Frequently Asked Questions about CaseTrust

General
CaseTrust and Businesses
CaseTrust for Education
CaseTrust for Employment Agencies (Foreign Domestic Workers)
CaseTrust-SVTA Accreditation for Motoring Business
CaseTrust for Spa and Wellness Business

General

1. What is CaseTrust?
Answer: CaseTrust is an award given to businesses in Singapore that are committed towards maintaining a high-level of good business and customer practice. Since April 1999, CaseTrust has become the industry standard for quality business and customer practices in different commercial industries, ranging from employment agencies to retailers. Today, more than 600 shops and online stores don the CaseTrust logo at their premises, and CaseTrust has inadvertently become a mark of assurance for all consumers – The Key to Consumer Confidence.

2. Do you have a blacklist of companies?
Answer: CaseTrust does not maintain a blacklisted list of companies. However, we may have to act on the directives from the relevant authority for the awarding of accreditation.

3. I want to complaint against a CaseTrusted company.
Answer: For assistance on disputes pertaining CaseTrust accredited companies, consumer may come to CASE to lodge a complaint or submit online and sign up as CASE member. If consumer just wish to put on record & doesn't require CASE to follow-up on their case, they may write-in feedback to casetrust@case.org.sg. CaseTrust will take such feedback into consideration during the accredited company's next assessment.

4. How can I identify whether a company is CaseTrusted?
Answer: Simply look out for the CaseTrust decal at the glass door of the company. Alternatively, you can also visit our website at www.casetrust.org.sg. 

5. What measures have been put in place to safe guard me, as a consumer?
Answer: During CaseTrust assessment, all the company’s documentation has been thoroughly checked and unfair trading practices are removed. They are also required to put in place a dispute resolution mechanism to commit to resolving the dispute.

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CaseTrust and Businesses

6. What benefits will I gain if I am CaseTrusted?
Answer: The benefits are:
· Greater exposure as CaseTrust accredited Private Education Institutions are publicised in the CASE website and featured in our annual reports/consumer magazines from time to time.
· Gain immediate recognition by consumers as a school they can trust.
· Ride onto free publicity programmes by CASE and other relevant Singapore government agencies.
· Educational programmes such as seminars on the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.
· Availability of mediation facilities at CASE Mediation Centre to resolve disputes at a low cost.
· Join well-known companies like Brother International, Cold Storage & Far East Flora who are accredited by CaseTrust. 

7. I am a new Employment Agency/PEO. Will I be able to attain CaseTrust?
Answer: Obtaining CaseTrust accreditation is not as difficult as some may think it is. The most important is to have a well-planned and well-documented business system. In fact, by going through the CaseTrust accreditation, your company is given a structure to follow and to have systems in place to instill consumer confidence.  This is actually a fundamental business concept.

8. OK, my company is interested to apply for CaseTrust. What is the procedure to apply?
Answer: You can download a set of the Information Kit from our website at www.casetrust.org.sg. The Application Form can be found in the infokit. Please fill in the Application Form and submit a cheque of $200, payable to CASE. The criteria checklist will be sent to you for preparation of documents upon receipt of the form and fee. Upon receipt of your supporting documents for assessment and full assessment fee, we will then send it to assessor for assessment (i.e. audit). The fee structure can be found in the Information Kit too. 

9. How much is the fee?
Answer: You may refer to the information kit that you can download on our website for more details of the fees. The full assessment fee depends on the size of the company.

10. Whoa, so much documentation is required... We are totally inexperienced in this. Is there anyone that can help us?
Answer: We have a panel of Consultancy firms which are able to help you in preparing your document. You can download the list from our website. Please note that engaging Consultancy firms are totally voluntarily.

11. Who can we approach if we have further queries?
Answer: Our friendly CaseTrust Executives will be able to assist you. The department's contact details are listed here.

12. Who conducts the assessment? Are they fair?
Answer: CASE maintains a pool of professional and independent assessors to conduct assessments under the CaseTrust scheme. This will ensure that assessments and audits are neutral and not prejudiced.  

13. Should a company be unsuccessful in their 1st attempt to apply for CaseTrust, when can they reapply again?
Answer: It's dependent on Company's readiness to close the gaps highlighted during earlier assessment. 

