Economical or not? Case has received 11 complaints on economy rice pricing since January

Is economy rice — also known as 'cai fan' — still an economical food option in Singapore?

Maybe not, what with the multitude of social media posts lamenting the rising prices of economy rice.

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) told AsiaOne that it has received a total of 11 complaints about 'cai fan' prices from Jan 1 to Oct 17.

According to Case president Melvin Yong, consumers generally complained about unclear and inconsistent prices displayed by the stalls.

Some customers were reportedly charged different prices from the displayed prices and several others complained about paying more for their meals.

Case said that economy rice stall operators should ensure that the prices displayed are clear and accurate, and charge customers accordingly.

In cases where questions about pricing may arise, Yong urged vendors to clearly inform customers of their charges.

Examples include vegetable dishes containing meat that will be charged as meat, or fish that are subject to seasonal pricing.

They should only sell such dishes after customers agree on the prices, he said.

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He emphasised that Case is committed to improving price transparency to reduce price disputes, and added it has developed a set of best practices to guide merchants on displaying prices and communicating price changes to consumers.

Consumers are also encouraged to download and use the Price Kaki app to compare food prices and find the best or cheaper alternatives nearby. The mobile app currently covers 400 locations in Singapore and covers more than 43,000 types of food and beverage products.

$5 or $9? Diner charged different prices for same order

Back in February, a diner said he was charged different prices on different days for his 'cai fan' meal at a Pasir Ris coffeeshop despite ordering the same dishes every time.

Gary Huang shared his frustrating experience in a Facebook post after he was charged $10.20 for his order of rice with a slice of fish, bok choy, long beans and tofu strips.

A staff member had reportedly asked a colleague if Huang had been charged correctly for his order when he returned to ask for a receipt.

The disgruntled diner wrote: "I could be charged $5 on day one and $9 the next day for ordering the same food. It depends on which guy is taking my order!"

Huang told AsiaOne then that he had never been charged more than $10 for 'cai fan' from the stall.

"I am aware that their prices are inconsistent, however, I feel that this problem is getting worse," he said.

ALSO READ: 'Broccoli is a meat': Diner flabbergasted by $6.70 receipt for economy rice at Nex food court

lim.kewei@asiaone.com