Albert Wong, Senior Marketing Director, ERA Realty Network

our home

Dear Mr Albert Wong,

I wish to respond to your letter in the Forum, Straits Times dated Aug 7, 2010 (Sat) on Ms Nadia Abdul Muttalib's concerns with junk mails ie. litter being strewn and asked that those businesses be targetted for action.

My basic position is that any business should be allowed to exercise their marketing creativity in promoting their products and services as long as it does not impede into personal space and property without permission.

You said you got no choice but to deliver to our doorsteps as you have been shut out of our mailboxes. And that we should pity you for making you and your fellow "Professionals" to incur higher marketing expenses as a result. You said we should not hit your livelihoods (and others in related industries of producing/delivering those "litter") as you need to publicise the products that you are selling.

Excuse me, if every business think like you and assuming it is justified to do so, we would have mayhem in every part of Singapore when businesses promote their respective products and services in any which way possible.

To mitigate the problem of fliers being strewn all over, you suggested that home owners like us, attached a tray or box to our gates to collect these fliers. But should you not be asking us whether we want those "litter" in the first place. You are asking us to incur costs to facilitate your marketing practices. Perhaps you would want those who do not want any fliers, to place a big signboard at our doors. You have made our fault for not thinking of ways to make it convenient for you to do your business.

You have implicitly warned those staying near MRT stations and good schools that this "problem" will continue unabated (and possibly intensify) as demand is there and that those units command higher value (ie. more commission for him and his "professionals").

You said you have been using fliers all these years and (defiantly, in my opinion) stated that you will continue to do so with a bit of consolation to us ie. you will tell your contractors to place those fliers carefully at the gate or under the door where possible.

You have signed off the letter to the Forum as Senior Marketing Director of ERA Realty Network ie. this is the position of one of the largest property agency in Singapore.

I am really disappointed by you and your organisation position on this matter.

P/S - Please have a word with your corporate lawyer on whether you and your company have violated any law.