14. We are successfully accredited by CaseTrust! Can we use the logo on all our branches and subsidiaries?
Answer: As long as the branches are not registered with ACRA (f.k.a Registry of Companies & Businesses) under a different company name, they will enjoy the CaseTrust status. However, the CaseTrust status is not transferable to other trading schools/companies owned by the same holding company within the group. If you own other registered businesses that would like to enjoy the CaseTrust benefits, kindly submit another CaseTrust application as a separate entity.

15. I am a CaseTrust accredited company. How will CaseTrust assist me if I have a complaint by consumer?
Answer: If you have exhausted all avenues on your side to resolve the problem, you can refer the consumer to CASE. CASE has a Mediation Centre which has a pool of mediation volunteers who will assist in achieving a win-win situation for both parties. CASE Mediation Centre has an 80% success rate which shows how effective it is as a dispute resolution mechanism.

16. Why is it that our school/company has obtained the accreditation but our school/employment agency name is not reflected in the website?
Answer: Upon receiving our License Agreement, you need to sign two copies and return it to our office. Once duly executed, we will return one copy to your office for record and list your school/company on our website.

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CaseTrust for Education

17. Why do we need to assess PEOs?
Answer: The industry is rather fragmented with varied practices. With the recent exponential rise in the  entry of international students into Singapore and the increase in the number of registered PEOs,  there is a need to raise quality standards amongst our PEOs to regulate the activities and  standardize the practices. CaseTrust is one way of providing a structured means to achieve this  objective.

18. Why is CASE involved in the education industry?
Answer: CASE is committed to champion the cause of the consumer, the student in this instance. After  consultation with industry stakeholders including Singapore Education International (SEI),  Association of Private Schools (APS) and Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME),  CASE has developed CaseTrust for Education to highlight schools that possess the foundation  for good quality student welfare and business practices, instilling trust and confidence amongst  both local and international students. This will create a win-win situation for the industry players to  raise their standards of practice and for consumers to enjoy fair practices and ensure a good  education experience while in Singapore.

19. Who are our Strategic Partners?
Answer: CaseTrust is a collaborative project between CASE, SPRING Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board  (STB), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Economic Development Board  (EDB). This synergy represents our desire to use this scheme will help propel businesses to a level  of excellence that will be internationally recognised. 

20. How does CaseTrust for Education form part of the Education Excellence Framework?
Answer: The framework comprises two tiers. CaseTrust for Education will form the basic essential and  mandatory tier for PEOs to ensure quality student welfare practices and standards. It is tied up to  PEOs’ right to offer school placement to international students. A second voluntary tier is  designed to enhance business and academic excellence and is tied to certain privileges such as  expediting the issuance of students' passes. 

21. How do I know my PEO needs to apply for CaseTrust for Education?
Answer: From 1 September 2005, all PEOs that want to enrol international students will need to have CaseTrust for Education status before being able to offer placement for international students.

22. What is Student Protection Scheme (SPS) and how can it protect Students?
Answer: The SPS serves to protect the students’ fees in the event a PEO is unable to continue operations due to insolvency, and/or regulatory closure. Furthermore, the SPS protects the student if the PEO fails to pay penalties or return fees to the student arising from judgements made against it by the Singapore courts.

There are two schemes (see below) that the PEO can choose from – the Student Tuition Fee Account (Escrow) or the Student Tuition Fee Insurance. 

Note: The two SPS schemes supported and recognised by CaseTrust for Education are:
(1) CASE-endorsed Student Tuition Fee Account (Escrow) provided by CASE-endorsed banks
(2) CASE-endorsed Student Tuition Fee Insurance provided by CASE-endorsed insurance company.
All future references of the two SPS schemes refer only to that supported and recognised by CaseTrust for Education.

23. Does my school need to apply for CaseTrust for Education if I am already SQC-certified?Answer: Yes, so long as the PEO has or intends to enrol new international students with effect from 1 September 2005.

All PEOs taking in international students are given until 1 December 2004 to obtain a CASE-endorsed Student Protection Scheme (either the CASE-endorsed Student Tuition Fee Account (Escrow) or the CASE-endorsed Student Tuition Fee Insurance). This will be an important component to achieve CaseTrust for Education.
 
PEOs will be given a one-year grace period until 1 September 2005 to achieve all the requirements of CaseTrust for Education if they wish to continue to enrol new international students. 

