Allegations of poor service and aggressive upselling have plagued the hair industry, with some customers being charged excessive prices for services they did not agree to.
In June, the HairFun chain of salons admitted to unfair trade practices targeting elderly clients. Salons had offered free or cheap haircuts, then misled seniors into buying expensive services and packages.
In one case, an elderly man who went in for an S$8 haircut was charged nearly S$1,000 for a treatment package he had not consented to. HairFun has since pledged to end such practices, cooperate with CASE to resolve complaints and provide a five-day cooling-off period for refunds on prepaid packages.
CUSTOMERS SHARE BAD EXPERIENCES
Some consumers have taken to social media to share their experiences with hair salons.
Mr Bernard Wang, 33, a travel influencer on YouTube, posted a short video describing a decline in service standard at a salon after he bought a 12-session package for about S$250.
During his first visit, where he had a haircut and a wash for S$25, “service was perfect”.
“They served tea, gave head and shoulders massage despite running on full house on weekends,” said Mr Wang, who also does trading and web design.
But from his third visit, the staff started taking him into a room for “free scalp scanning” to show him that his scalp was inflamed or peeling and tried to sell him a special shampoo.
Mr Wang said: “I said I have shampoo at home and (the hairstylist) replied, rolled (his) eyes … ‘Who does not have shampoo at home?’ ”
“I didn’t complain or make a big scene as you don’t want them to act rashly and cut off your hair out of rage.”
In his subsequent visits, the staff tried to sell him more products, and he declined each time.
“They didn’t like me and stopped giving me the (relaxing) massages for my subsequent visits. They just massage me as if I am already dead, like two minutes’ massage instead of the usual five minutes.”
He endured the remaining sessions but no longer buys salon packages.
Another customer, Mr Yeo Z G, 41, also took to Facebook to complain about a hair salon which gave his 70-year-old mother an uneven haircut and poor attitude after she refused to sign up for a membership or pay for extra services.
She was asked if she wanted a wash as her hair was “dirty”, and was later treated coldly by the hairdresser after declining. She went home to discover that her haircut was uneven.
“We didn’t take action on the salon. Mainly because it’s not a big loss,” said Mr Yeo, adding that his mother paid only S$10 for the haircut.
He believes regulation could provide a formal avenue for feedback and accountability.
_0.png?itok=XAF_LRQs "Rail Corridor manhunt: Four foreigners accused of possessing housebreaking tools taken to areas where they were spotted")
