Beauty salons push costly packages on seniors, undercover probe reveals

An undercover investigation by CNA's Talking Point has exposed aggressive sales tactics employed by some beauty salons in Singapore, particularly targeting senior citizens. The operation found that salons frequently ignored customers' refusals, pushed expensive package upgrades, and used age-related pressure to secure sales. In one instance, a senior customer, after repeatedly declining an upgrade for a S$60 eyebrow touch-up, had the more expensive "celebrity eyebrow" treatment applied to one side of her face. She was then pressured to pay an additional S$300 to match the other side.

At another salon, a sales pitch for a S$2,888 package included a 20 percent discount for holders of a Merdeka or Pioneer Generation card. When the senior customer hesitated, staff remarked, "When do you want to decide? You're already 70," employing age as a lever to hasten her decision. These tactics were observed across 12 salons in Singapore's heartlands, often starting with seemingly innocuous offers like free samples or compliments before escalating to intense pressure.

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When do you want to decide? You're already 70.

The consequences of these high-pressure sales are significant. Consumers lost over S$2.1 million last year on prepaid beauty services that were never delivered, the highest prepayment loss recorded across any industry in Singapore. One woman, identified as Sarah, lost nearly S$50,000 from prepaid packages purchased from Royal Secrets Wellness, a beauty spa that abruptly closed on February 28 after nearly 30 years in business. Customers were left with only a notice on Facebook.

Sarah's case highlights the vulnerability of consumers. She was offered S$1,000 in goodwill credit at another spa, an amount she found insufficient. After pursuing the case through the Small Claims Tribunals, the spa was ordered to reimburse S$20,000, but Sarah has not yet received the payment. Her situation is not unique; the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received 2,113 complaints against the beauty industry last year, indicating a pervasive problem with upfront payments for services.

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That's definitely not enough.