The company also gave me a menu of car loan packages offered by several banks from which to choose, which I did.

A staff member from the company submitted the loan application to the bank on my behalf.

Three days later, my car loan was approved and the bank informed me that I was entitled to a cash rebate of $5,607.

The rebate was one of the incentives linked to the successful application of the car loan.

However, I received only part of the rebate - $2,607. When I questioned the parallel importer, I was told that the bulk of the rebate, that is, $3,000, belonged to his company.

The $3,000 was the referral fee the importer received from the bank.

I am helpless because the bank releases all monies linked to the loan, including the cash rebate, to the parallel importer.

He then decides how much of the rebate I am entitled to.

The parallel importer claims that he is entitled to part of the cash rebate.

He said that the $3,000 he kept as a loan referral fee was the discount he gave to me on the price of the car.

However, this was not explained to me at the point of sale.

Be that as it may, I would like to ask if a parallel importer can legally draw a portion of the cash rebate entitled to a buyer from the bank for a loan which carries the buyer's name.

How can a cash rebate offered to a customer by a bank be taken by a seller?

Can the relevant banking and motor trading regulatory bodies explain why this is allowed, or should be?

Andrew Lee Kuan Sheng