Latest news with #CCCS
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘No more fun' for HairFun: Hair salon chain admits luring elderly with cheap haircuts, then pressuring them into costly treatment packages
Photo: Facebook/Melvin Yong SINGAPORE: Hair salon chain HairFun has admitted to luring elderly customers with cheap haircuts and then pressuring them into costly treatment packages they didn't ask for. Now exposed, commenters quipped it's 'no more fun' now, while others questioned, 'Why do local salons like to use this kind of tactic?' In October last year, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) launched an investigation after receiving multiple complaints from the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) regarding the sales tactics employed by HairFun employees. Surprise visits to three HairFun outlets later revealed that staff had been targeting elderly customers with free or low-cost haircut offers, priced between S$4 and S$10, only to mislead them into buying unnecessary and expensive treatment packages. In one case, an elderly man got an S$8 haircut at the Ang Mo Kio outlet but was told by a HairFun employee that his scalp was 'haemorrhaging' midway through the haircut. The staff then applied a powder to wash his hair and later charged him nearly S$1,000 for treatments and a 10-session hair treatment package he never agreed to. The elderly customer only realised he was deceived when his doctor confirmed there was no haemorrhaging in his head. See also Man finds dead rat in mutton soup from well-known stall In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jun 4), CCCS said that HairFun directors Mr Roland Teo Jian Hao and Mdm Chiong Hong Hioh have admitted to engaging in unfair trade practices. The salon chain and its directors also committed to stopping all unfair trade practices, cooperating with CASE to resolve complaints, and offering a five-day cooling-off period for customers to cancel and get a refund on any prepaid packages. They also agreed to refund affected customers. So far, HairFun companies have refunded nearly S$12,500 to customers, mostly elderly residents living in the neighbourhood. Still, some online questioned whether the move was enough. One commenter asked, 'What? No jail?' Another pointed out, 'They are repeat offenders with a new company name doing the same unethical things. How can a refund be enough?' /TISG Read also: Singaporeans cancel Netflix subscriptions after price hike of up to S$4 monthly
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
HairFun admits to unfair trade practices in Singapore; elderly customers pressured into expensive treatments
SINGAPORE, June 4 — Hair salon chain HairFun has admitted to using unfair trade practices targeting elderly customers and has agreed to cease such conduct, refund affected individuals, and implement consumer protection measures, authorities said. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) launched investigations into HairFun following complaints received by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) about aggressive and misleading sales tactics, according to a report published in Channel News Asia today. Unannounced visits to three HairFun outlets in October 2024 revealed that from May 2023 to July 2024, the salons lured elderly customers with offers of low-cost haircuts, then pressured them into paying for expensive treatment packages they did not request. In one case, an elderly man visited the Ang Mo Kio outlet for an S$8 (RM26) haircut but was falsely told he had scalp haemorrhaging. He was then charged nearly S$1,000 for a hair wash and 10-session treatment package he had not consented to. The customer only discovered the deception after a doctor confirmed there was nothing wrong with his scalp. CCCS also found that the same salons previously operated under the name Scissor & Comb, against which similar complaints were lodged between 2018 and 2022. HairFun Beauty Pte Ltd, HairFun Pte Ltd, and their directors, Roland Teo Jian Hao and Chiong Hong Hioh, have admitted to the unfair practices and committed to ceasing such actions. They also agreed to a five-day cooling-off period for package purchases and have cooperated with CASE to refund nearly all affected consumers, amounting to about S$12,500. CCCS chief executive Mr Alvin Koh stressed the importance of protecting elderly consumers and urged businesses to ensure clarity and consent in all transactions. CASE president Melvin Yong welcomed the outcome and said the organisation will continue working with CCCS to hold unethical businesses accountable.
New Paper
3 days ago
- Business
- New Paper
When an $8 hair salon visit cost $1k: Chain admits to unfair trade practices targeting the elderly
An elderly consumer visited a hair salon in Ang Mo Kio for an $8 haircut but ended up paying nearly $1,000 for a hair wash and a 10-session hair treatment package, both of which he had not agreed to purchase. The incident took place at a hair salon operating under the HairFun brand, which has since promised to stop engaging in unfair trade practices and to refund affected consumers. Halfway through his haircut, the elderly customer was shown images on a monitor screen, which an employee claimed showed haemorrhaging on his scalp. However, no device had been used to scan the consumer's head. Without the customer's consent, the employee washed his hair with a powder. The customer was later instructed to enter his personal identification number into the point-of-sale device, while the employee concealed the total payment amount. The elderly customer later consulted a doctor, who confirmed that his head and scalp were normal and showed no signs of haemorrhaging. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, which disclosed the details of the case on June 4, did not state when the incident took place. In its statement, it said it began investigations after receiving multiple consumer complaints concerning the sales tactics adopted by HairFun employees. It then made unannounced visits to three branches of HairFun salon in October 2024 - Hairfun Beauty in Ang Mo Kio, Hairfun in Tampines, and Scissors & Comb in Toa Payoh Central. The authority found that the first two outlets had targeted elderly consumers by offering free or low-cost haircuts between May 2023 and July 2024. HairFun customers, particularly the elderly, were misled about their need for treatment packages, and were charged for expensive services and packages that they had not asked for, the investigations revealed. The HairFun companies have since agreed to refund all affected consumers. An example of the monitor and scalp scanner used by Hairfun Beauty in this photo taken on Oct 2, 2024. PHOTO: CCCS As part of the undertaking given to CCCS, the HairFun companies and their directors Roland Teo Jian Hao and Chiong Hong Hioh also pledged to stop all unfair trade practices, cooperate with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) to resolve all complaints relating to unfair trade practices and