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Man who hit debt collectors with motorcycle helmet arrested, firm responds to debtor being called 'hero'
Posted on 19 February 2024 | 17,024 views | 56 comments
Many netizens took his side.
A debtor who was caught on camera hitting two debt collectors with a motorcycle helmet on the eve of Chinese New Year has been arrested.
In response to a Stomp query, the police said they were alerted on Feb 8 at about 6.55pm to a dispute at Block 202C Sengkang East Road.
The two debt collectors, aged 35 and 38, who work for a company called Singapore Debt Collection Service (SDCS), suffered minor injuries and declined medical assistance.
The 39-year-old debtor was subsequently arrested for a rash act causing hurt, said the police, who added that investigations are ongoing.
A video of the incident was posted on Facebook by SDCS on Feb 13.
In 2023, our client offered a special Ramadan early bird promotion for vinyl flooring which featured a 12-month installment plan at $296 per month. The debtor took this offer and installation commenced on 29/4/2023. Despite the agreed terms, debtor only made three payments in July, September, and October 2023. When our client sought our help in November 2023, we sent a letter of demand to the debtor's residence, which went unanswered. Subsequently, our debt enforcement team visited the residence multiple times, but the debtor was consistently unavailable. It wasn't until February 2023, during one of our visits, that the debtor's family members finally spoke to us. But shortly after, the debtor himself appeared and unfortunately wanted to start a fight with us. While our primary goal is always to resolve matters amicably, we are compelled to uphold the rights of our clients and our team members. The police have not taken any action, but we remain committed to fulfilling our duty, undeterred in our professionalism. We urge society not to view our role from a one-sided perspective. Debt collectors are not unreasonable; the job is challenging for us. Upholding justice in debt recovery is crucial, as failure to do so may encourage more debtors and irresponsible individuals to default on payments, and some may even resort to scams. Regrettably, we find ourselves compelled to take further action, and our debt enforcement team had to step in. This incident occurred on the eve of the Chinese New Year, a time traditionally reserved for joy and celebration. We understand the importance of cultural and festive occasions, and we sincerely regret any inconvenience caused. Our intention is always to seek resolution through amicable means, but we are obligated to protect the rights of our clients. #sdcs #singaporedebtcollectionservice #settledebtsamicably #professionalism #singaporedebtrecovery #justice #sdcsgroup
Posted by SDCS GROUP on Tuesday, 13 February 2024
A spokesperson for SDCS told Stomp: "First off, I want to send out our thoughts to the person involved. We're truly sorry for any distress caused.
"It's crucial to us that we handle situations like these with as much understanding and kindness as possible."
She added: "I also want to shout out to our team. They're out there doing their job within the rules and with a lot of integrity. Their safety and well-being mean everything to us, and we've got their backs 100 per cent.
"Let's clear something up – SDCS is all above board. We're here to do our job in a way that's fair, legal, and respectful to everyone. We're serious about helping sort out debts in the right way for our clients."
After sharing the initial video, SDCS posted more videos about the incident.
In one video, one of the debt collectors addressed netizens calling the debtor a "hero".
He said: "On the Feb 8, I messaged him. He sent me many messages I ignored. I only tell him if you don't want to negotiate, my team will continue to visit your place until you are willing to come down to talk to us.
"So if you all say that he's a hero, why did he want to delete the message?"
After sharing screenshots of the deleted messages, the debt collector continued: "So heroes would not delete the message. If you are a man, you answer for what you say.
"After multiple cursing and swearing even to the extent I cannot accept, I already tell him, 'When you got money, then talk.'
"Other things personal, we talk later,"
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