Singapore singer Shawn Tok recounts forced-shopping ordeal on Chengdu family trip

SINGAPORE: What was meant to be a family holiday in Chengdu became a harrowing ordeal for Singapore singer and Campus Superstar alumnus Shawn Tok, who said he and 22 other travellers were trapped in an aggressive forced-shopping tour with no way out.

Tok, 31, recounted the experience on Instagram Stories, saying the nine-day guided tour quickly turned into a high-pressure sales operation.

According to him, the tour guide repeatedly herded the group into jade, silver, comb and herbal shops, refusing to let anyone leave until sales quotas were met.

Those who resisted were allegedly shouted at or singled out for poor treatment.

By the third day alone, the group had already spent about US$14,700 (¥105,000) — yet Tok said the guide insisted the amount was “not enough.”

Travellers were then pushed to buy more items, including beef jerky costing around US$20 (¥150) per pack.

Forced shopping, verbal abuse and sleep deprivation

Tok said the guide also made everyone haul their own luggage, causing difficulties for children and elderly travellers.

On a six-hour bus ride, the group discussed contingency plans, with some considering quitting the tour entirely.

Seeking help from the tour agency brought no relief.

Tok said they were told: “We don’t care. You can vomit on the bus.”

The guide also allegedly prohibited anyone from sleeping during rides, forcing them to listen to aggressive sales pitches.

Sixteen of the 23 travellers asked for a break to avoid the repeated 5:30am wake-up calls — but instead of accommodating them, the agency reportedly threatened to cancel the entire tour.

Illegal shopping stops and calls for help

Reviewing the tour contract, Tok found no clause requiring mandatory purchases. Under Chinese law, unlisted shopping stops are illegal.

The group sought help via Xiaohongshu and followed netizens’ advice to report the incident to the police and the consumer complaint hotline.

Although the tour agency initially denied all allegations, authorities stepped in — and the agency was ultimately made to refund the full amount for all coerced purchases.

Tok praises swift Chinese enforcement

Tok urged travellers to report similar incidents immediately, sharing that officials told them: “Call 12315 or report directly at the shop — even without a local number, borrow a phone.”

“We received full refunds within 24 hours,” he added, praising ongoing efforts by Chinese authorities to reform the tourism sector and eliminate low-cost, forced-shopping tours.

Tok rose to fame after winning Campus Superstar Season 2 in 2007.

He later joined Mediacorp, appearing in dramas such as Seven Days and Stranded before shifting his focus to music. He has released two albums — Travel with Time (2011) and Chapter 22 (2016).

He most recently appeared in a November 2024 episode of On The Red Dot, where he travelled to the Philippines to surprise his former domestic helper.