Over 50 S'pore users left to deal with faulty digital locks, reports filed with police & Case

More than 50 users of a brand of digital locks for homes in Singapore have been facing issues with their devices, such as facing problems syncing them with the app and operating them remotely.

They have since made police reports after they were unable to contact the local distributor for the products.

These customers then learned that their smart locks were apparently remotely disabled due to a dispute between the distributor and manufacturer, Shin Min Daily News reported.

One of them complained that their smart lock are now no different from a dumb analog one.

Customers affected

One user, surnamed Du, complained to Shin Min about the issue.

Du had spent S$1,500 to buy the smart lock from Technex International Pte Ltd in February 2025, and the installation was done in March.

When she reported to the company that the smart lock could not be connected to the app and the lock cannot be opened remotely, the company claimed initially it was a system update.

But when issues were not resolved by mid-July, Du could no longer contact the company.

Change in distributor

Du found that there was a new distributor, Ascend Hardware, for the digital lock products.

It was reported that a purported dispute between the previous distributor and manufacturer resulted in the manufacturer disabling remote usability of the digital locks of buyers.

The serial numbers of the affected products were apparently removed or "deleted".

This resulted in the digital locks being unable to connect to the mobile app.

"The smart lock has become an ordinary door lock without any smart functions. We have no choice but to buy a new one," said Du.

Du also said it was very unfair for customers to be affected by this situation and hoped for service recovery.

Group chat with affected customers

Shin Min reported that Du formed a group chat with other affected customers to share updates of the situation.

The group chat, which has 15 members, includes customers who paid up, but did not receive their digital locks.

Money owed

A spokesperson from the Chinese manufacturer involved told Shin Min that it had inked a five-year contract with Technex International in Singapore.

The spokesperson added that shipment of products to Singapore occurred after a bank statement was provided on Dec. 24, 2024 showing a payment of 1.55 million yuan (S$278,300).

But the Chinese manufacturer later discovered that the payment was reversed and it could not contact the person-in-charge.

The spokesperson said it had even sent people to Singapore in April and June, but were unable to find the proprietor of Technex International.

During this period, the manufacturer apparently received 300,000 yuan (around S$53,900).

To date, Technex International allegedly still owed the manufacturer 1.25 million yuan (around S$224,400).

The spokesperson said it was unable to contact the Singapore firm since May 28, and finally reported the matter to the police in Singapore.

A lawyer's letter was also sent.

As no other payments for the goods were received, the Chinese manufacturer imposed restrictions on the goods.

The Chinese spokesperson added: "We understand that some distributors are buying these products from Technex International at low prices and then reselling them. We hope that distributors will be more vigilant."

Local distributor missing

Technex International's office was located in Ubi.

According to Shin Min, reporters who visited the premises found that the space empty.

There was also a notice on the door stating that the unit has been locked due to unpaid rent of S$21,732.

What affected customers can do

According to Shin Min, Lin, who oversees Ascend Hardware, said the previous distributor ceased providing after-sales service in June.

Ascend Hardware has been the new distributor for about one-and-a-half months.

After taking over as the new distributor in mid-July, Ascend Hardware has received over 50 complaints, including missing deliveries and app issues.

His company is helping to troubleshoot and is stepping in to help affected users of the digital locks.

He said: “For those who paid in full but haven’t received the installation of products, we’ll cover 50 per cent of the cost. For partial deposits, we’ll still try to help.”

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said it received six complaints against Technex International since January 2025 regarding defects, as well as its uncontactable staff and poor service.

The association's president Melvin Yong advised consumers to check warranty terms carefully and verify service providers before making their purchase.

Consumers may contact Case at 62775100 or reach them at their website.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News