HONG KONG: Look out for deceptive sales tactics at beauty salons and slimming services! The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) has had several complaints involving amounts up to HK$70,000 in the past two weeks.

Lawmaker Starry Lee said well-known slimming centers proffered deals to prospective clients as spokespersons, as lures to get people to sign up for pricey programs.

The Consumer Council received 70 complaints about slimming centers in the first half of 2009, as compared to 147 last year. There were 672 reports concerning beauty salons in the first six months this year, while 1,154 in 2008.

The DAB also received some 30 complaints about slimming center recently.

One complainant Lee cited said she was trapped into paying more than HK$30,000 in a scam in which she was offered a role as a spokesperson.

According to the contract, she was required to lose a certain amount of weight over a specific period. If she succeeded her deposit would be refunded to her in stages, but only if she maintained the reduced weight.

Yet the company only offered her free treatment for a short time and asked her to pay more to continue the course.

"The staff said the refund would start one month after I signed the contract, but actually the contract stated that I get back money one month after completing the treatment," she said.

Lawmaker Lee noted that no single individual who complained to the DAB was able to obtain the promised refund.

She urged the government to regulate the services of the beauty industry by introducing a licensing system.

Lee suggested establishing a specific ordinance to protect consumers' rights to plug the loopholes that have arisen from the scattering of provisions at present. A cooling-off period should also be incorporated in contracts signed by customers, she said.

Nelson Ip Sai-hung, founding chairman of Federation of Beauty Industry (Hong Kong), said there should be a reasonable mechanism for introducing a cooling-off period.

"There must be cost in canceling a package, but why should the industry bear all? Customers also have responsibility in making decision," he said.

A spokesperson for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said the administration is examining how existing legislation can be strengthened to tackle unfair sales practices.

(HK Edition 07/31/2009 page1)