Do NOT use "Mrs Koo" - you have been warned!

Hi all,

yes its me again - let me just clarify - my thread was meant only to do one thing - to warn.

hey i've got the exact same problem. maybe with the same teacher too, as se does follow the description given so far.
She's a good teacher, and she understands that everybody has a different way of learning music.
however, i only learnt so much from her during the first lesson. she never showed up and after three weeks of excuses, we had to let her go.
we thought that it was really coincidental but that period of time was crucial for me so i moved on, however, its nice to know i'm not the only one.

cheers.

EDIT:
(everything here is my own thoughts :) THANK YOU VERY MUCH)

Haha, guys, after reading 29 pages of warnings and things like this (by the way, i think the number of people that have been through Mrs. Koo has exceeded 20, we just forgot to count them?) i think that she obviously hasn't learnt anything and apparently that news article wasn't enough.

Back when everything here was being debated (which is around november2009) apparently that's when we hired her for 1 month times 3 (me and my two brothers). which leads up to about $1500 or so. Anyways, she did return the money and we're still in the process of checking whether we really did get the money back or whether the cheque bounced. Will update here on the cheque.

Anyhow, after what countless people have said before me, i still think we should compile all of this, the people, the excuses and the amount of money not paid back to date, and send another report to the police. i believe that there are many people, like me, who have only seen this forum post today when we've been cheated months before (mine was december 2009. i still have her sms excuses). All we need to do, is make a list, which some people are doing but its not really well updated. just saying.

Also, considering that there are so many people that have been through her before in this forum alone, imagine all the other forums of people and worse off, people that don't even know about the forums. This would lead to a huge number of people and if the number is big enough, we can probably make a statement large enough so that people will actually know.

And anyways, she obviously hasn't changed. She claims she is trying to fix everything on November 2009 but mid December 2009 she's still going on. I personally won't be surprised if she's still going on about it.
I'm just saying bu the way, its my thoughts.


The many excuses she gave us would include that:
- She's shifting furniture in her house
- Her dad has fallen ill
- She is sick
- She hasn't recovered.

Apparently we're short tempered so we didn't wait long before terminating her contract.

Anybody want to contact me about further details please do, i'm ready to share about experiences and i pray nobody else gets into this.
Contact me through email at: eh.its.me.ah@hotmail.com
 
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Hi everyone, thanks alot for the warm welcome & for providing us with advice :) Its really nice speaking to all of you.

I have new updates to this case. And i am really shocked about it. I spoke to my friend again.. And i realised that Mrs Koo actually owed her $1378 in total!

I have mentioned previously that Mrs Koo gave my friend a postdated cheque that was short of a certain amount. I found out today that the amount that the cheque was short of was $378, while the cheque was a $1000 payment.

Now i think my friend can be considered one of the biggest victim of Mrs Koo.

First, the cheque was crossed & my friend banked it in today.

But after banking it in, this evening, Mrs Koo messaged her the following:

Mrs Koo: "Hi, the cheque will bounce, i told you already, i need to be paid first. I will bank in for you once i get paid. "

Mrs Koo: "Just give me a few days, i will bank the sum in. If you go to the authorities, i also cant come up with the cash now. Sorry"

She then texted my friend a third time, saying that she will transfer $50 to my friend tomorrow night. But what is the sum of $50 compared to $1378!?

Apart from reporting to the authorities (which we will do so), anyone has advice for alternative solutions? :(

My friend is really very upset about it :(
 
Woah. Return of the Koo.

I don't usually say this, but bring this up to the mass media. The New Paper would be a good place. They did run a small article on her once, but since there isn't any lessons learnt from it, report it to them. Its a good story for them and since you have to warn people about her, what other way that the media? >=D

Make a police report and see what they can do. I'm not sure what they can, but if they can do something, better get it done fast before she flees away
 
Make a police report? Again? Didn't some of the previous victims make police reports last year already? And this scamming incident also appeared in The New Paper. And so now, Mrs Koo is looking for fresh victims again!

It only can mean one thing.....our half-ass lame duck police is NOT doing anything about it. They probably say it's a "non-sizeable" offence, and like their more senior civil servant counterparts...decided to sweep the issue under the carpet and say "let's move on"! Or they assigned most of their manpower to Jack Neo's harassment case. :p
 
