PETALING JAYA: For many women, the pursuit of beauty means putting up with the ugly side of hard-sell pitches from beauticians who offer packages that run up to thousands of ringgit.
A common scenario involves the beautician inviting the prospective client into a tiny “consultation room” at the salon for a session that could last up to two hours in which she would highlight the value of the beauty package and the physical flaws seen in the woman.
“Most of my clients would buy the 30-session package. What is stopping you from getting it? We only offer these prices today,” said a beautician of a slimming salon during a visit by The Star.
The package that she offered cost at least RM20,000 but the beautician explained that it would just amount to a few hundred ringgit per month as the customer could opt to pay via a 36-month installment period.
If the customer says “no”, the beautician would then present other offers at reduced amount by a few thousand ringgit at each new proposal.
She said that many of her clients had seen good results with the beauty treatment offered.
One of the “techniques” used by these beauticians in their sales pitch is to highlight the flaws seen on the prospective client.
“You have a lot of cellulite. If you want to be slim and beautiful, start our sessions now to avoid regrets later. Most of our older clients need more sessions,” she said.
Many women have been lured to sign up after taking up a trial package which cost much less, sometimes just RM30.
Social media platforms are abound with stories of consumers parting with huge sums of money after encountering hard-sell pitches from salons.
Salesperson Carmen Lau, 35, shared her experience of her visit to a beauty salon for a free weight loss package trial.
She was given a 45-minute slimming massage while a staff member explained about products that were used and their effectiveness.
“After the massage, I was taken to a room where I was served tea. There, a beautician spoke to me about their weight loss packages,” she said.
“I was eager to lose weight. The woman assured me that if I sign up for the package, which combined massages and some machine-assisted treatment, I could achieve my weight loss goal.”
Eventually, Lau signed up for a RM8,000 package which she regretted later.
“Every time I went in for a session, the staff there would start promoting other products to me. It would be fat-burning cream one day, and another cream on another day.
“After each session, I’d end up spending a few hundred more ringgit.
“Even though I refused several times, I eventually gave in and purchased their products,” she said, berating herself for it.
Another person, who only wanted to be known as Tan, said she was coaxed into registering for 20 sessions of facial treatment costing RM8,888, which she paid for via credit card installment. She was given a free gift of product samples.
She had initially gone to the salon for a trial package that cost RM98.
When she got home later, Tan began to have doubts. She decided to cancel the package and sought a full refund.
Much to her dismay, she was denied a refund.
In fact, the beauty centre wanted to charge her for the free gift earlier.
Tan then filed a complaint to the Tribunal for Consumer Claims where she was awarded a refund two months later.
The tribunal ruled that the beauty package was a future services contract under the Consumer Protection Act which allowed for the unutilised amount under the contract to be refunded.
However, the Act also stipulated that there would be a deduction of 5% from the total cost of the contract.
