In a shocking revelation, popular salon chain HairFun has confessed to employing deceptive sales tactics specifically targeting senior citizens, pressuring them into buying expensive and unneeded hair treatment packages.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) issued a damning report on Wednesday (June 4), exposing how the salons systematically exploited elderly customers by charging them exorbitant amounts for services they never requested.
Investigators uncovered that between May 2023 and July 2024, HairFun's three locations in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, Toa Payoh Central and Tampines Central lured seniors with cheap $4-$10 haircut offers only to upsell them unnecessary treatments through high-pressure sales tactics.
Disturbing Sales Tactics Revealed
The CCCS documented several alarming cases where elderly customers were blatantly misled. In one particularly egregious example:
A senior citizen visiting the Ang Mo Kio outlet for an $8 haircut was falsely diagnosed with "scalp hemorrhage" - without any medical examination or device scanning
Staff proceeded to apply products without consent while hiding payment amounts during PIN entry
The unsuspecting customer was charged nearly $1,000 for an unrequested hair wash and treatment package
A subsequent doctor's visit confirmed his scalp showed no abnormalities whatsoever
Crackdown on Predatory Practices
The investigation began in October 2024 after numerous complaints reached the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case). Shockingly, records show this wasn't HairFun's first offense - their previous incarnation "Scissor & Comb" had similar complaints from 2018-2022.
"We are deeply concerned about businesses preying on vulnerable elderly consumers," stated CCCS CEO Alvin Koh. "With our aging population, we must strengthen protections against such predatory practices."
Resolution Measures Implemented
Under pressure from authorities:
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