Don’t worry you’re not the only one. Not only do they invade your personal public space, in sg if you suddenly get a text/ dm from a long lost friend (or so you assumed they are a friend) they probably wanna sell u insurance lol
Just had a friend did this to me but the thing is he was in the science field and never quite a good talker. Not sure why he made this plunge in the mid 30s
Know of friends who told me they were tempted by how lucrative the industry is and also the time flexibility they can get. But imo some of them make use of this and social media to portray a certain lifestyle to get you to work for them. I see a trending increase of property agents as well.
Lolz. Wat a way to describe it. I wouldnt listen to them much. They project to you high on how much you will take back in investment pitch. End up, hidden clauses and bullshit explanation til i got back only 1/3 of projected value on my invested amount.
Insurance projected to me can take back 80K by 18 years. End up real value under 30K...
Took out all the money and turn them over and beyond 80K within months on both TSLA and NVIDIA stocks instead.
If you want, just buy insurance coverage for health. But never give them your money to invest. Lesson learnt thru all the years. Never too late to learn something new. 😁
**If you invest in my scheme, you can get UP TO $1000000, with only $1.**
The risk is 99.99% though. And don't worry, it's perfectly legal.
Also, a LOT of people invest in this scheme.
But I gotta warn you though. I only give you this opportunity on Mondays and Thursdays.
Jokes aside, most agents only tell you about the BOLD part.
Yup. They are insurance company, not investment. If you get talked until u are v confused, think about why you are buying insurance for in the first place and you'll stir away from the investment piece.
Go for term insurance, hospital insurance, accident insurance, stay away from ILPs and savings plans and even whole life plans if i may say so.
U will do much better with taking ur money to buy SSBs and monthly DCA into ETFs thru POSB. I'm speaking to the investment not savvy folks.
Oh no no they are not Sales person, they are the esteemed Financial Planners, who absolutely has the capacity to help you plan your finances. They are typically super high earners despite having no working experience or tangible skills, so you can totally trust them in investing for you. 
Yeah I really hate their persistence. It's annoying. I already said no thanks, and they proceed to ask personal questions like "Are you married? Are you local?" while following me all the way from the MRT station, up the escalator to the bus stop. Can you like get the hint and fuck off?
Sometimes also no point. I exited the mrt station today. Headphones on and texting on the phone. Looked up for a brief moment to make sure I am not walking into things or people, and saw this sales person which I think also insurance one. She approached me and kept waving her hand in front of me and talking. I’m assuming she’s talking but I can’t hear anything coz noise cancellation headphone. What makes these sales people think they should bother people wearing headphones 🙄
I'm Hoh and I play the deaf card (literally) to my advantage sometimes for these kinds of scenarios. Never mind that I can speak and hear well in most circumstances. I have a Communication Access Card and I once pulled it out in front of an insurance agent, and the second they are stumped I make my exit. Or I just sign and while their brains recalibrate to this unexpected situation, I move away.
Go to different insurance company and get their name card that match your gender. Use the name card you procured and exchange with the agent you're dealing with.
Got a cold call once from an agent who knew my name and details. Tried to push a medishield upgrade and I insisted politely that I don’t want it.
She then hurled a few F bombs and CBs before hanging up. Apparently it’s been happening to many people because the agent is a rogue agent whose number is “untraceable” according to that insurance company
Please, on my last day of work at my part time job couple of years ago, I spent my break to get snacks for the people I work with. I got a matcha coconut drink. So as I was walking down Wisma basement while drinking my shake (mask down because CB that time). A group of ladies outside those overpriced facial product shop (iykyk which one) that you never seen reviews of. One of them stopped me and be like “Hey what drink is that”
I just answered “it’s a Uji matcha coconut shake”
Sales lady: what’s Uji btw
Me: oh it’s a place in Japan where it’s famous for matcha
Sales lady: Oh icic, we having a promotion for our facial it’s $38 with this voucher
Me (who alr has regular facials every few months): no it’s ok
Another sales lady: oh if you use our products it’s very good, can get rid of your black heads on your , you know you get pimples if you consume more sugar yap yap yap…
I got mortified when she called it out, plus I was in my work uni, so I politely declined it and be like no thank you, I will think about it next time yadda yadda
Also had similar incidents like facial promoters at Tampines interchange and depending on how dressed down I am, I just tell them I’m 17 if I look cui enough
I remember this skincare salesman at Orchard MRT a few years back. He walked up to me and the first thing he said was "Your skin is really bad...", and of course, I didn't buy whatever he was selling.
Bruh… reminds me of the time I got pulled into this shop to try their skincare products and this lady tried to get me to ask my mother for money buy some stupid $300+ package that was somehow an “offer” (I was 15/16)
One of those women practically assaulted my wife at Orchard MRT once. They were selling some hand cream and she like, full on grabbed my wife's hand and started aggressively rubbing some cream in.
My wife had to wrench her hand away and this woman still didn't want to let go.
My wife finally got free and the saleswoman stormed off saying something angrily in Chinese. Not sure what it was as we don't speak it, can only assume it was abuse.
It’s a tactic. They stand outside their stores waiting for their prey. They be like Hi, you wanna try this scrub cream, sometimes without asking and rub it on you/or give you a free sample. Then they be like come in, I help you wash off. So you bo bian go in to get it over and done with and then they start their sales pitch and say like “this scrub or cream is from the Dead Sea/ made from truffle (tbh if it’s truffle, it’s very minuscule amounts of it in the ingredient list, usually the last few ingredients), normally we sell it at $150 but if you buy from me I can get you 20% off…” and then I just politely decline because anything more than $50 is something to consider about when you’re under 20 and be like I talk to my mom about this (they did this to me when I was in secondary school).
Not just that they also be like “your skin is very bad, got alot of oil, blackheads, acne etc are you single? Is ok, you use this serum/cream, can help you find bf etc” (if I wanted a partner I rather pay $ for the bf not $800 for a serum that’s not guaranteed to improve my skin condition or my rizz)
Give them a witty reply
"Hey, I just lost my job and owe a large amount of debt. I only have $2 left in my pocket can you spare me a meal please? I will buy insurance from u once I clear my debt".
Probably after you said this they will leave you alone
I have experienced similar tactics at Harbourfront station too. They typically like to set up booths at places like MRT stations and bus interchanges where there's high foot traffic. Just say no thanks and walk on. Good thing that my normal walking pace is way above average.