24. Will SPRING Singapore continue to certify PEOs for SQC for PEOs?
Answer: SPRING will continue to certify organisations for SQC for PEOs so as to help them upgrade their  management capabilities and enhance their competitiveness. The SQC for PEO scheme, which was  introduced in February 2003, serves a different purpose compared to Casetrust for Education.  It  helps PEOs put in place sound management systems and processes to improve their performance  and attain business excellence.  

25. When will CaseTrust for Education come into effect?
Answer: PEOs will be given a one-year grace period until 1 September 2005 to achieve all the requirements of CaseTrust for Education if they wish to continue to enrol new international students. PEOs will be given a one-year grace period until 1 September 2005 to achieve all the requirements of CaseTrust for Education if they wish to continue to enrol new international students.

26. Who conducts CaseTrust assessment?
Answer: CASE maintains a pool of professional and independent assessors and industry experts to conduct  regular assessments under the CaseTrust scheme to ensure assessments and audits are unbiased. 

27. What benefits can my PEO gets from being CaseTrust accredited?
Answer: The benefits are:

• Greater exposure as CaseTrusted PEOs are publicised in the CASE website and featured in our annual reports/consumer magazines from time to time. 
• Gain immediate recognition by consumers as a school they can trust. 
• Ride onto free publicity programmes by CASE and other relevant Singapore government agencies.
• Educational programmes such as seminars on the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.
  Availability of mediation facilities at CASE Mediation Centre to resolve disputes at a low cost.
• Join well-known companies like Robinsons, Cold Storage, CK Tang & Far East Flora who are  members of CaseTrust.

28. Why is there an additional vetting fee if a PEO wishes to use its own student contract (ie CASE-Approved Student Contract) as an alternative to the Standard Student Contract?
Answer:The CaseTrust for Education scheme allows a PEO to apply to CASE to offer its existing student contracts as an alternative to the Standard Student Contract. However, there will be legal and administrative costs incurred for CASE to process the application and vet the existing agreement to ensure it satisfies the essential requirements of the Standard Student Contract. The vetting fees involved will vary with different student contracts submitted to CASE. CASE will give an indication of the vetting fees payable and payment must be made before CASE proceeds with the processing.

29. How can a prospective student find out if a particular school has attained CaseTrust for Education status?
Answer: All CaseTrusted PEOs will be listed on CASE website at here.  Alternatively, the  prospective student can always contact CASE for further enquiries on the list of CaseTrusted PEOs.

30. How can a PEO obtain the application form?
Answer: To obtain the CaseTrust for Education Information & Application Kit, please contact:
 CaseTrust Department
 C/o Consumers Association of Singapore
 170 Ghim Moh Road #05-01
 Ulu Pandan Community Building
 Singapore 279621
 Tel:  6461 1800
 Fax:  6463 7048
 Email:  casetrust@case.org.sg
 You may also download the CaseTrust Information & Application Kit from here 

31. Who to contact for further information?
Answer: For further queries, please contact the appropriate agencies:

General Enquiry on CaseTrust for Education

CaseTrust Department:
Consumers Association of Singapore
170 Ghim Moh Road
#05-01 Ulu Pandan Community Building
Singapore 279621
Email: casetrust@case.org.sg
Tel: 6461 1800
Website: www.casetrust.org.sg

Enquiry on Student Tuition Fee Account (Escrow)

DBS:
Ms Susanna Ng
Tel:  6878 9887
Email:   SusannaNg@dbs.com

Ms Lena Goh
Tel:  6878 1737
Email:   lenagoh@dbs.com

HSBC: 
Mr Jonathan Lee
Vice President
Tel:  6530 5255
Email:   jonathanlee@hsbc.com.sg

Ms Audrey Tung
Senior Vice President
Tel:  1800 216 9008
Email:   contact@hsbc.com.sg

Standard Chartered Bank:
Ms Jennifer Wong
Tel:  6530 3267
Email:  shu-foong.wong@sc.com

Enquiries on Student Tuition Fee Insurance

HSBC Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd
10 Eunos Road 8
#11-01 Singapore Post Centre
Singapore 408600
 
Ms Genna Ang
Office: 65178323
Mobile: 96715922
Email: gennaang@hsbcinsagency.com.sg
 
Ms Christina Chng
Office: 65178323
Mobile: 97602569
Email: christinachng@hsbcinsagency.com.sg
 
Lonpac Insurance Bhd
AEGIS Insurance Services Pte Ltd
(Administration Agency for Lonpac Insurance Bhd - Singapore)
15 Queen Street
#03-07 Tan Chong Tower
Singapore 188537
Tel: 68370306
Fax: 68370305
www.aegis.com
 
