Hong Kong Customs have arrested a man and a saleslady of a Causeway Bay beauty parlour suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices.

It is alleged there was a misleading omission in the sale of beauty service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

Customs acted on a complaint that a saleslady of a beauty parlour, together with a man, misled and lured a consumer to procure a beauty service by hiding the commercial intent.

After investigating, Customs officers arrested a 23-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman. The investigation is ongoing and the arrested persons have been released on bail.

Under the TDO, any trader who engages in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, or fails to identify its commercial intent 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 HK$500,000 (US$64,000) and imprisonment for five years.