It seems like there is a way.

Someone in Singapore has managed to get his S$49 oBike deposit back.

Details of how that can be done was shared by one individual in a Facebook group called "Refund My oBike Deposit".

What happened?

According to the post, the former oBike user emailed his bank, UOB, and requested a chargeback for his oBike deposit, even though it was paid more than one year ago.

A chargeback is essentially a demand by a credit-card provider for a merchant or retailer to make good the loss on a fraudulent or disputed transaction.

As proof, he uploaded a photo of the letter UOB sent him informing him about the refunded amount.

The catch is that the refund might be reversed if oBike disputes it within a period of time, usually 30 to 90 days.

How he did it

It is likely the person managed to get his refund as he had submitted sufficient documents proving his case.

He wrote in the post's caption:

UOB came through for me even though I made the deposit more than 1 year ago. I emailed UOB ([email protected]) telling them that I wish to request a chargeback for my oBike deposit. Around 2 weeks later, I received a call from UOB asking me to send them additional information. 1 week later, they sent me this letter informing me that they have refunded the amount to my card (unless oBike decides to dispute it).

These are the steps he recommended, in a comment to the post:

1. Email oBike ([email protected]) formally asking for a refund. I did it a few days after oBike closed down. I received an automated reply from oBike and nothing else. But this is important as you will need this black and white proof that you asked for a refund. 2. Wait 30 days from the email to oBike. This is because oBike promises on their website to refund within 30 days. After 30 days, they will have lapsed on their promise. 3. After 30 days, email UOB or your bank stating: "I would like to request for a charge back for the deposit of $49 I made to oBike Singapore on , , with my UOB ending in . oBike was shut down abruptly earlier this year and have yet to process the refund of the deposit after multiple requests. The SPF is also currently investigating the company for misappropriation of funds." The more information you are able to provide, the better your chances. I took a screenshot of the oBike trip details screen back then. Scroll all the way down and you can find the date and time you made the deposit. But all the trip details on the app seems to have been deleted already. So you will have to find back your old card statements (can try asking your bank to retrieve old card statements if you can remember the month). 4. Wait for UOB to call you back. They will ask you a few questions and request for you to email them additional documents. I sent them the email I sent to oBike and a screenshot of the app "My Deposit" page showing the $49 deposit. 5. Now sit back and wait for good news!

If you feel this is worth the hassle to get your S$49 back, with a 50-50 chance of it not working out, by all means, try.

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Top photo via Alan Levine

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