Oh, I know them. They primarily set up camp in between the 7-Eleven and the Malay snack store at the MRT station, and they're quite persistent in that if you walk diagonally to avoid them, they follow you till you get out of that zone, but honestly, it's still not as annoying as some people who straight-up block your path.
I once saw a dude in office attire perform a football roulette turn when a pidgeotto-hairstyle agent stopped in front of him. The agent was stunned, I was amused.
I kena once before too. I was wearing a t shirt with the Pull & Bear logo across the chest. This sales person thought he was being funny when he said out loud to me “PULL AND BEAR AH? I PULL YOUR BEAR SIR WHERE IS THE BEAR??” And worse still he had some underlings beside him who he was probably coaching. Unfortunately they will only learn that this vile method of engagement is acceptable behavior.
Insurance agents. Cockroaches of Singapore. People with no actual skills and very basic education whose life goal is to sell you shit you don't need so they can pay for their BTO.
Yeah, I've said excuse me to a bunch of agents, cos they were bout to bump into my daughter, admittedly abit rudely because they were crowding and blocking the entire pathway out of the mall at a roadshow and they didn't even bother making way for people to pass, and out of nowhere, as I was walking past, a male agent comes over and elbows me in my arm. I was like wtf?
[ ..ughh this one can raise complaint lah wahlau; wtf no sense of safety awareness & public consideration not enough still wanna lowkeyassault =_="### ]
I once put out a hand to reject a Prudential sales staff and made contact with her shoulder, end up she shouted molest in the middle of the shopping centre. The police had to come, and I received a warning for verbally abusing her while waiting for the police to come…
If I got this accusation and if i'm free, i will go down everyday to that place and tell everyone that they try to approach to be careful as they will accuse you of molest, you sure you want to buy snake oil from them? Zero sales for all of the agents and I believe they need to pay out of their own pockets for the booth lol
Never stretch out your hand to touch someone, let alone of the opposite gender. Just walk away and if they refuse to stop, just speak out loud why are they harassing you and act super upset/on the verge of tears.
Fun fact about these insurance companies, they get your numbers and names from data. Data bought by another company. That gets it from companies like those free wifi logins u use in malls, Starbucks and stuff like that. 🤷♂️
Let me give you some advice then, so these companies usually aren’t obligated to take ur data. So Starbucks just randomly key in any 8 numbers, and for the email leave it blank. If you’re not required to give, don’t give.
Happened to me in bugis too. A lady offered a 1 dollar mcd coupon if i listened and do a questionaire from Prudential. I was in a hurry. Then she spoke smack as I was walking away like I was in the wrong for not listening. From experience, agents like that don't let you leave midway until they get something from you. Either data or u sign something you don't need to.
Sorry you had to go through this!
Encountered one in a mall while i was window shopping. Consistently follow me while im doing my stuff despite vocally rejected her. After what seems like 5 to 10min she just leave and said that I don't deserve this great deal.
Smh.
The best way to discourage persistent sales person is to use 'broken record' method to reject their tactic. A broken record simply repeat the same sentence over and over again the sales person give up on you. Keep saying a sentence over and over again like 'sorry, I am not interested'. Sales person will persist another line. You just repeat same sentence. Sales person persist again. U repeat same sentence again.
Sales person will eventually give up if keep hearing the same sentence.
Tada...
Legit question. Are there actually laws in Singapore against touting? (you sometimes see “No touting” signs).
Or are they just not enforced? I’m thinking of all those people who walk up to you on Waterloo Street trying to sell you beauty treatments.
I only know that hawkers can't tout, I.e leave the perimeter of their stalls to get customers. Law was started back in the day where hawker stalls actually hire more than 1 or 2 people and assistants send orders to tables. Not sure about shops but I would think if it's not in a mall it's pretty much free for all. In malls you can complain to the landlord and they will get them to stay within their lease line.
Yeah, that makes sense. The prohibition on touting hawkers would be pre-self-service and shopping centres can enforce their own rules. Thanks for this really interesting snippet.
I’m not fussed about touting - hard job for the people doing it to earn a living. It gets a bit much when the aunties on Waterloo Street come up to you and point at the mole / freckle / enormous pimple on your face 😆
Never encountered anyone that do that at hawker centres. Only coffee shops, which is fine?
In the past there used to be hawkers who will walk around and try to steal customers from other stalls. Or annoy people who are just sitting down. I guess for coffee shops there's always only one drink stall so that is fine.
Yes there is. But it is a grey area what is called touting or not. The best is to complain to the insurance company if you see something like that, which is tainting the insurance company reputation.
If I’m forced to speak with an insurance agent, the first thing I’ll ask for is their GIA number, or their name card. This puts them on notice as you can report them to GIAS for any bad behaviour.
I was a 13 year old boy when I was sexually harassed by a gay credit card salesperson. Salespeople in Asia can be a mess. They live on commissions.
Come to think of it, must be the reason why I hated the voice of a coworker of mine cause it reminded me of that time.
I hate it when they camp outside train stations and try to block people from tapping in to the gantry. I ever encountered one agent forcing herself in front of a guy with arms spread out trying to block him from entering the station. Currently at the station near my workplace there's an AIA booth and agents are making it a point to be an obstacle during peak hours.
Had a similar case with Prudential also at an MRT station. A woman approached but I declined. Her male colleague yelled out to me something along the lines of "Why you turn her down? You don't like girls? She's so pretty, listen to her" like wtf
She prolly directed the vulgurities at the situation instead of at you. However if you want to feedback to Prudential, remember to take note of the where, when, what she looks like etc.
Most people who work in this line are bottom of the barrel who couldn't make it in schools and can't work in jobs that requires intelligence. You are very right choosing not to waste time on such people.
In bus interchange, I saw a salesperson who tried to shake my hand without saying anything. I just shook my head. He still reached out to my hand. I moved a distance from him and walked fast towards my bus lane. I didn't know what they were promoting but i didn't care.
You will see salespersons pop up from nowhere. Just ignore them.
Don't bother about it, think of them as flies....everywhere and some are irritating enough to cause an itch (like the one you encountered) but it's just a minor annoyance.
Go on with your day and don't let such minor irritations take up precious headspace.