Mr Richard Tay
Mobile: 98563573
Email: richard@aegisic.com
 
Mr Evan Chng
Mobile: 93870446
Email: evan@aegisic.com

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CaseTrust for Employment Agencies (Foreign Domestic Workers)

32. Please explain the purpose of the Standard Service Contract and the Standard Employment Contract?
Answer: The Standard Employment Contract is the contract signed between the employer and the foreign domestic worker. This is to clearly define the scope of work, salary and benefits such as day-off. The Standard Service Contract is between the employer and the Employment Agencies. This contract covers the cost and other requirements.Both contracts can be used to specify the duties and obligations of the employer, the employment agencies and the foreign domestic worker in the event there are disputes.

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CaseTrust-SVTA Accreditation for Motoring Business

Motor Industry Dispute Resolution Centre (MIDReC)

33. When should I approach MIDReC?
Answer: Consumers can approach MIDReC or CASE Mediation Centre when they have a dispute with a CaseTrust-SVTA accredited business that they have not been able to resolve or have not been resolved to their satisfaction.

34. How do I file a complaint with MIDReC?
Answer: Consumers can file a complaint by submitting a complaint resolution form together with registration fee of $30 at MIDReC either in person or via fax, post, or email.

35. What happens after I file a complaint with MIDReC?
Answer: On receipt of the complaint, a Case Manger will process the claim. If the claim is within MIDReC’s jurisdiction, the Case Manager will take it up with the accredited business concerned and facilitate a resolution of the dispute if possible through case management and mediation.

36. What if a settlement cannot be reached during mediation?
Answer: If a resolution cannot be reached, the consumer may then choose to take his or her complaint further by referring the dispute/claim to the Adjudicator or Panel of Adjudicators for adjudication.

37. How long will it take for MIDReC to resolve my dispute?
Answer: The length of time needed varies with the complexity of each case. MIDReC will seek to resolve all disputes as expeditiously as possible.

Insurance Bond against Mischief

All accredited motoring businesses will be required to purchase an insurance bond in the amount of $50,000. The insurance bond is one of the many ways that an accredited motoring business takes to show its commitment to their customers.

38. How does this insurance bond work?
Answer: In the event a consumer has an unresolved dispute with an accredited motoring business the dispute can be referred to MIDReC where an Adjudicator or Panel of Adjudicators will decide based on the facts and merits of each case. When a decision is made in favour of the consumer, a payout will be made from this insurance bond.

39. Is there a minimum or maximum amount that I can claim?
Answer: There is no minimum amount that can be claimed. The maximum amount of the claim is S$50,000.

40. Under what circumstances will this payout be made?
Answer: A payout will be made when a decision by the Adjudicator or Panel of Adjudicators is in favour of the consumer and is monetary in nature.

41. Are consumers bound by the judgement passed at adjudication?
Answer: The decision of the Adjudicator or panel of Adjudicators is final and binding on the accredited business concerned, but not on the consumer. If the consumer is not happy with the decision, he/she are free to reject the decision and pursue a claim through other avenues. This essentially means that there is no disadvantage at all for consumers if they choose to lodge their complaint/claim with MIDReC.

42. What happens when there are other claims against the company that exceeds S$50,000?
Answer: Once the number of registered claims against a particular motor vehicle dealer equals to or exceeds S$50,000, the amount will be shared on an equal basis in accordance with the ratio of the amount of each claim

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CaseTrust for Spa and Wellness Businesses

43. How do I apply for a Category (Cat) I massage establishment (ME) licence?
Answer: You can apply for a Cat II ME licence via the electronic service provided at OBLS.
With effect from 1 June 2009, to be eligible for a Category I ME licence, you are required to obtain CaseTrust accreditation as well as to meet the revised licensing criteria.

44. Once I had attained the CaseTrust accreditation for Spa and Wellness Businesses, How do I upgrade my Cat I ME License?
Answer: All Cat II and Provisional Cat I MEs which have attained CaseTrust accreditation for Spa and Wellness Businesses to apply for an upgrade to Cat I ME License via OBLS, if applicable.

