SINGAPORE: A total of S$20,450 (US$15,300) has been refunded to customers of a “botched” sky lantern festival earlier this year, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said on Thursday (Aug 1).
The figure was revealed by CASE as part of its update on the number of complaints it received in the first half of the year.
The festival, which was held at Sentosa’s Palawan Green on Feb 21, fell far short of what was advertised. Attendees were promised floating lanterns – tethered to the ground – containing lit candles.
Instead, these candles were substituted with LED lights and the lanterns were tied to barricades, as opposed to being suspended in the air.
Tickets cost S$50 per person, excluding booking fees.
The organiser Asian Couture and Boutique had failed to secure permits for the lantern release, which was the event’s main attraction, said CASE.
The consumer watchdog intervened and secured full refunds for affected customers who lodged complaints.
In the first half of the year, the entertainment industry saw a five-fold increase in the number of complaints – from 105 in the first half of 2023 to 670 complaints in the first six months of this year.
Nearly three-quarters of the complaints were against the lantern festival organiser.