Hong Kong Customs today (June 9) arrested a female former director of a beauty parlour suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices involving misleading omission in the sale of beauty services, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Customs earlier received information alleging that a beauty parlour in Mong Kok, in the course of selling a beauty treatment performed by a specific device, was suspected of failing to provide material information to a consumer that the beauty parlour would stop being equipped with the specific device to perform the beauty treatment, misleading the consumer to procure the beauty service.
After investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 38-year-old woman.
Investigation is ongoing and the arrested woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.
Under the TDO, any trader who engages in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides material information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, June 9, 2022