'Cooling-off Plan Won't Deter Rogue Beauty Salons'

The Federation of Beauty Industry warned on Sunday that a proposed cooling-off period for contracts people sign with parlours and gyms will not address concerns over unscrupulous sales tactics, but will merely damage trade.

Putting forward the proposal last week, the Consumer Council said customers of the beauty and fitness industries, as well as those buying time-shares, should be given at least seven days to pull out if they change their minds. The council also said customers should get their money back within 14 days.

But the federation's founding chairman, Nelson Ip, said the move would lead to a heavy financial burden on small beauty parlours.

"Seventy-four percent of beauty salons in Hong Kong only have 1-4 members of staff. They are micro-businesses. They don't have an admin team to deal with such cases," Ip said, adding that another problem for beauty centres would be paying administrative charges levied by banks.

The council had said that numerous complaints in recent years showed an urgent need to step up the protection of consumer rights. But at RTHK's City Forum on Sunday, Ip said regulation was a better way to stamp out unscrupulous sales practices.

Also at the forum, the Democratic Party's Ramon Yuen said a cooling-off period was indeed the best way to protect consumers.

"This can actually regulate their behaviour and protect the consumers as well as the merchants themselves, especially the ones who don't do any fraud, misrepresentation or an aggressive approach," Yuen said.

The government has said it is plans to submit a draft bill to Legco on the proposal later this year.