The police had not done anything not cause they were ineffective, but cause there was no grounds of scam, I had already disclosed my personal problems to the authorities and they had also verified my credentials. I had a good music education and never the intension to scam anyone.
There is no grounds for me to tell you my personal problems, but some of you are really too much.
I had never the intension of collecting fees and not turning up, and I had never the intension to get cash only. In fact, I had never even touched a single cent of any of these fees or any of my past hard earned money.
Every cent of it goes into my husband's pocket these past 3 years. He had lied to me again and again in every situations possible just to get cash. I got fired from the music school also cause of the same reason, in which I wasnt able to turn up consistently for lessons cause of my husband's problems. I had to prioritise private classes then instead of turning up for the school's music classes in order to collect cash from my private students as his situations are urgent always. And I had so much trust for him, I had taken on hundreds of thousands of loans for him with my own name. I had never seen it as a problem coming as I was earning tens of thousands monthly teaching piano.
But things got really bad when he kept pressed me for money to go into business with his friends. My husband does not have a good background, so I thought this was the best thing for him, to have his own career and a new start in life. But I had really never thought of getting cash only, or scamming only and not turning up for classes. If I had, I will not asked for digital payment, and would have collected cash straight. Or neither will I go for 6 out of 16 classes etc. I could have just collected cash on 1st meeting and not even turn up for anything, or prepare student's materials.
Things got very bad, cause the very first condition of me taking on loans for him was that he will pay it himself when his business breaks even, to which he keeps assuring me. But he had been going out to work and not bringing back any cash at all. And I had to start pay for all these loans till I do not even have a single cent with me to go teach or fulfil my duties. That is why my lessons have been very inconsistent.
And months back, I only came to realise that everything has been a complete lie. He has been pretending to go work and there was no such business at all. Not only is my teaching and reputation greatly affected, but I have to shoulder all the bad debts which he left me with. And till today he is still not paying a single cent. All the loans, my hard earned money and all these fees, all goes into his pocket only, and I am the one paying for all of these now.
And when I cam to realise all this has been a lie, I just came to a mental stop. I just didnt feel like doing anything. How will you feel if you were me?
It was really never my intension to scam anybody anything. ALl I did was try to work very very hard. But I am left with even not enough transport fees to go for lessons weekly when me myself is pressed for all these debts.
I have refunded almost all students. You can check one by one with all the students who lodged a complain here or with the police. I am left with a few more students to do the refunds still.
So please, just leave me alone so that I may move on with life.
I had never once NOT admitted that it was not my fault in not able to turn up for lessons consistently. But I never intended for this to happen, how would I have realised that in choosing to believe my own husband will lead to my situation today? so please, leave me alone.
 
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mrs koo here

The police had not done anything not cause they were ineffective, but cause there was no grounds of scam, I had already disclosed my personal problems to the authorities and they had also verified my credentials. I had a good music education and never the intension to scam anyone.
There is no grounds for me to tell you my personal problems, but some of you are really too much.
I had never the intension of collecting fees and not turning up, and I had never the intension to get cash only. In fact, I had never even touched a single cent of any of these fees or any of my past hard earned money.
Every cent of it goes into my husband's pocket these past 3 years. He had lied to me again and again in every situations possible just to get cash. I got fired from the music school also cause of the same reason, in which I wasnt able to turn up consistently for lessons cause of my husband's problems. I had to prioritise private classes then instead of turning up for the school's music classes in order to collect cash from my private students as his situations are urgent always. And I had so much trust for him, I had taken on hundreds of thousands of loans for him with my own name. I had never seen it as a problem coming as I was earning tens of thousands monthly teaching piano.
But things got really bad when he kept pressed me for money to go into business with his friends. My husband does not have a good background, so I thought this was the best thing for him, to have his own career and a new start in life. But I had really never thought of getting cash only, or scamming only and not turning up for classes. If I had, I will not asked for digital payment, and would have collected cash straight. Or neither will I go for 6 out of 16 classes etc. I could have just collected cash on 1st meeting and not even turn up for anything, or prepare student's materials.
Things got very bad, cause the very first condition of me taking on loans for him was that he will pay it himself when his business breaks even, to which he keeps assuring me. But he had been going out to work and not bringing back any cash at all. And I had to start pay for all these loans till I do not even have a single cent with me to go teach or fulfil my duties. That is why my lessons have been very inconsistent.
And months back, I only came to realise that everything has been a complete lie. He has been pretending to go work and there was no such business at all. Not only is my teaching and reputation greatly affected, but I have to shoulder all the bad debts which he left me with. And till today he is still not paying a single cent. All the loans, my hard earned money and all these fees, all goes into his pocket only, and I am the one paying for all of these now.
And when I cam to realise all this has been a lie, I just came to a mental stop. I just didnt feel like doing anything. How will you feel if you were me?
It was really never my intension to scam anybody anything. ALl I did was try to work very very hard. But I am left with even not enough transport fees to go for lessons weekly when me myself is pressed for all these debts.
I have refunded almost all students. You can check one by one with all the students who lodged a complain here or with the police. I am left with a few more students to do the refunds still.
So please, just leave me alone so that I may move on with life.
I had never once NOT admitted that it was not my fault in not able to turn up for lessons consistently. But I never intended for this to happen, how would I have realised that in choosing to believe my own husband will lead to my situation today? so please, leave me alone.
 
