What will you do in this case?

 

This is a semi-rant plus ... I don't know why I am even sharing this.

Disclaimer: I am not 100% sure, but at least 80% sure.

What happened was, I went to a Community Center with a food court inside. There, I bought some mini munchi. I was told the waiting time is 15-20minutes. I give the guy a $10 note. He passed me this buzzer thingy and the receipt. I don't remember receiving money from him. (Like I said, I'm only 80% sure, not 100%).

But the price is not whole number so if I have received coins, I would know. 

Anyways, I dumbly went back without receiving change and waited till the buzzer rang. I went and took the munchi, this time the cashier is a lady and the guy is nowhere to be seen. I walked back to my seat and that's when I realised I didn't get any change.

Obviously, I went back to ask the cashier with the receipt to ask about the change. It's still the lady who is at the counter, the guy still nowhere to be seen. I told her about my situation and she said she didn't know. So I told her it's a guy who served me.

She went to the kitchen to ask the guy who told her, he already changed me (And that's what the receipt says). I didn't know how to prove myself and like I said, I am only 80% sure. I looked around briefly and I don't seem to see any camera around. So I just left. One of the reason I left is also because I am not good at talking and fighting for my rights. 

I told my mother about it when I got back to my seat and she said I should have fight for it even if I'm just 80% sure. They could have thought I was trying to cheat them of the change. And on my side, I do still feel a bit cheated for I still don't think I have received any change. 

But how can I prove myself if he insisted that he have given me my change? I don't remember how much cash I have in my pouch. This is the pouch I use for Grab, so there are a lot of $2 notes and coins inside. The only thing I am certain is that I have 1 $10 note lesser. And I don't remember receiving any coins.

Which temp/casual job platform is better?

 

I have my fair share of using Apps (platforms) for temp/one day jobs like Jobs on Demand (JOD) and EL Connect.

And I can't help but compare them. And like always, these are personal experience and I could be biased. 

I also want to make it very clear that I haven't gotten any jobs from EL Connect so I cannot tell you if they pay or the rumours about them "deducting money without good reason" is true.

Anyways, I am going to compare them over a few categories, so let's go!

Job varieties

I think JOD have much more varieties of jobs when compared to EL Connect. 

I did a quick search on both Apps just now and I saw that JOD have jobs ranging from waitress/service crews to cashiers to sales assistance and cleaners. They have a lot more "partners" (or clients as they call) (like Fairprice, McDonald's , IMH ...etc)

EL Connect seems to consist more of cleaning, banquets and parcel packing/sorting jobs. 

Loyalty Programs and Penalties

Both platforms have rules and regulations and also some sort of "loyalty system". 

For EL Connect, there are Lucky Draws, Monthly Incentives and Referral Fees.

EL Connect Monthly Incentives are as follows:

JOD doesn't seems to have Lucky Draws but does have Referral programs whereby both the referrer and the person who joined will get $10 each. JOD have a point system whereby you can earn points and exchange them for vouchers.

There is also a Member tier bonus - Gold members earn the most points per working hours than Silver or Bronze members. For example: Gold member earns 7 points for every hour worked while Bronze members only earn 2 points.

They also have ongoing campaigns/challenges for you to earn and extra incentives. For example they have a FHC challenge whereby if you completed 10 FHC required jobs within the specific periods, they will received a $200 incentives.

  

As for penalties, JOD doesn't seems to have any "fines" for last minute cancellation but one without a valid reason will of course affect your trustworthiness and if too often, result in suspension of your account!

For EL Connect, there is a "fine" of $30 for last minute cancellation for the first time and $80 there after.

There is no definition of "last minute" on their app, so I am not sure how last minute is last minute. 

Acceptance Rate and Cancellations

Well, for this part, I can be a little biased because I didn't get to work on EL Connect at all. You see they are very frustrating to work with.

1) I have applied for at least 6 jobs on their app. Out of which, I was selected for 3 of them. And then why did I not worked any of these jobs?

Cancellation and by "the Employer"!

And the cancellation can be quite last minute. Like the day before. The most frustrating thing is you won't get a notification on the app itself, you need to check in the app to see if the job still appears under the Scheduled job page OR check your email! Which mean if you're NOT checking your app or email constantly, you might end up with a wasted trip!