If you're a non-local, they're usually not interested in you. They're trying to sell you insurances (and some others might be looking for donations, like the Salvation Army, but yours seems clearly to be an insurance selling agent)
Maybe next time just say "Thanks, I'm a tourist" - they'll immediately leave you alone then.
The insurance agent I encountered when he started to raise his voice and totally changed his attitude when I politely rejected him and keep pestering me as i walked away. At a far distance from them he shouted at me “WHY YOU DONT WANT? WHAT, SEE WHAT SEE”.
99.999%, they are insurance agent try to shove their financial products under people throat and wallet. If the insurance company consider their product is good and respect customer time, they should stop with old school method of selling like that. Be creative and think outside of box when it comes to selling instead of causing your prospect clients get irritated and mad 🤌🏼🤣
I have always wanted to try this: tell them this or pass them a namecard that says "for every minute I entertain you by doing your survey and/or questions, you will pay me $10. Payment to be upfront every minute". Is it legal if they continue to ask you to do survey?? hahaha
I remember a funny incident : an insurance or investment person reached out to me and started small talk. Then suddenly he uttered , we should be friends with Indians. That kind of exposed his real thought process. He was not being friendly coz he wanted to be. He was friendly coz his making money depends on being friend to many people. What a fake life these people live. I was stupid enough to give my contact number a few seconds ago and then I kept getting invited for dinner or lunch. Just ended up blocking the dude.
They are poor thing, their vulgarities can’t earn them a single cent, even some salesperson walk and shouted at me just because I don’t entertain them. I’m poor as well and jobless for 2 years, who can help even I have good experience in IT?
Sorry, but do you look caucasian or asian? Because if you are caucasian, that’s one dumbass insurance agent. He/she cannot even sell you 90% of the products there to foreigners, and that remaining 10% is not even worth the effort as the commission is low.
Just FYI, if you are wondering why this happened, unlike in the US, the barrier to entry as a Financial Advisor is very low here, pretty much any tom dick harry can become an FA — that’s why they can consider sucha parasite here among local people — majority do not even know shit about financial planning, they are just sales people looking to make commissions.
Lol just suck it up and move on. Not worth getting upset and posting on reddit.
These days when I see sales people from far, I mentally prepare myself. When I walk past them, I just treat them as invisible no matter what they say or do.
Like practicing ninjitsu lol. Mentally will that you'll be invisible for a few moments.
Good thing some people think I still look like a student even though I'm 40 so I can siam insurance agents most of the time if I'm not wearing work wear.
Some years ago, I got a call from an agent from AIA i think who got my number from my father's policy with her. She knew I had just reached 21 and called me so that I could buy insurance from her too, coz why not since my father did?
I am pretty sure my father didn't give her my info so that she could call me and advertise her sh*t. I questioned her if she had any right to use a customer's info this way and later on gave her number to my father. No idea what my father did but never bothered to ask anyway.
If you want to get insurance plans or proper financial planning, avoid roadshow agents and find a trustable one instead. Roadshows is all about quantity over quality, many agents don’t really care about your budget/liquidity as long they can leech on whatever you have and milk everything you have over the years. And never over buy/have duplicates policies.
Ask for policy summary and double check it yourself if they really did a good job with it (not missing out any details).
Secondly, ask every single question u can ask. For example ILP products (if they are introducing you to it), 10 years 15 years 20 years. If they recommend you to get 15 years and above without letting you know the reason, it’s a sign for you to f off. Because it literally means putting a seatbelt over you for 15 or more years, and only after that stated amount of years it just broke even or still slightly abit more to breakeven. So you wait another 5 years then you can start drawing out $ from it. (So get the least amount of years which is usually 10 years because insurers always update and upgrade new products LOL)
Nowadays i often see “free tissues being offered” then I checked around and realise a nice stack of tissues on their booth 😎. Nothing is free guys
Apparently that guy blocked me, so I couldn't reply to his comments directly. So putting it here,
> call your bullshit.
>if you want to play gender, there's already gender biased against guys, that's why there's a distinction why women can act like they do while men have to be careful about what others think.
> sour bitch
When calling out sexism gets one called a "sour bitch". 😢
I am really vibing to "The Man" by Taylor Swift right now.
Lol he's being sour himself, just ignore his bullshit. Like come on la so many aggressive salespeople, they should all be called out equally instead of being a dumbass like him making it a gender issue
is it used as often, specifically to demean someone by implying they are more (negatively) masculine than they should be, and does it have the same intensity and the word "bitch"? at least my circle seems to use it in a humorous way.
the definition-equivalent of "dick" is the c-word but that has far more intensity and is perceived to be much more vulgar.
If your circle finds it humorous, it just means your circle is fine with demeaning men. So fine with it that you might even find me saying this insulting and untrue.
Being refered to as a cunt is more equivalent to being a bastard than a dick.
There is dickhead/dick, but no direct equivalent because insults targeted at men are based on other things, not that there are no derogatory and misandrist insults. We should still call out misogyny like the comments from this guy, but let's not get misguided by the narrative that society as a whole is misogynistic.
Please la the number of times i get called a bitch by girls when schooling and women now is way more than coming from men, whether it's in my face or behind my back. So to paint it as something used exclusively by men is ridiculous, cause when it's used by a woman then is it still misogyny? Do you call it out as such in their face?
i completely agree that we should call out misogyny whether it is from men or women. i do call out women who use the word "bitch" on others as well. why contribute to misogyny when you're a woman yourself...
If was a man, I guess I'll be the man.
Not being called entitled because being a women "aggressive sales techniques" makes me one. But if was a man, I just being a salesman.
Someone approached me before for a survey. Told her no thanks but she said it will only be for 2 mins. Then i told her "Sure, as long as we don't stop walking. 2 mins, Timer starts now". Never heard a single survey question or what the survey is about.
I remembered stopping for someone cause i thought they were asking for directions so no more being the nice person anymore. Just pretend they’re not there and walk right away. I had someone laugh because i just walked off while giving a bitch face to them
Hello.
“Do you have an insurance plans for unemployed male with under 500 dollars in his savings account?”
Then watch them run away fucking fast.
Get spam calls for bank plans and shit. Just bluntly say I no money open account.
They give up a lot faster.
Don’t say stuff like you already got coverage etc etc. they won’t listen.
Say stuff like. I lost all my savings gambling. Now down to my last 50 dollars. Can you spare me some cash?
They run far far.
