Data Register, previously known as Company Register, is a Singapore company that had sent thousands of letters and emails in October and November 2013 to other companies asking to verify details with it or risk being deleted from the "Singaporean Company Register" database.

They looked like this:

This caused a mass confusion for business owners in Singapore, who wrongly assumed Data Register is a government-linked entity.

This is because the letter and email sent out did not contain Data Register's own business registration number to identify that it was a commercial entity — as stipulated by law — but even carried official-looking letterheads and claimed that companies that did not register with them will have their information deleted from the "Singaporean Company Register database".

Demand for payment

Adding to the confusion was Data Register's demand for a S$490 annual subscription fee. This resulted in a lot of companies paying up as they felt compelled and obliged to register.

On Nov. 19, 2013, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) had to issue an alert against “Singapore Company Register”, saying it has no links whatsoever to that company and was investigating the matter.

In total, ACRA had within the span of a few months received over 2,000 queries from the public in relation to the emails and letters that companies had received from Data Register, it said in a statement shared with Mothership.sg.

Subsequently, a total of 1,104 charges were brought against Data Register under the Companies Act for failing to display its company name and registration number in its letters. These charges are now before the State Courts, ACRA added.

But is ACRA able to do anything about Data Register's blatant profiteering?

After the initial hoo-ha and backlash, which has died down more than two years since making headlines, Data Register is now finally allowing subscribers who unwittingly signed up for their services to terminate their accounts.

The company has informed ACRA that it will write to all the businesses that had subscribed to its services after receiving the letters sent in 2013.

But here's the catch

However, Data Register will only allow subscribers to terminate their account via its website or visit their office in Ubi Techpark during a 10-working day period from Feb. 29 to March 11, and only at selected times between 9am and 12pm, and between 2pm and 5pm.

Worse, refunds will only be given to subscribers who have not used the services offered by the company.

Worst, those who did not pay, but were previously told that they have to pay outstanding subscription fees, still have to obtain a waiver on the existing obligation.

This simply means that subscribers who have unwittingly somehow used the company's services will then not be able to get any refund of the subscription fees paid — which means this gives Data Register reason to not make full refunds, which then means their modus operandi is successful as they are still profiteering from this.

Besides, how many businesses can make the necessary waivers/demand for refunds within the 10-working-day period?

According to ACRA's statement, Data Register said that this will be its final offer.

The audacity.

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