2) I have applied for one job at least 8 days in advance, and still I got cancelled last minute. And note that I didn't have any bad records on their app because I simply haven't work with them yet. So I do not think it's of "bad conduct" or "low rating"!.

3) For the last job, the job was cancelled because Employer "change to Wednesday". I was speechless, it feels like to me that the employer doesn't know which days they need extra manpower.  

I didn't try again anymore because I feel it's quite a waste of time. 

For JOD, I didn't get selected for a lot of time (especially after I got rated 3 stars for a job I really didn't get enough training for). But when I did get selected, I never got cancelled at all. So I know that once I am selected, I can start preparing for the job because cancellation are very rare.

But do know that competition on JOD is higher in my opinion.

Payment

This will be very biased because it will be one sided. But I do want to say that JOD pays directly to your bank account after deducting the Insurance fee.

Everything is stated clearly on their job card - how much per hour, how much gross pay you'll get and how much insurance will be deducted. Then that amount will be credited fully to your bank account within 48 hours (usually)! I have always gotten my pay the next day so far.

For EL Connect, I think there is also some insurance fees but those are not stated on the job card itself. If memory serves me correctly, it was only stated in the page when you're awarded the job. Your pay is credited to your Wallets (in the APP) and  there is a minimum amount to cash-out which is $30 and a $0.50 fees.

These are the information I gathered from the site itself and my own experience. 

If you ask me which platform do I prefer, I think it's pretty obvious. I won't say EL Connect is a bad platform, I know they do pay their users (from the reviews I read) but many are also frustrated by their operations and lack of varieties in their jobs.

If you ask me, I definitely trust JOD much more.

I got scammed.

Yes, I got scammed.

I thought I will never get scammed. Because I have been "swimming around" with these kinda "Job scams" for quite a few times. Really kia dio ho, mai gey kiang!

The difference is that, I never pay for anything in the previous encounters.

"Upgraded" Scam

Anyways, this is an "upgraded scam", hidden in more layers.

In the previous scams, it's just 1-2 layers. You get contacted, setup an account on a website and then you do 10-20 "jobs" and for the first time, you're able to complete the 10-20 tasks and you get paid. For the next 10-20 tasks, you can't complete it at all due to "Wah! MegaTask!" or "Congrats! Bonus Task!"

They will then ask you to top up to continue.

In this "upgraded scam". They will add you to a group and you can complete tasks daily and can even skip those task whereby you have to pay. The sequence is usually like this:

6 tasks as a set, Complete 1 set to get paid. 

Out of the 6 tasks, there will be 1 paid task. It usually start small, asking for $1-3 only. You can also skip if you don't want to pay. After you completed 6 tasks (even if you skipped any tasks, you get paid).

So the thing is simple, IF you can really fight the temptation to paid to "earn" more money, you can end up walking away without being scammed.

Emotional Temptations

But the thing is that, they will add you to a group with many "others"(I believe more than half of them are scammers too!). These "others" appears to be "unknowing users" who are skeptical and will ask questions that you would have too. Then the moderators will give assuring answers.

The amount are usually very small, ranging from $1-10 initially. Until the 2nd day, you started getting "bigger tasks" than required more money, like a minimum of 60-80. You can of course also top up more and get more money back. (But we all know now, that it's get scammed of more money!)

These tasks usually appears after you have earned about 2/3 the amount. Like for me, I have earned about $30+ when I started encountering these "bigger tasks".

I ignored it at first, but I started seeing "users" who were initially skeptical, starting paying and then getting paid (with Paynow transfer as payment proves)

These "bigger tasks" will come every round. So even if I skipped the "bigger task" for my current set, I will be faced with another one for the next set. And the receptionist (who is in charge of paying me) will seems to be very understanding, using words like "never mind, you observe first. Don't invest if you're uncomfortable!"

You know, the feeling of a "friend".

Eventually, everyone else are joining in and some of them even "bought" the higher amount packages like $288,$588 and one even paid 1K!!

I must admit, I was tempted and the receptionist assuring me that I can earn back the amount via the "normal" tasks makes it even more tempting! 