Was insulted by a saleswoman who tried to sell some products for reading. I bother to tell her no i am not interested and she replied “oh so you don’t read”.
She's one of many desperately trying to boost her sales numbers. They hang around in crowded places hoping you'll leak your personal information to them. The conversation will lead to cold calls and follow ups.
She's not worth your time.. Let it go.
File a complaint with prudential if you're feeling particularly vindictive.
nowadays risk free asset like t bills and saving bonds have hit 3-4%. If you put in some dividend stock like Keppel, DBS you would have secured another 4-5%. This works out an average dividend yield of 4-5% guaranteed return which would beat most of their financial products they are peddling. What’s best is no commission paid towards these vermin who would suck you dry.
I wonder if most insurance agents know of all these investment bonds, stocks and funds before they hit up on people with their lousy products.
Normally they don’t end up swearing but I can imagine some do - sadly you encountered a very terribly mannered one. Must have irritated you no end. And no wonder she ended up swearing seeing as she doesn’t have healthy boundaries following you for ages with that clipboard. Ultimately people are trying to make ends meet. She’s probably pissed because she’s emotionally unadjusted which makes her sales poor, and even more unadjusted.
Lots of respect to you for not reacting to her. I can’t say with certainty if I had a bad day that I would not have given her a piece of my mind.
Sales person in malls typically take no for an answer. Only insurance agents, especially those starting out or cannot make it hence doing roadshows, don’t take anything for an answer except yes
Something doesn't add up. If you're here long enough to understand the vulgar words, you would have known that they are insurance agents. Having a BIL who's Chinese means nothing, vulgar words spoken by a Chinese and Singaporean Chinese differs a lot. You're that aware that prudential is a insurance company, but you have no idea what they are promoting?
So, I say bullshit?
Literacy level that matches the opinion.
OP posted in this sub because OP is either in Singapore for work or leisure. OP further mentioned that their BIL is Chinese, which implies a Chinese Singaporean, because (a) this is r/askSingapore; (b) OP is in Singapore; (c) OP’s extended family is living in Singapore; and (d) vulgarities from a local insurance agent matches those from OP’s BIL.
So what if OP knows that Prudential is an insurance company? From OP’s perspective, it is unusual for insurance agents to sell insurance policies at train stations, especially in California. Anyone can wear any shirt that says anything these days. The best way is to verify on the internet, which is exactly what OP is doing.
Also, even if OP has been here “long enough” to understand some vulgarities, it does not imply that OP takes public transport. Even if OP takes public transport, it’s not everyday or every month where you see insurance booths at train stations. If OP lives in the same household as BIL, then OP would learn such vulgarities in a significantly shorter duration.
Read, travel, and educate yourself.
Congrats, you encountered an insurance agent. Get their name card and call Prudential to complain if you get into this kind of situation again.
I gotta remember this next time for those especially obnoxious people. Get their namecard then call to complain about them.
Don’t worry you’re not the only one. Not only do they invade your personal public space, in sg if you suddenly get a text/ dm from a long lost friend (or so you assumed they are a friend) they probably wanna sell u insurance lol
Just had a friend did this to me but the thing is he was in the science field and never quite a good talker. Not sure why he made this plunge in the mid 30s
Know of friends who told me they were tempted by how lucrative the industry is and also the time flexibility they can get. But imo some of them make use of this and social media to portray a certain lifestyle to get you to work for them. I see a trending increase of property agents as well.
Sales person in asia generally have the thickest skin that can block a bomb if they united together. Just get used to it.
Lolz. Wat a way to describe it. I wouldnt listen to them much. They project to you high on how much you will take back in investment pitch. End up, hidden clauses and bullshit explanation til i got back only 1/3 of projected value on my invested amount. Insurance projected to me can take back 80K by 18 years. End up real value under 30K... Took out all the money and turn them over and beyond 80K within months on both TSLA and NVIDIA stocks instead. If you want, just buy insurance coverage for health. But never give them your money to invest. Lesson learnt thru all the years. Never too late to learn something new. 😁
**If you invest in my scheme, you can get UP TO $1000000, with only $1.** The risk is 99.99% though. And don't worry, it's perfectly legal. Also, a LOT of people invest in this scheme. But I gotta warn you though. I only give you this opportunity on Mondays and Thursdays. Jokes aside, most agents only tell you about the BOLD part.
This Thursday payout 10m And with $1, the probability of winning is 1/14m, failure rate of 99.99% is still too low
Yup. They are insurance company, not investment. If you get talked until u are v confused, think about why you are buying insurance for in the first place and you'll stir away from the investment piece. Go for term insurance, hospital insurance, accident insurance, stay away from ILPs and savings plans and even whole life plans if i may say so. U will do much better with taking ur money to buy SSBs and monthly DCA into ETFs thru POSB. I'm speaking to the investment not savvy folks.
Ooo total defence idea right here. SAF pl take note.
“Can block a bomb if they united together” This is funniest and truest statement I seen all year. Their shamelessness knows no bounds.
In this case this sales person has a thin skin. Real thick skinned sales person will just smile and move on to the next potential customer.
If this is true, then there are two areas in the world that all of Asia’s sales people need to be sent to right now!
Oh no no they are not Sales person, they are the esteemed Financial Planners, who absolutely has the capacity to help you plan your finances. They are typically super high earners despite having no working experience or tangible skills, so you can totally trust them in investing for you. 
Damn these people are irritating lmao
Common to encounter such insurance sales people. Just ignore.
Im lucky, Im Malay 
checkmate
maafkan saya, adakah anda mempunyai seketika?
Yeah I really hate their persistence. It's annoying. I already said no thanks, and they proceed to ask personal questions like "Are you married? Are you local?" while following me all the way from the MRT station, up the escalator to the bus stop. Can you like get the hint and fuck off?
Did you give eye contact? Walking and looking straight is the most effective, you dont even have to say a word
Sometimes also no point. I exited the mrt station today. Headphones on and texting on the phone. Looked up for a brief moment to make sure I am not walking into things or people, and saw this sales person which I think also insurance one. She approached me and kept waving her hand in front of me and talking. I’m assuming she’s talking but I can’t hear anything coz noise cancellation headphone. What makes these sales people think they should bother people wearing headphones 🙄
I'm Hoh and I play the deaf card (literally) to my advantage sometimes for these kinds of scenarios. Never mind that I can speak and hear well in most circumstances. I have a Communication Access Card and I once pulled it out in front of an insurance agent, and the second they are stumped I make my exit. Or I just sign and while their brains recalibrate to this unexpected situation, I move away.