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Mrs Koo , we (or at least I) appreciate your side of the coin. much of your personal laundry has been aired here but hey, whatever that gets you your closure. My suggestion? slowly refund all that you owe, get a proper job. divorce your useless husband or at least say no to him and his so called ventures. ask him to get a real job as well.
 
Right now, I just wish to quickly refund the remaining and move on. As for job wise, I am a music major, my accademic credential is only an o levels. What kind of jobs can I hold? And I had actually submitted job aplications for school admins to which I didn't even manage to get, all thanks to the reporter who made me seemed so bad a person. I had pleaded with him not to published the article as it is entirely not what he thinks, and that I have a need to protect my loved ones as well. I had actually read through all the comments every now and then but kept quiet, cause I feel no matter what there is a need to shield my husband still.
But some of you are really too much, really. I could have understood if people were really concerned about the interest of the students, but most of you just made crap comments. And I had people emailing me to harass me, scolding me all sorts of vulgarities.
How will you feel if you were me? When you are already trying so hard to overcome such a difficult point in life?
I feel that Singaporeans sometimes really have nothing better to do, they just go around being mean and destroying other people's lives. Sorry.
 
mrs koo , i'm a PSLE cert only guy and I hold a day office job and 3 freelance jobs + married man. and I know a number of divorced women in their 50s at your certification (but with decent experience) at my day job , get new jobs and holding a decent $1.5-2K office admin pay to tide over harsh times. if you pick the side to shield your husband's unsuccessful ventures, it's this day and age women power to seize control of your current life or allow the merciless society to feast on your depression. or in the mean time refrain from overtaking more students than you can take up. because pointing fingers saying "other ppl are too much" are just as much as they pointing fingers at you for your unreliability "too much" . people never asked for this in the first place, you started it cos of your own personal problems.

in the mean time as I'm on a neutral stand, I'm being "naive" to believe on what you say in case what you say is true, not that it makes a difference cos i'm not your student. so good luck and hold on to your beliefs , hope you find closure to this.
 
mrs koo, chill, u know sometimes when shit happens, just u know sit down thing about how it all happen, get to the root of the problem try to solve it. U know a lot of thinking involved. Well at least thats for me when there's a problem I usually think back at the start and see if it was solvable.
 
I feel no matter wat, those students are at no fault at all and no one knows your side of the story (let's take it as if its real.) and of cos they will demand their money back. I believe apart of solving your problems now, there are so many ways of handling your problems before taking in anymore students in the beginning. Im sure you are aware that its will be a snowball effect if you take in more and more students. YOU indeed lie again and again and again, even in this forum in the beginning, still claiming and explaining that your husband sick, father passed away and so on. I'm sorry im not trying at all to be mean but i really kinda pity those students, im on neutral stand but how can anyone of us trust your story again? I dun really wanna get involve la but as a full time musician and i teach too, i feel the market is kinda quite ruin by you, esp the piano teaching market. I think the only way to 'solve' these student prob, not ur own prob, is to clarify. Maybe try to get many or better still, all of your students that got ur refund and side you as there dun seem to be alot of them as claim by u. There's even an increase of students being your 'victim' so recently.

Dont blame the reporter if you cant get the job. U indeed went MIA and there are really so many of your students looking high and low for u. You can jolly well appear, at least answer phone or reply sms. Im sure things will not turn out this way. Will you appear if those student of yours did nothing? Im think you wont. Will u come up and clarify now if this thread is active again suddenly? Im think u wont too.

About your own issue, i believe you will need to be strong. There's nothing anyone can tell u in this forum as i feel we are in no positioin in doing this. You take care.
 
One thing I believe is so true in life is - Look before you jump. Apparently Mrs Koo, you jumped, without looking.

And Singaporeans being Singaporeans, you can tell any sad story you want, people will sympathise with you for 5 minutes or so, then demand for their money back. End of the day, time is money and money is money.

Don't blame the reporter. Sure, he may have something else to report on, like.... how cigarette prices have gone up, or how my recent DVD purchase from HK is due to arrive anytime now. But remember, just as taking students' money feeds you (or your husband), that's how much your story meant to that reporter as well. It's his rice bowl. If anything, I personally think the reporter did a great job as before that report, the only ones who knew about your case were the ones who frequent SOFT. If not for the report, many more might have paid up without getting any lessons.

Sorry, but that's just the way it is.
 
After doing& airing one's laundry, it's best to fold 'em neatly& put 'em away.

You pleaded with the journo not to publish the article but did you relate your side - as in what you wrote here - to the writer? Maybe back then you couldn't for emotional etc reasons but you would've prbably thought about the article& felt you've been dealt an unfair hand, you could have sought out another journo perhaps to tell your side of the debacle or even go back to the same writer.