I finally gave in to my temptation and paid the lowest amount, $65 via Paynow. I was promises that I would get $80 back! 

Same Old Bottomline Scheme

After making the payment, I was added to my "Master" (Pui! You stupid scammer!) and his group!

There I was asked to create an account on a website ... blah blah.

Honestly, it was here that I know that my money will probably gone down the drain!

But I went on. Probably because I was in some kind of denial.

I went ahead and completed 20 tasks on the website, thinking that I will at least be paid once but nope, I was told the merchant task is set of 2 and that I need to pay to continue.

I can't get paid unless I completed 2 sets and there is no refund! I also cannot continue with my "normal" tasks contradicting to what the receptionist have told me.

I went into the group to ask about it and was surprised that everyone think it's normal for them to be telling you that there is a 2nd payment after the first! Some even told me to continue and get "paid double"!

My receptionist stopped being as nice as previously. She started repeating what others have said and urging me to make payment in order to not " waste your first payment!" She even hinted that they won't gain much from scamming $65!

But I know, that if I make the 2nd payment, they will ask for a 3rd and eventually I will just feel more and more 不甘心 because I will be losing more money!

I stopped.

Well, I hope my experience will help anyone out there to be careful about these type of scams. They're ever evolving, with more layers to disguise their schemes. You can try to earn some quick bucks from them if you want but then always remember to exit once they ask for money, especially if you're easily tempted like me!

BSP-D3 Telescopic Bluetooth Controller

 

My iPega 9167 controller broke down recently. They right side (A,B,X,Y) totally didn't work. I tear it down and tried to see if the ribbon cable connecting both sides have loosen. But it seems to be tightly in place. And after teardown the controller, it looks like shit because the screws are hidden under very sticky and thick stickers. 

Anyways, unless I want to get a new ribbon cable to try if it works, the controller is unusable. And it'll be ugly even if I managed to fix it. 

I decided that it will be easier to just get another controller. A cheap one that is not too shabby. I searched around and found the BSP-B3 controller to be the cheapest I can find.

It's almost half the price of the iPega 9167, @SG$17. (The iPega would have cost $34-36 on the same website). 

The D3 came in a simple box with a manual and a Type-C charging cable. 

The body is made of plastic and feels light and a little cheap. Honestly, when I first picked it up, it feels like a toy.

At the first glance, you should be able to notice that there is no Dpad. And that if the controller is not turned on, the buttons indicator aren't visible. 

I do like the indicator for the mode it's currently in (Android/IOS MFI/PC C-input/Switch ...etc), I think that is a good touch.(1,2,3 at the top)

However, the buttons are kinda clicky and a little small. They aren't as good to press when compared to the iPega 9167. They tend to give less "feedback" (the springy feel of the buttons after you release the buttons) and are sometimes noisier. (Especially the "Start" and "Select" buttons)

The shoulders button are soft and I don't really like the almost non-existing feedback. 

The controller comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and 500mAh battery, which can easily last more than 8 hours of gaming. 

It can stretched to a maximum of 173mm, which should fit most smartphones. However, if you have a thick case, you might have some problem trying to fit it in. My Samsung A14 with a slightly thick case, could barely fit in. 

The 'cut out' to accommodate the protruding cameras at the back of the phone is a very nice touch. 

I have gamed for awhile on the controller and I can say that it's pretty decent. There is not much latency and I could play fighting games like Teken without much problem. The only thing is that, I feel certain games works better with a Dpad. Or maybe I am just so used to using a Dpad that I just can't get used to this layout of direction buttons.

I ended up using the thumb sticks more that the direction buttons. The thumb sticks are OK-ish, definitely less deadzone than the iPega 9167, even after expanded it's the thumb stick plate.

Overall, I feel the D3 is a decent budget telescopic controller. If you have slightly more budget or wants a Dpad, I suggest looking at the D6 or D7.

Samsung A14 LTE After 3 months

 

Ok, I know I just have the phone for slightly more than 2 months, but let's just round up, ok?

Anyways, this will just be a quick update on how I feel about the phone. To give you some context, I have been using the phone daily for communication, social media and middle-heavy gaming. I got into Clash of Clans again and have 5 accounts in 2 separate clans. That's lots of wars and CNY event tasks to keep track of.