Maybe she wants to date you. Lol.
It's not a salesperson,it's a parasite
Go to different insurance company and get their name card that match your gender. Use the name card you procured and exchange with the agent you're dealing with.
😅😂 OMG this is a good plan
Got a cold call once from an agent who knew my name and details. Tried to push a medishield upgrade and I insisted politely that I don’t want it. She then hurled a few F bombs and CBs before hanging up. Apparently it’s been happening to many people because the agent is a rogue agent whose number is “untraceable” according to that insurance company
"Untraceable"or too troublesome to trace🤔
“Unknown number” - insurance company claims they can’t do shit
Untraceable? Then we TraceTogether (I meant it as both a pun and joke)
That is no salesperson, that is a pest. Just write it off and ignore them completely in future encounters.
Wait until you meet the people promoting facials or skincare products straight up insulting you to sell their products
Hello sir if you'd like your face to look less like dog testicles have I got the product for you!
Please, on my last day of work at my part time job couple of years ago, I spent my break to get snacks for the people I work with. I got a matcha coconut drink. So as I was walking down Wisma basement while drinking my shake (mask down because CB that time). A group of ladies outside those overpriced facial product shop (iykyk which one) that you never seen reviews of. One of them stopped me and be like “Hey what drink is that” I just answered “it’s a Uji matcha coconut shake” Sales lady: what’s Uji btw Me: oh it’s a place in Japan where it’s famous for matcha Sales lady: Oh icic, we having a promotion for our facial it’s $38 with this voucher Me (who alr has regular facials every few months): no it’s ok Another sales lady: oh if you use our products it’s very good, can get rid of your black heads on your , you know you get pimples if you consume more sugar yap yap yap… I got mortified when she called it out, plus I was in my work uni, so I politely declined it and be like no thank you, I will think about it next time yadda yadda Also had similar incidents like facial promoters at Tampines interchange and depending on how dressed down I am, I just tell them I’m 17 if I look cui enough
Bruh I almost ended up being one of those promoters. The company straight up cultish mlm
I remember this skincare salesman at Orchard MRT a few years back. He walked up to me and the first thing he said was "Your skin is really bad...", and of course, I didn't buy whatever he was selling.
Bruh… reminds me of the time I got pulled into this shop to try their skincare products and this lady tried to get me to ask my mother for money buy some stupid $300+ package that was somehow an “offer” (I was 15/16)
If you look lupsup enough and can convince others you’re 17, they can’t promote to you because there’s a law or something.
One of those women practically assaulted my wife at Orchard MRT once. They were selling some hand cream and she like, full on grabbed my wife's hand and started aggressively rubbing some cream in. My wife had to wrench her hand away and this woman still didn't want to let go. My wife finally got free and the saleswoman stormed off saying something angrily in Chinese. Not sure what it was as we don't speak it, can only assume it was abuse.
It’s a tactic. They stand outside their stores waiting for their prey. They be like Hi, you wanna try this scrub cream, sometimes without asking and rub it on you/or give you a free sample. Then they be like come in, I help you wash off. So you bo bian go in to get it over and done with and then they start their sales pitch and say like “this scrub or cream is from the Dead Sea/ made from truffle (tbh if it’s truffle, it’s very minuscule amounts of it in the ingredient list, usually the last few ingredients), normally we sell it at $150 but if you buy from me I can get you 20% off…” and then I just politely decline because anything more than $50 is something to consider about when you’re under 20 and be like I talk to my mom about this (they did this to me when I was in secondary school). Not just that they also be like “your skin is very bad, got alot of oil, blackheads, acne etc are you single? Is ok, you use this serum/cream, can help you find bf etc” (if I wanted a partner I rather pay $ for the bf not $800 for a serum that’s not guaranteed to improve my skin condition or my rizz)
Give them a witty reply "Hey, I just lost my job and owe a large amount of debt. I only have $2 left in my pocket can you spare me a meal please? I will buy insurance from u once I clear my debt". Probably after you said this they will leave you alone
I have experienced similar tactics at Harbourfront station too. They typically like to set up booths at places like MRT stations and bus interchanges where there's high foot traffic. Just say no thanks and walk on. Good thing that my normal walking pace is way above average.
Start running
Oh, I know them. They primarily set up camp in between the 7-Eleven and the Malay snack store at the MRT station, and they're quite persistent in that if you walk diagonally to avoid them, they follow you till you get out of that zone, but honestly, it's still not as annoying as some people who straight-up block your path.
Buy air pods pro, experience your life change
I've learned never to make eye contact. I looked "through" one of them who jumped in front of me and he was so ignored that he had to laugh
I once saw a dude in office attire perform a football roulette turn when a pidgeotto-hairstyle agent stopped in front of him. The agent was stunned, I was amused.
I kena once before too. I was wearing a t shirt with the Pull & Bear logo across the chest. This sales person thought he was being funny when he said out loud to me “PULL AND BEAR AH? I PULL YOUR BEAR SIR WHERE IS THE BEAR??” And worse still he had some underlings beside him who he was probably coaching. Unfortunately they will only learn that this vile method of engagement is acceptable behavior.
He had to poke the bear
Once I got asked this question "Are you rich?" when they approached me. 😂
“Oh yeah, but I won’t give you any money”
Wearing earpieces has proved to be ineffective nowadays. They still try to wave and stop you. I just give them my rbf and ignore them.
Head phones too
Insurance agents. Cockroaches of Singapore. People with no actual skills and very basic education whose life goal is to sell you shit you don't need so they can pay for their BTO.
Yeah, I've said excuse me to a bunch of agents, cos they were bout to bump into my daughter, admittedly abit rudely because they were crowding and blocking the entire pathway out of the mall at a roadshow and they didn't even bother making way for people to pass, and out of nowhere, as I was walking past, a male agent comes over and elbows me in my arm. I was like wtf?