45. What are the new Cat I and Cat II ME licensing criteria?
Answer: Please refer to the Annexes A and B of the Advisory on the Revised Licensing Framework for Massage Establishments at OBLS for the revised set of licensing criteria for Cat I and Cat II MEs respectively.
Please importantly note that for new CAT I applicants, applicants must meet the 80% quota of trained masseuses and/ or therapists with professional qualifications approved by Police Licensing Division (Refer to Annex A). If applicants are not able to meet this requirement, they might be granted a Provisional Cat I ME License and will be given 6 months to meet the requirement and also to attain CaseTrust for Spa and Wellness Businesses Accreditation.
Only masseuses/therapists that have been approved by Police Licensing Division will be taken into consideration for the percentage quota of trained masseuses/therapists.

46. What are the differences between a Cat I and Cat II ME licences?
Answer: Unlike Cat II MEs, Cat I MEs could be granted more liberal business conditions such as:
(a) Unrestricted operating hours;
(b) Serving of alcohol;
(c) Admission of customers regardless of their age;
(d) Operating within HDB neighbourhood centres; and
(e) Employment of foreign masseuses/ therapists.

47. What are the rules and regulations that a Cat I ME has to comply with?
Answer: A Cat I ME has to comply with the Massage Establishment Rules as well as the licensing conditions imposed by the Licensing Officer. The rules and the licensing conditions can be found at OBLS. Additional licensing conditions may also be imposed by the Licensing Officer.

48. What is the name of the CaseTrust’s accreditation scheme?
Answer: The accreditation will be known as “Accreditation for Spa and Wellness Businesses”.

49. What is the scope of CaseTrust’s accreditation scheme?
Answer: CaseTrust’s Accreditation scheme includes the assessment of good business practices such as transparent company policies, feedback management, dispute resolution etc. The scheme consists of criteria which cover Policies, Communication, Personnel and Practices & Systems.

50. When can I submit my application to CaseTrust to accredit my ME?
Answer: CaseTrust will be ready to accept application for accreditation from May 2009.

51. How soon can CaseTrust accredit a ME?
Answer: CaseTrust will typically take 1 – 3 months to accredit a ME, depending on the status of its business operations and whether further corrective action is necessary.

52. How long will the CaseTrust accreditation be valid?
Answer: Once CaseTrust accredits a ME, the accreditation is valid for a period of 2 years subject to a clean record, i.e. no complaints or no detected errant behaviour. CaseTrust reserves the right to relinquish the accreditation certification should there be substantiated complaints or errant behaviour. Should the accreditation of a Cat I ME be revoked by CaseTrust, Police Licensing Division will proceed to downgrade the Cat I ME licence to a Cat II ME licence or to revoke the Cat I ME licence accordingly.

53. What is the cost of obtaining CaseTrust accreditation?
Answer: The cost of obtaining CaseTrust accreditation is as follows:

54. When I renew my Cat 1 ME licence, must the CaseTrust accreditation be valid for the entire period of the renewed Cat 1 ME licence validity?
Answer: At the point of Category 1 ME licence renewal, you are required to show proof that your CaseTrust accreditation is valid and is able to cover the period of renewed licence. However, if the remaining accreditation period covers only part of the period of renewed licence, you must show proof (at the point of renewal) that you have taken steps to apply for re-certification by CaseTrust and to submit the renewed accreditation certificate covering the remaining period of licence once obtained without delay.

55. How does my employee who is working as a masseuse/therapist attain a WSQ Qualification for the spa sector under the Tourism WSQ Framework?
Answer: WDA had appointed the Singapore Spa Institute (SSI) to design and deliver the training programmes under the Tourism WSQ for the Spa sector. You may contact SSI at:

Tel: 6235 4341
Website: www.spainstitute.com.sg
Email: spawsq@spainstitute.com.sg

56. What are the programmes available at SSI which are recognized by the Police Licensing Division and is there government funding available?
SSI offers a wide range of WSQ programmes to cater to both new and experienced therapists employed by MEs. These courses by SSI are also supported with enhanced funding under the recently announced Skills Programme for Upgrading & Resilience (SPUR) initiative by the government.

57. Is the current list of certification for masseuses/therapists still recognized by Police Licensing Division for meeting the requirement of certified masseuses/therapists from 1 June 2009 onwards?
Answer: Yes, the current list of certifications together with WDA’s Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) for the spa industry will continue to be recognized by the Police Licensing Division.

58. How can I obtain more information on Massage Establishment licensing issues?
Answer: More information is available on the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) website. You can also contact the Police Licensing Division during office hours at Tel: 6835 0000 or email them.

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