Honestly, the phone works ok for gaming but then I still got frustrated by the phone a lot. The connectivity is really not great. Like it's very slow to switch from Wifi to LTE and vice versa. 

There are a few occasions when I left home when I was watching a YouTube video halfway, when I got to the bus stop, the video couldn't resume playing at all. And I have to reload the video. There are a few times wherebu the YouTube app just freezes when the connection got lost. 

It could be due to the heat, because I have kept the phone in my pocket while walking down to the bus stop, but connectivity is at its worst when the phone starts to get hot.

As for battery wise, I have to charge the phone at least once a day. Battery drains really fast when you game or stream videos. I feel it drains faster than my Poco X3 Pro which is draining fast because I set Live wallpapers for both lock and home screen. I didn't have Live wallpapers on this Samsung phone.

The phone is very prone to short freezes and stutters, especially when opening apps or when waking up the phone from it's sleep.

My final verdict about the phone is just good for very basic usage. Definitely not suitable for GrabFood because the battery probably won't last. The problematic connectivity can make you frustrated when you're streaming videos.

Seems like GrabFood is getting much worst!

 

I have recently turned on my Grab driver app during the New Year period because I was told that the incentives are good.

I must say, the incentives (additional $2 or $3 per order completed) are really good. However, I also realised that the base fare for the orders are TERRIBLE!

Although Grab said that they have revamped their fare system to become fairer by taking into account the distance riders have to travel to pick up the order ... I feel they did that to cutdown the fare. I have started GrabFood as a walker in 2019, I have seen the fare for 1km delivery dropped from $4.40 (or $4.50) to $4.10 now. I have also seen incentives reduced from $20 for 15 orders to $15 and then now to $13. This is the rate for the weekend quest, weekdays quest is reduced even more.

Grab have covered it up very well by making the Quests into daily quest. The Quests (Weekday and Weekend) used to be a 5 days and 2 days quest however, Grab made it a daily quest now.

It used to be you just need to complete 25 orders during Monday to Friday to get your reward, You can do it in whatever way you want - doing 5 daily or rushing the last 2 days to complete all 25 orders, it's up to you. However, it's into a daily quest now. So you have to complete a fixed amount of orders daily to get the reward - it's 6 for somedays and 8 for others)

What I am most disappointed is by "revamping the fare system to become fairer", Grab still sending riders to ridiculously far pickups but then not paying them for that! I have received a few orders (which I cancelled) that asked me to pick up orders from a merchant more than 1.6km away but paying me only $4.10 because the customer location is only 1km away from the merchant. Honestly, I don't see them taking into account the distance I have to travel to pick up the order.

But I guess Grab is just looking to make profit now and if it continue this way, riders/deliver partners' benefits and earnings will continued to be sacrificed. It's no wonder delivery riders are working longer hours now.

Scam can be on legit job websites too!

 

I was mass applying for PT jobs on jobs app and sites like Talent.com and Fastjobs when I got contacted by a scammer.

He said he received my job application and asked if it's ok to brief me a little about the job. I must say, I thought he is a real deal because he typed in pretty good English (unlike those in mandarin or translated from mandarin)

So I actually agreed to it. He send me a long explanation about what they're doing - a company doing marketing and promoting their clients' mobile apps. (Which I think sounds so damn familiar)

Then it was the usual - signup for an account then do some clicking (So called "reviews") then "YAY, a bonus!" and then "Oh no, your credits is negative! Let's topup!"

After which, I was made to logout of his account and into my own account and the story repeats. Only this time round, he wanted me to topup on my own!

Of course I didn't want to! I decided to troll him into topping up for me but he was smart even to use "company policy" to reject. Soon, after a few exchanges, we kinda got into an "argument" because he was obviously frustrated that I wasn't going to topup. 

We ended it there but I managed to get a few details out from him. 

His name is Roy, his mobile number is in the photo above and the bank account and paynow account. Also the website is snappymob-user-work.com. (it's made to look like snappymob, a legit Malaysian company)

Anyways, nowadays, the scammers even managed to get their ways into legit job hunting sites. We just have to be extra careful into giving our details and money! No legit jobs requires you to pay to earn money!