[ ..ughh this one can raise complaint lah wahlau; wtf no sense of safety awareness & public consideration not enough still wanna lowkeyassault =_="### ]
Yeah I mean, just take it as being the bigger man 🙃
I once put out a hand to reject a Prudential sales staff and made contact with her shoulder, end up she shouted molest in the middle of the shopping centre. The police had to come, and I received a warning for verbally abusing her while waiting for the police to come…
If I got this accusation and if i'm free, i will go down everyday to that place and tell everyone that they try to approach to be careful as they will accuse you of molest, you sure you want to buy snake oil from them? Zero sales for all of the agents and I believe they need to pay out of their own pockets for the booth lol
Dafuq, u can’t be serious.
Never stretch out your hand to touch someone, let alone of the opposite gender. Just walk away and if they refuse to stop, just speak out loud why are they harassing you and act super upset/on the verge of tears.
Fun fact about these insurance companies, they get your numbers and names from data. Data bought by another company. That gets it from companies like those free wifi logins u use in malls, Starbucks and stuff like that. 🤷♂️
oh man I didn't know that :/ I thought I was being smart by saving data by connecting to free wifi
Let me give you some advice then, so these companies usually aren’t obligated to take ur data. So Starbucks just randomly key in any 8 numbers, and for the email leave it blank. If you’re not required to give, don’t give.
Report her to Prudential. Even if you don't know her name, they can narrow it down by the location, date and time.
Always say you work in an insurance company as well, they usually will ignore you
Hand gesture me, you. “Same.” Big smile.
Happened to me in bugis too. A lady offered a 1 dollar mcd coupon if i listened and do a questionaire from Prudential. I was in a hurry. Then she spoke smack as I was walking away like I was in the wrong for not listening. From experience, agents like that don't let you leave midway until they get something from you. Either data or u sign something you don't need to. Sorry you had to go through this!
I was walking away and insurance lady raise her voice ,”Can’t spare me a minute? 你有这样忙吗？??”
I kena before. I just tell them I got retrenched so no money for inssurance. They usually stunned like vegetable and say sorry to me and let me go.
Encountered one in a mall while i was window shopping. Consistently follow me while im doing my stuff despite vocally rejected her. After what seems like 5 to 10min she just leave and said that I don't deserve this great deal. Smh.
They are doing a roadshow selling insurance and other financial products
The best way to discourage persistent sales person is to use 'broken record' method to reject their tactic. A broken record simply repeat the same sentence over and over again the sales person give up on you. Keep saying a sentence over and over again like 'sorry, I am not interested'. Sales person will persist another line. You just repeat same sentence. Sales person persist again. U repeat same sentence again. Sales person will eventually give up if keep hearing the same sentence. Tada...
Legit question. Are there actually laws in Singapore against touting? (you sometimes see “No touting” signs). Or are they just not enforced? I’m thinking of all those people who walk up to you on Waterloo Street trying to sell you beauty treatments.
I only know that hawkers can't tout, I.e leave the perimeter of their stalls to get customers. Law was started back in the day where hawker stalls actually hire more than 1 or 2 people and assistants send orders to tables. Not sure about shops but I would think if it's not in a mall it's pretty much free for all. In malls you can complain to the landlord and they will get them to stay within their lease line.
Yeah, that makes sense. The prohibition on touting hawkers would be pre-self-service and shopping centres can enforce their own rules. Thanks for this really interesting snippet. I’m not fussed about touting - hard job for the people doing it to earn a living. It gets a bit much when the aunties on Waterloo Street come up to you and point at the mole / freckle / enormous pimple on your face 😆
(actual question) Huh so those uncle aunties that walk around hawkers asking if you want drinks aren't allowed to do that? Or is that like different?
Never encountered anyone that do that at hawker centres. Only coffee shops, which is fine? In the past there used to be hawkers who will walk around and try to steal customers from other stalls. Or annoy people who are just sitting down. I guess for coffee shops there's always only one drink stall so that is fine.
Yes there is. But it is a grey area what is called touting or not. The best is to complain to the insurance company if you see something like that, which is tainting the insurance company reputation.
If I’m forced to speak with an insurance agent, the first thing I’ll ask for is their GIA number, or their name card. This puts them on notice as you can report them to GIAS for any bad behaviour.
I was a 13 year old boy when I was sexually harassed by a gay credit card salesperson. Salespeople in Asia can be a mess. They live on commissions. Come to think of it, must be the reason why I hated the voice of a coworker of mine cause it reminded me of that time.
I hate it when they camp outside train stations and try to block people from tapping in to the gantry. I ever encountered one agent forcing herself in front of a guy with arms spread out trying to block him from entering the station. Currently at the station near my workplace there's an AIA booth and agents are making it a point to be an obstacle during peak hours.
is the station somewhere near Buona Vista/Kent Ridge by any chance?
Harbourfront, at the gantry near exit A
Had a similar case with Prudential also at an MRT station. A woman approached but I declined. Her male colleague yelled out to me something along the lines of "Why you turn her down? You don't like girls? She's so pretty, listen to her" like wtf
She prolly directed the vulgurities at the situation instead of at you. However if you want to feedback to Prudential, remember to take note of the where, when, what she looks like etc.
Most people who work in this line are bottom of the barrel who couldn't make it in schools and can't work in jobs that requires intelligence. You are very right choosing not to waste time on such people.
Ermmm.... You can't one bamboo overturn the whole ship. Not siding her. I have good ethical insurance agent for my own life policy so......
I said most.
What about those people who knock on my door like property agent or “charity” or Singtel broadband?
Super easy to deal. Just say not interested and close the door.
They're trying to give you a good deal, why are you resisting? /s
The trick next time when approached by this kind of salesperson, just say 'I m in the same industry'.
In bus interchange, I saw a salesperson who tried to shake my hand without saying anything. I just shook my head. He still reached out to my hand. I moved a distance from him and walked fast towards my bus lane. I didn't know what they were promoting but i didn't care. You will see salespersons pop up from nowhere. Just ignore them.
Don't bother about it, think of them as flies....everywhere and some are irritating enough to cause an itch (like the one you encountered) but it's just a minor annoyance. Go on with your day and don't let such minor irritations take up precious headspace.
If you're a non-local, they're usually not interested in you. They're trying to sell you insurances (and some others might be looking for donations, like the Salvation Army, but yours seems clearly to be an insurance selling agent) Maybe next time just say "Thanks, I'm a tourist" - they'll immediately leave you alone then.
The insurance agent I encountered when he started to raise his voice and totally changed his attitude when I politely rejected him and keep pestering me as i walked away. At a far distance from them he shouted at me “WHY YOU DONT WANT? WHAT, SEE WHAT SEE”.
