Beauty Salons Pushing Seniors to Buy Costly Packages

In Singapore, beauty salons are selling package deals to seniors in a way that is not fair.

A senior went to a salon for a $60 touch-up, but the staff gave her a $300 treatment without asking.

The salon then asked her to pay $300 to fix the other side of her eyebrows.

Another salon had a very strong sales pitch.

A senior was offered a 20% discount on a $2,888 package if she bought it on the spot.

Talking Point went undercover to 12 beauty salons and found that many used high-pressure sales tactics.

In most of the salons, the staff kept pushing packages even after the seniors said no.

Last year, people lost over $2.1 million because they paid for beauty services that were never given.

One woman, Sarah, lost almost $50,000 when a beauty spa closed down.

Sarah had bought many packages from the spa, but when it closed, she was left with nothing.

The spa had promised her special deals and VIP treatment, but it was all a lie.

When the spa closed, Sarah was offered $1,000 in credit at another spa, but it was not enough.

The Consumers Association of Singapore received over 2,000 complaints about the beauty industry last year.

Many of the complaints were about salons using high-pressure sales tactics and making false claims.

The number of beauty salons closing down has increased, and many new ones are opening in their place.

A hairdresser who used to sell packages said that salons often push customers to buy things they don't need.

The hairdresser said that salons use fear to sell packages, especially to older customers.

The hairdresser knew it was wrong, but he had to meet his sales targets or lose his job.

The beauty industry is very competitive, and salons need to make money quickly to survive.

There are no rules to stop anyone from opening a beauty salon, which makes it hard for good salons to compete.

Many salons use packages to get cash from customers, which they use to pay their bills.

Rent is very high for salons, so they need to make a lot of money to pay their rent.

Salons come up with attractive packages to get customers to buy them.

To customers, packages seem like a good deal, but to salons, they are a way to get upfront cash.

Sometimes, customers buy packages because they like their therapist, which makes it harder when things go wrong.

When things go wrong, customers often go to the Consumers Association of Singapore for help.

But some customers question whether the association can really help them.

The association is pushing the government to make prepayment insurance mandatory.

It is also asking for a cooling-off period for buying packages, so customers can change their minds.

But it's not easy to pass laws that help consumers, because businesses also have rights.

The association can collect feedback and help customers, but it can't punish businesses.

If necessary, the association can refer cases to the Competition and Consumer Commission, which has the power to act.

The commission will act against businesses that use unfair practices, but it can't help when businesses fail due to financial difficulties.

Customers are advised to do their research before buying packages, especially if they involve a lot of money.

The government has set up a panel to review consumer protection, and its recommendations are due soon.

Until then, customers should be careful when buying prepaid packages.

Here are some tips: wait 24 hours before committing, track your usage, and only buy what you need.

You can watch this episode of Talking Point to learn more.

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