MisterMint Vs Shukey

We all know Mistermint and Shukey, where you deposit your shoes or keys for repair / duplication, while you shop for a while, then collect back on your way to the car.

Heres a real-life account from me.

Went to Mistermint to duplicate a key. An important one that opens to a drawer where I keep all my goldbars..., my pistol, some pornographic Dvds, my CIA agent identification card, and my Swiss bank account Id and password. xD

It was a Friday, and I was at Simei Eastpoint having lunch with my colleagues. So I hopped by the MISTERMINT counter and have this key duplicated. $4.00

Went home and tried... can go in, but cannot turn. Basket. I wun go back to Eastpoint intentionally just to settle a $4.00 case.

Next Friday, was at East point for lunch again, head to the counter and ask the uncle to re-grind the key for me again. Went home and tried. Again, cannot.

NExt Friday, was at East Point for lunch again, headed to the counter and demanded a refund. Uncle says whether I kept the reciept. (=_=) I asked him back, "Will you keep the reciept for a $4.00 key and EXPECT it to NOT work!?" So uncles digs from his rubbish bin for a similar receipt for me. Then search around for the refund-form. Cannot find. He says he ran out of the form and passed me a dirty piece of card for me to write down my particulars. Says will help me fill up the form and submit to his company once the forms gets replenished again.

He still dare to ask me that the refund will be in "cheque", ask me whether can anot? Need 2 weeks to process.

($4.00 Cheque? $4.00 only and you want your company to go by cheque and all the administrative stuff? Fine~)
Okay, cheque is okay with me. 2 weeks I can wait (its $4.00 anyways).

And so, after I went to HK and back, and after another week, it was FRIDAY again and I was at Simei Eastpoint for lunch~ headed to the counter again. Uncles sheepishly says he just submitted the form "last" week, so I have to wait for another week. Fine~

NEXT Friday, I was at Simei Eastpoint again, I walked up to the counter and sternly look at him, without a word. He immediately dig into his pocket and handed me my $4.00 in cash, then ask me to remember to return him the key. I took the notes, smiled, and leave. My colleagues, who were waiting at a distance, thought I was collecting protection fees. Haa~~

Return the key? Hmm, you think I care?! Such a simple stuff and it took me over a month to chase down, when he only need to just pass me back the $4.00. Wah Kaoz!

I finally went to Shukey at Tampines Mall (not an intentional trip) and got this key duplicated at just $1.80. YES, $1.80!!! instead of the bloody $4.00!!!

And you know what? Mistermint used their own in-house brand (that could explain why the key didn't work), while Shukey used the exact key-brand.

Anyways, I was at Eastpoint again today. Took mum grocery shopping. Okay, since the Mistermint key is still with me, I returned it and closed the case.

No more Mistermint for me. Banned.