Yea I can understand from your perspective, you were in probably, quite an emotional turmoil so you probably couldn't think straight. Best way now is to refund all those who've paid up, work out a timeframe in regards to the refund.

You're a music major& if the incident had marred your reputation& cracked your rice bowl then face the music. Either you give your laundry a thorough washing i.e. approach the same writer or move on. If your side of the story is the actual truth you have nothing to lose by sharing it with the same paper because at this moment you've pretty much lost a lot.

The only way is up now& apart from using better fabric conditioner, maybe you should drop the Khoo from your nick, if that is your hubby's surname.

Rome wasn't built in a day but an entire civilization can be snuffed out in a nano second.

Good luck.
 
Mrs Koo, we appreciate your side of the story. However, at the same time, it would have helped if you had explained your side of the story from the very beginning. It also does not help that people have come out with very contradictory stories of what you told them as well.

What I suggest now is to just finish paying off all the bad debts that you have accumilated. Once you have cleared those debts, then perhaps you can start looking for a couple of new students. Knowing Singaporeans, they would have forgotten most of that hoo-haa all the same.

Lastly, you should have told the reporter your side of the story. It would at least help and people will udnerstand.

Till then, good luck
 
Thank you Mrs Khoo for boldly speaking up and the clarification made here on your genuine personal issues you are facing now, and I am very sure that everyone here had now come to understand and do sympathizes with what you are going through now.

It’s sad to hear that…but be strong and you have to do what is deemed right.

I have a Cousin who faces the same issue as you about 10 years back…she cut off all her Hubby Credit Cards and everything, and the Hubby came crawling back asking for firgiveness….but seriously she knows – he just wanted her $$$$ that’s all…so you just have to put a stop to all this here…
 
I would like to bring this matter up once again.
Apparently, Mrs Koo has not been learning from her lessons. ……..

For goodness sake, HOW OLD IS SHE ALREADY? Making up stupid excuses and cheating my friend of her money? Guess what? She owed my friend close to $400! (updates: actually $1378). And the thing is, we are students. My friend has to do part-time work to pay for her music tuition.
I have new updates to this case. And i am really shocked about it. I spoke to my friend again.. And i realised that Mrs Koo actually owed her $1378 in total!
Your friend is great, hope some piano teachers can offer some helps to your friend.... (crash course or cheaper fee..?)
Sad to know Mrs Koo still the same.
She is 28.

hey i've got the exact same problem. maybe with the same teacher too, ……..

And anyways, she obviously hasn't changed. She claims she is trying to fix everything on November 2009 but mid December 2009 she's still going on. I personally won't be surprised if she's still going on about it.

The many excuses she gave us would include that:
- She's shifting furniture in her house
- Her dad has fallen ill
- She is sick
- She hasn't recovered.


Anybody want to contact me about further details please do, i'm ready to share about experiences and i pray nobody else gets into this.
Contact me through email at: eh.its.me.ah@hotmail.com
Same excuses, same old trick....

mrs koo , i'm a PSLE cert only guy and I hold a day office job and 3 freelance jobs + married man. and I know a number of divorced women in their 50s at your certification (but with decent experience) at my day job , get new jobs and holding a decent $1.5-2K office admin pay to tide over harsh times.
You are very kind. From the way she done (repeatedly), I think she cannot change. If she choose the easier way to get money, then she cannot do that kind of jobs u mentioned..... I guess, she wants the easy money...
If a person don know shame, she is difficult to be enlightened.

I feel no matter wat, those students are at no fault at all and no one knows your side of the story (let's take it as if its real.) and of cos they will demand their money back.
YOU indeed lie again and again and again, even in this forum in the beginning, still claiming and explaining that your husband sick, father passed away and so on.
There's even an increase of students being your 'victim' so recently.

Dont blame the reporter if you cant get the job.
About your own issue, i believe you will need to be strong. There's nothing anyone can tell u in this forum as i feel we are in no positioin in doing this. You take care.
You are very kind. From the way she done (repeatedly), I think she cannot change.

Don't blame the reporter. ………. If anything, I personally think the reporter did a great job as before that report, the only ones who knew about your case were the ones who frequent SOFT. If not for the report, many more might have paid up without getting any lessons.
You are very kind. Yes, u r right.
Mrs Koo say the reporter spoilt her business la….. ha ha….

Yea I can understand from your perspective, you were in probably, quite an emotional turmoil so you probably couldn't think straight. Best way now is to refund all those who've paid up, work out a timeframe in regards to the refund.
You are very kind. . You ask her to plan a time frame? haha.... I ever told her, may be she plan a new course to get more students... May be her focus is not to refund, but to repeat collecting new lessons fee...... haha

It’s sad to hear that….

I have a Cousin who faces the same issue as you…
You are very kind to give her advice. If she can change, this thread will not be hot again.......
 
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