Hong Kong customs arrests 2 over allegedly coercive sales tactics at beauty chain Opatra London

Hong Kong customs have arrested two employees of the skincare chain Opatra London in connection with alleged coercive sales tactics. The arrested individuals include the administrative manager of Opatra London Hong Kong and the finance manager for its local operations.

Authorities suspect the chain violated the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by employing aggressive sales methods to pressure customers into buying goods or services they did not want. The Customs and Excise Department reported receiving six complaints related to the brand, which reportedly targeted middle-aged and elderly shoppers. Some victims were allegedly pressured into purchases exceeding HK$100,000.

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Opatra London’s Hong Kong locations are suspected of violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by deploying coercive sales approaches aimed at pressuring customers into paying for goods or services that they did not want.

These arrests follow an incident earlier in August where a 58-year-old woman reportedly paid over HK$60,000 for items she did not want at the Sha Tin branch. A video of the distressed woman crying outside the store circulated widely online. A former employee also claimed the company trained staff to lure customers with compliments before obtaining their credit card details.

Opatra London's UK headquarters has stated that its Hong Kong branches are operated by a local distribution partner and are not directly managed by the London head office. The company operates four locations in Hong Kong. Customs is urging anyone who experienced aggressive sales tactics from Opatra London to file an official report, and further arrests have not been ruled out.

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Victims reported being pressured into making purchases of up to HK$100,000.