provide a five-day cooling period for customers to cancel and get a refund for any pre-paid packages. "Close to $12,500 were recovered and returned to the affected consumers, many of whom are elderly residents living in the neighbourhood of the hair salon," Case president Melvin Yong said in a Facebook post on June 4. CCCS advised members of the public to not feel obliged to pay for goods or services that they did not ask for. It urged the public to learn more about the services and prices they will be paying before making payment. The price list of services provided at Hairfun Beauty, which included a free haircut for those aged above 55 years old. PHOTO: CCCS Its chief executive Alvin Koh also called on businesses to be more responsible when dealing with vulnerable consumers such as the elderly. "CCCS is concerned about elderly consumers being targeted and misled by errant businesses to pay for services that they did not agree to purchase. In dealing with vulnerable consumers, which may include the elderly, businesses must exercise extra care and check that they fully understand and agree to what they are buying, including the price, before they complete the sale," he said. He added that CCCS would step up efforts to educate and equip seniors with knowledge so as to better protect them. Members of the public can call to report cases of unfair trade practices by businesses at 6277-5100, or visit the online portal at
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
HairFun admits to unfair trade practices in Singapore; elderly customers pressured into expensive treatments
SINGAPORE, June 4 — Hair salon chain HairFun has admitted to using unfair trade practices targeting elderly customers and has agreed to cease such conduct, refund affected individuals, and implement consumer protection measures, authorities said. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) launched investigations into HairFun following complaints received by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) about aggressive and misleading sales tactics, according to a report published in Channel News Asia today. Unannounced visits to three HairFun outlets in October 2024 revealed that from May 2023 to July 2024, the salons lured elderly customers with offers of low-cost haircuts, then pressured them into paying for expensive treatment packages they did not request. In one case, an elderly man visited the Ang Mo Kio outlet for an S$8 (RM26) haircut but was falsely told he had scalp haemorrhaging. He was then charged nearly S$1,000 for a hair wash and 10-session treatment package he had not consented to. The customer only discovered the deception after a doctor confirmed there was nothing wrong with his scalp. CCCS also found that the same salons previously operated under the name Scissor & Comb, against which similar complaints were lodged between 2018 and 2022. HairFun Beauty Pte Ltd, HairFun Pte Ltd, and their directors, Roland Teo Jian Hao and Chiong Hong Hioh, have admitted to the unfair practices and committed to ceasing such actions. They also agreed to a five-day cooling-off period for package purchases and have cooperated with CASE to refund nearly all affected consumers, amounting to about S$12,500. CCCS chief executive Mr Alvin Koh stressed the importance of protecting elderly consumers and urged businesses to ensure clarity and consent in all transactions. CASE president Melvin Yong welcomed the outcome and said the organisation will continue working with CCCS to hold unethical businesses accountable.
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Salon chain HairFun admits to unfair practices targeting elderly customers
SINGAPORE: Hair salons operating under the HairFun brand have admitted to engaging in unfair trade practices targeting elderly consumers, and have agreed to refund affected customers and stop such conduct, Singapore's consumer watchdog said on Wednesday (Jun 4). The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) launched investigations after the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received complaints about the sales tactics by HairFun employees. After conducting unannounced visits at three HairFun outlets in October 2024, CCCS said that it found that Hairfun Beauty Pte Ltd and Hairfun Pte Ltd, between May 2023 and July 2024, had targeted elderly consumers by offering free or low-cost haircuts ranging from S$4 (US$3) to S$10. CCCS also found through its investigations that the HairFun companies had misled elderly customers about the necessity of treatment packages and charged them expensive services and packages that they had not asked for. In one instance, an elderly customer visited a HairFun outlet in Ang Mo Kio for an S$8 haircut. A HairFun employee then showed the customer images on a monitor, claiming the images showed "haemorrhaging on the elderly consumer's scalp" despite no device having been used to scan the customer's head. Without the customer's consent, the employee proceeded to use a powder to wash the customer's hair. When the customer wanted to make the payment, the employee hid the payment amount and told the customer to enter their PIN into the payment device. The customer was charged nearly S$1,000 and told that he had a hair wash and a 10-session hair treatment package, both of which he had not consented to purchasing. CCCS said the customer only discovered he had been misled after consulting a doctor who confirmed that his head and scalp were normal and showed no signs of haemorrhaging. "As part of the undertaking given to CCCS, the HairFun companies and their directors, Mr Roland Teo Jian Hao and Mdm Chiong Hong Hioh, have admitted to engaging in unfair trade practices," said CCCS. They have promised to "stop all unfair trade practices, cooperate with CASE to resolve all complaints relating to unfair trade practices and provide a five-day cooling period for customs to cancel and get a refund for any prepaid packages", CCCS added. The hair salon chain has also agreed to refund all affected consumers and has, to date, completed almost all of the refunds. The refunded amount totalled approximately S$12,500. "CCCS is concerned about elderly consumers being targeted and misled by errant businesses to pay for services that they did not agree to purchase," said the Singapore consumer watchdog's CEO, Mr Alvin Koh. "In dealing with vulnerable consumers, which may include the elderly, businesses must exercise extra care and check that they fully understand and agree to what they are buying, including the price, before they complete the sale. "In view of Singapore's ageing population, CCCS will step up our community outreach to better educate and equip our seniors with knowledge so as to better protect them." CCCS advises businesses to recommend and provide goods and services that genuinely meet consumers' needs and should never resort to misleading consumers or using undue pressure sales tactics. Customers should also not feel obliged to pay for goods or services that they did not ask for, CCCS added.