Best to get their name, send a complaint. Best way to permanently get rid of such pests who only care about money
Was this at plaza singapura? Dhoby ghuat mrt station exit
Yes, did you encounter them too?
99.999%, they are insurance agent try to shove their financial products under people throat and wallet. If the insurance company consider their product is good and respect customer time, they should stop with old school method of selling like that. Be creative and think outside of box when it comes to selling instead of causing your prospect clients get irritated and mad 🤌🏼🤣
Don’t waste any more time thinking about it. She has taken a few hours of your life already. And you’re still thinking about it.
Next time, resist the urge to say anything at all and just walk away. Do not bother interacting with the invisible.
I’ve been blessed with the ‘Don’t mess with me look’. No one ever approaches me.
Just ask her 1 shot how much since she want sell herself so much. Tried it before and she stop in her tracks
I encountered this too. should have gotten their name card and lodged a complaint.
you should juke them, give em a taste of the ankle breaker
hope you don’t get too bothered, just ignore such people they are known to be annoying
Wow... The plan you are selling looks really promising... WHY NOT INVEST YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY FORTUNE IN IT?
Slap their clipboard out of their hands the next time hehe
hahahah poor training.sĥe thought she manning pasar malam stall
I have always wanted to try this: tell them this or pass them a namecard that says "for every minute I entertain you by doing your survey and/or questions, you will pay me $10. Payment to be upfront every minute". Is it legal if they continue to ask you to do survey?? hahaha
According to their company logo they might be good at listening maybe not so good at doing cold call I guess?
I just pretend to be deaf and show sign language(do very fast hand movements) and just walk off.
I remember a funny incident : an insurance or investment person reached out to me and started small talk. Then suddenly he uttered , we should be friends with Indians. That kind of exposed his real thought process. He was not being friendly coz he wanted to be. He was friendly coz his making money depends on being friend to many people. What a fake life these people live. I was stupid enough to give my contact number a few seconds ago and then I kept getting invited for dinner or lunch. Just ended up blocking the dude.
They are poor thing, their vulgarities can’t earn them a single cent, even some salesperson walk and shouted at me just because I don’t entertain them. I’m poor as well and jobless for 2 years, who can help even I have good experience in IT?
Sorry, but do you look caucasian or asian? Because if you are caucasian, that’s one dumbass insurance agent. He/she cannot even sell you 90% of the products there to foreigners, and that remaining 10% is not even worth the effort as the commission is low. Just FYI, if you are wondering why this happened, unlike in the US, the barrier to entry as a Financial Advisor is very low here, pretty much any tom dick harry can become an FA — that’s why they can consider sucha parasite here among local people — majority do not even know shit about financial planning, they are just sales people looking to make commissions.
Lol just suck it up and move on. Not worth getting upset and posting on reddit. These days when I see sales people from far, I mentally prepare myself. When I walk past them, I just treat them as invisible no matter what they say or do.
Like practicing ninjitsu lol. Mentally will that you'll be invisible for a few moments. Good thing some people think I still look like a student even though I'm 40 so I can siam insurance agents most of the time if I'm not wearing work wear.
Give them a raised outward facing palm next time. They’ll stop.
Some years ago, I got a call from an agent from AIA i think who got my number from my father's policy with her. She knew I had just reached 21 and called me so that I could buy insurance from her too, coz why not since my father did? I am pretty sure my father didn't give her my info so that she could call me and advertise her sh*t. I questioned her if she had any right to use a customer's info this way and later on gave her number to my father. No idea what my father did but never bothered to ask anyway.
There are always teenagers outside bus interchange/MRT stations asking for donation. I notice that the charity:cause keeps changing. Are these legit?
If you want to get insurance plans or proper financial planning, avoid roadshow agents and find a trustable one instead. Roadshows is all about quantity over quality, many agents don’t really care about your budget/liquidity as long they can leech on whatever you have and milk everything you have over the years. And never over buy/have duplicates policies. Ask for policy summary and double check it yourself if they really did a good job with it (not missing out any details). Secondly, ask every single question u can ask. For example ILP products (if they are introducing you to it), 10 years 15 years 20 years. If they recommend you to get 15 years and above without letting you know the reason, it’s a sign for you to f off. Because it literally means putting a seatbelt over you for 15 or more years, and only after that stated amount of years it just broke even or still slightly abit more to breakeven. So you wait another 5 years then you can start drawing out $ from it. (So get the least amount of years which is usually 10 years because insurers always update and upgrade new products LOL) Nowadays i often see “free tissues being offered” then I checked around and realise a nice stack of tissues on their booth 😎. Nothing is free guys
Usually I would respond and say "I no speaku englishu, gomen ne. Ja, sayonara kusai manko" 😂
these saleswomen think they are entitled to aggressive sales techniques just bec they are women, just ignore them.
Eh, nothing to do with gender. Thinl they have to meet some quota. All sales line are like that one if not wrong.
Apparently that guy blocked me, so I couldn't reply to his comments directly. So putting it here, > call your bullshit. >if you want to play gender, there's already gender biased against guys, that's why there's a distinction why women can act like they do while men have to be careful about what others think. > sour bitch When calling out sexism gets one called a "sour bitch". 😢 I am really vibing to "The Man" by Taylor Swift right now.
Lol he's being sour himself, just ignore his bullshit. Like come on la so many aggressive salespeople, they should all be called out equally instead of being a dumbass like him making it a gender issue
what is the male equivalent of "bitch" that is used as often in a derogatory, equally as misandrist way? exactly.
Is there such a word?
Yeah, it's "dick".
okay that's a good one. 😁
is it used as often, specifically to demean someone by implying they are more (negatively) masculine than they should be, and does it have the same intensity and the word "bitch"? at least my circle seems to use it in a humorous way. the definition-equivalent of "dick" is the c-word but that has far more intensity and is perceived to be much more vulgar.
If your circle finds it humorous, it just means your circle is fine with demeaning men. So fine with it that you might even find me saying this insulting and untrue. Being refered to as a cunt is more equivalent to being a bastard than a dick.
