SINGAPORE: A man issued a warning on the popular COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page after his mum had been charged what he felt was an exorbitant amount at a hair salon. After she told him about her bill charges, he was so upset that he went to the salon to confront its staff.
Mr Justin Tan wrote, “BEWARE OF THIS HAIR SALON SHOP!!” on COMPLAINT SINGAPORE on Monday (Dec 4), when his mum had gone to K Salon on Bangkit Road to get her hair done. Last month, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) issued a warning against the same salon for unfair practices.
Mr Tan wrote that his mother had been told that the price for hair dye services was S$125 when she went to the salon. He added that the manager had carried out a “hard sell” of the package worth $250 to his mum, reassuring her that the remaining amount could be used for other services, including a haircut, in the future.
However, after the staff finished Mr Tan’s mother’s hair, she was told she needed to pay an additional S$271. “The hair stylist then told her that the fee is to bleach the hair for 3x. Which is $99 x 3… bleach 3x??” he explained.
After his mum paid, she called her son. When he heard what happened, he went to the salon and confronted the staff, who appeared to have backed down somewhat and refunded her S$100 “after some argument.” But Mr Tan added that when his mum counted the money handed to her in S$10 notes, she only received S$90.
“$521 for Hair Dye Service????,” he wrote, adding, “PLS SHARE TO CREATE AWARENESS AND DO NOT ENGAGE ANY SERVICES FROM THEM. JUST BY NAMING YOUR SALON IN KOREAN WORD DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHTS TO OVERCHARGE CUSTOMER. Futhermore it’s located in a Market area.”
Mr Tan told The Independent Singapore that he wanted to create public awareness, given that many older people live in the area.
CCCS had warned the salon last month after it had demanded payment from a customer for unsolicited hair service packages and unsolicited hairstyling and hair washing services.
Some initial prices quoted to a customer were just S$2 or S$3 for a haircut and S$99 for a haircut and wash. However, a customer who was told about the S$99 price for a haircut and wash was eventually charged S$772. The salon also charged S$35 for unsolicited hair washing and scalp scanning services after the customer had been told that a haircut would cost S$2 or S$3.
“Consumers are not obliged to pay for unsolicited services. Consumers should be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true and should confirm the prices of services before they are performed to avoid subsequent disputes. Consumers who encounter unfair practices can approach CASE (the Consumers Association of Singapore) for assistance,” the agency said.
Read also: Salon charges customer S$772 for S$99 hairdressing package; CCCS issues warning /TISG