showed they had left two drink cups in the centre console and a small amount of sand and grass on the mats. Ms Cullen said she was shocked when they landed in Perth and discovered the company had charged them a $180 cleaning fee. The company sent photos of its own, showing the drink cups strewn in the driver's side footwell and a stain on the seat which Ms Cullen said wasn't caused by them. The company said its terms and conditions dictated the vehicle 'must be returned to us in a reasonable state of cleanliness,' and 'as a result of the vehicle's condition on return, a steam clean and extra detailing was warranted'. But Ms Cullen argued the company's photos didn't match her own. The stain on the driver's seat appeared dark and fresh, she said 'You can see the cleaners have probably spilt it, I don't know if they've done it on purpose, and then staged the cups on the ground.' Ms Cullen disputed the fee with the company, asking for timestamped photos, which it did not provide. She also posted a video to TikTok about the disagreement. 'It was pretty upsetting, frustrating and stressful. I was 30 weeks pregnant so we didn't need the added stress,' she said. 'It was a lot of back and forth, a lot of phone calls, they denied everything - it wasn't until I posted the TikTok that they gave us the refund.' An email to Ms Cullen from a staff member at Bargain Car Rentals on March 18 said: 'After further investigation, I've processed the cleaning fee for you. 'I can certainly see where you're coming from after spending more time looking at the photos, and it turns out we did not follow part of our own process, and this wasn't fair on you. Specifically, we did not contact you before processing the charge.' Ms Cullen said she was worried others could be charged an unfair cleaning fee. 'Who else are they doing this to? Especially older people who don't have the resources or knowledge to get the refund,' she said.