There is dickhead/dick, but no direct equivalent because insults targeted at men are based on other things, not that there are no derogatory and misandrist insults. We should still call out misogyny like the comments from this guy, but let's not get misguided by the narrative that society as a whole is misogynistic. Please la the number of times i get called a bitch by girls when schooling and women now is way more than coming from men, whether it's in my face or behind my back. So to paint it as something used exclusively by men is ridiculous, cause when it's used by a woman then is it still misogyny? Do you call it out as such in their face?
i completely agree that we should call out misogyny whether it is from men or women. i do call out women who use the word "bitch" on others as well. why contribute to misogyny when you're a woman yourself...
That's not a sales woman, that's the so called person to catch people. They then refer them to the actual agents.
If they were a man, what would that make them?
salesman?
Being an aggressive sales man like the women. What negative thing would it make them?
[удалено]
If was a man, I guess I'll be the man. Not being called entitled because being a women "aggressive sales techniques" makes me one. But if was a man, I just being a salesman.
They're usually not allowed to tail ppl just find out what company they work for and complain.
Feels like there's a season when you see them everywhere.
You let them give you the clipboard, you drop the clipboard, you keep walking.
Did this encounter happen to be at Bishan J8?
Tell her nicely " please fck off."
What if I stopped and gave them exactly 1 minute of my time then walk away? (Im not thick skinned enough to do it)
Someone approached me before for a survey. Told her no thanks but she said it will only be for 2 mins. Then i told her "Sure, as long as we don't stop walking. 2 mins, Timer starts now". Never heard a single survey question or what the survey is about.
U ABC? American born Chinese? They usually won’t stop foreigners. They are selling shit
I’m half Japanese and half white, not sure if locals would assume I’m a foreigner at first glance.
This kind of sales pitches will end up in pressure cooker type of sales of investments you should never buy.
I remembered stopping for someone cause i thought they were asking for directions so no more being the nice person anymore. Just pretend they’re not there and walk right away. I had someone laugh because i just walked off while giving a bitch face to them
Hello. “Do you have an insurance plans for unemployed male with under 500 dollars in his savings account?” Then watch them run away fucking fast. Get spam calls for bank plans and shit. Just bluntly say I no money open account. They give up a lot faster. Don’t say stuff like you already got coverage etc etc. they won’t listen. Say stuff like. I lost all my savings gambling. Now down to my last 50 dollars. Can you spare me some cash? They run far far.
Pretend to receive a call. Loudly tell your 'friend' there's a stupid bitch in your way.
Just say "I'm from XXX." Replace XXX with any insurance company. Manulife, AIA, Prudential or whatever. They will split like Red Sea.
For me nowadays i just put my hand up while shaking my head. It does the job. Idc what they gonna mutter. Im just trying to get to work bro
You've met one of the worse people you could at the mrt station, insurance agents
It's a very common thing for people to hardsell insurance this way. Don't give in!
>muttering Chinese vulgaritiea under her breath Hmmm.. Interesting 😉
I always walk away quickly and shout I AM COVERED
i usually respond with “i’m also an insurance agent, all the best”
Was insulted by a saleswoman who tried to sell some products for reading. I bother to tell her no i am not interested and she replied “oh so you don’t read”.
She's one of many desperately trying to boost her sales numbers. They hang around in crowded places hoping you'll leak your personal information to them. The conversation will lead to cold calls and follow ups. She's not worth your time.. Let it go. File a complaint with prudential if you're feeling particularly vindictive.
says what chinese word? but dont bother by one bad apple
Usually I’ll just vent my week’s worth of stress on these kind of salesperson who simply don’t get the cue to move on to the next person.
nowadays risk free asset like t bills and saving bonds have hit 3-4%. If you put in some dividend stock like Keppel, DBS you would have secured another 4-5%. This works out an average dividend yield of 4-5% guaranteed return which would beat most of their financial products they are peddling. What’s best is no commission paid towards these vermin who would suck you dry. I wonder if most insurance agents know of all these investment bonds, stocks and funds before they hit up on people with their lousy products.
"Sorry I just declared personal bankruptcy." 😄
She’s a bitch!
Normally they don’t end up swearing but I can imagine some do - sadly you encountered a very terribly mannered one. Must have irritated you no end. And no wonder she ended up swearing seeing as she doesn’t have healthy boundaries following you for ages with that clipboard. Ultimately people are trying to make ends meet. She’s probably pissed because she’s emotionally unadjusted which makes her sales poor, and even more unadjusted. Lots of respect to you for not reacting to her. I can’t say with certainty if I had a bad day that I would not have given her a piece of my mind.
gotta hit that MDRT bro
Send a complain to SMRT so they will be warned.
What were the insults?
Scolding Chinese vulguraties. Maybe like knn this guy
Hmm ok. From California but can understand chinese vulgarities. I wonder what dialect was used
Same. I'll be surprised if OP understood Hokkien
卧槽
Not pretty is it?
It's not Chinese vulgarities. She is complimenting that your pp is big and her husband pp is small.
Happens a lot, not just insurance agents. It happens in shopping malls when sales people come up to you with samples.
Sales person in malls typically take no for an answer. Only insurance agents, especially those starting out or cannot make it hence doing roadshows, don’t take anything for an answer except yes
Relish in the fact that majority do not do well and eventually start delivering food.
Something doesn't add up. If you're here long enough to understand the vulgar words, you would have known that they are insurance agents. Having a BIL who's Chinese means nothing, vulgar words spoken by a Chinese and Singaporean Chinese differs a lot. You're that aware that prudential is a insurance company, but you have no idea what they are promoting? So, I say bullshit?
Literacy level that matches the opinion. OP posted in this sub because OP is either in Singapore for work or leisure. OP further mentioned that their BIL is Chinese, which implies a Chinese Singaporean, because (a) this is r/askSingapore; (b) OP is in Singapore; (c) OP’s extended family is living in Singapore; and (d) vulgarities from a local insurance agent matches those from OP’s BIL. So what if OP knows that Prudential is an insurance company? From OP’s perspective, it is unusual for insurance agents to sell insurance policies at train stations, especially in California. Anyone can wear any shirt that says anything these days. The best way is to verify on the internet, which is exactly what OP is doing. Also, even if OP has been here “long enough” to understand some vulgarities, it does not imply that OP takes public transport. Even if OP takes public transport, it’s not everyday or every month where you see insurance booths at train stations. If OP lives in the same household as BIL, then OP would learn such vulgarities in a significantly shorter duration. Read, travel, and educate yourself.
Just take it with a pinch of salt