Hong Kong Customs has arrested the female owner of a beauty parlour suspected of adopting unfair trade practice by misleading omission in the sale of beauty service.
Customs alleges the woman contravened the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Officials had earlier received complaint from a member of the public alleging the salesperson of a beauty parlour at Tsim Sha Tsui hid the information that the beauty parlour would terminate business and sell business to another beauty parlour, misleading consumers to procure its beauty service.  After initial investigation, Customs officers yesterday arrested a 28-year-old woman.  Investigation is ongoing and the arrested woman has been put on police bail.
Customs reminded traders to comply with the statutory requirements to avoid violating the TDO, and warned consumers to “shop with prudence and procure service at reputable shops”.
Under the TDO, a trader who engages in relation to a consumer 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 that the consumer would not have made otherwise, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
“Customs will continue to crack down on unfair trade practices for protection of consumer rights,” an official said in a statement.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs by calling the 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.