JHE v JHF
Key facts
| Court | Small Claims Tribunals |
|---|---|
| Decided | |
| Judge | Joel Tan |
| Charges / claim | Contract, Commercial Transactions |
Source: [2026] SGSCT 12, Small Claims Tribunals, decided — eLitigation. Updated .
Catchwords
Practice Areas
Judges (1)
Parties (2)
Case Significance
JHE v JHF [2026] SGSCT 12 is a Small Claims Tribunals matter (Claim No 19091 of 2025) decided by Tribunal Magistrate Joel Tan in an ex tempore judgment on 2 March 2026, raising a claim of unfair practice under section 6(1) of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 over a supplier charging a price substantially higher than its estimate for moving and relocation services scheduled for 25 September 2025. Following a site visit on 18 August 2025, the respondent's fee estimate dated 19 August 2025 totalled $2,458, comprising free packing materials (200 carton boxes, 20 rolls of tape, half a roll of bubble wrap, and one roll of newsprint) and $1,848 for moving services covering six loads by 14-foot truck, with additional charges of $218 per 0.5 load or $308 per 1.0 load for any load beyond that estimate.
Summary
The claimant engaged the respondent moving company for relocation services on the basis of a written fee estimate of $2,458, but was told on the day of the move that total charges would amount to $7,437; the claimant had earlier paid a $1,000 deposit described as both a "Carton Box Deposit" and a "Deposit for Reservation of Moving". The Tribunal Magistrate found that the respondent had engaged in an unfair practice under section 6(1) of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 by charging a price substantially higher than its estimate, and held that the $1,000 deposit was not unreasonable as earnest but was subject to a $5 charge for each of 200 boxes not returned. The respondent was ordered to pay the claimant $4,379 plus $30 in disbursements, a total of $4,409, by 16 March 2026.
What did the moving company's estimate in JHE v JHF [2026] SGSCT 12 include?
The estimate dated 19 August 2025 totalled $2,458 for the claimant's move scheduled on 25 September 2025, comprising free packing materials for 200 carton boxes plus $1,848 for six loads by 14-foot truck, with additional charges of $218 per 0.5 load or $308 per 1.0 load beyond that.
Referenced in
Legal concepts & references
Judgment
Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.
Read on eLitigationSource: eLitigation ([2026] SGSCT 12)