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Emily Hung

Jess Ma

More consumers in Hong Kong have come forward to allege aggressive sales tactics across the beauty sector, including credit card abuse, unwanted physical contact and pressure to buy costly products, on the back of a crackdown on the local operations of a UK-based brand.
Legal experts warned that such practices could breach the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, which prohibits harassment, coercion and misleading conduct used to pressure consumers into making purchases they otherwise would not have made.
Non-consensual physical contact could also trigger additional criminal liability, they added.
Following the arrest of two managers at the Hong Kong operator of UK-based beauty chain Opatra London over coercive sales practices, its company secretary resigned, while customs officers continue investigating six customer complaints involving disputed sums between HK$1,800 (US$230) and HK$100,000.
Customs said that the number of complaints had risen to 25 as of Thursday and an investigation was under way.
Opatra’s headquarters in the United Kingdom said on Friday that it and the Hong Kong distributor had agreed to suspend operations.
The brand’s four Hong Kong branches – two in Sha Tin, one in Yuen Long and one in Causeway Bay – have suspended operations since the controversy flared up about a week ago.
Now, more victims have detailed alleged aggressive sales tactics they have encountered while shopping for beauty products.
For 22-year-old university student John*, it took just a few seconds to be dragged into what he described as a “beauty trap” on the busy Hankow Road in Tsim Sha Tsui in May.
Outside a Lionesse shop, John said he was approached by a saleswoman who handed him a “free sample”.
He said the woman told him he had “dark eye circles” before applying an unidentified skincare product directly to his face. Concerned about a possible skin reaction and caught off guard by the ambush, John said he agreed to enter the shop.
Once he was seated, John said staff applied another liquid, claiming it was a HK$1,560 deep cleanser. They then showed him the “dirt” removed from his skin in a mirror in an attempt to persuade him to buy the product, he said.
John said he was then hurried into signing an electronic form, with the signature box enlarged to the point that he could not read the contract terms, including a “no refunds” clause.
Instead of handing over the product, the saleswoman then directed him to a free facial and bombarded him with questions about his age and employment status, along with two other staff members, John said.
Under pressure, he agreed to purchase a HK$30,000 annual facial package, but explicitly requested an instalment plan capped at HK$2,500 a month due to his credit card limit, he said.
John alleged that one of the salesmen took his card and made multiple attempts to process transactions exceeding HK$2,500.
Bank records showed five unsuccessful attempts, he said, for HK$30,000, HK$8,440, HK$5,000, HK$7,500 and, finally, HK$2,500. He said the bank immediately blocked the card because of the suspicious activity.
He said he ultimately paid HK$2,500 via PayMe to a merchant named “Vertex Innovations Limited” so he could leave the shop.
When he sought a refund through the Consumer Council, Lionesse’s management denied allegations of high-pressure sales practices, arguing that the open shop environment meant he could have “left immediately”, John said.
The company said the failed transaction records reflected standard authorisation procedures between the bank system and the merchant terminal and did not constitute improper sales practices. It declined to provide a refund, instead offering to exchange products of the same value.
In response to queries from the South China Morning Post, Apex Retail, which manages Lionesse in Hong Kong, declined to comment on individual allegations or circumstances that did not involve identifiable customer matters.
Recalling the experience, John said: “I’m just a student. The incident put immense psychological pressure on me and forced me to waste a lot of time organising bank records, payment details and relevant documents to file a complaint.”
He added: “I never intended to get involved in beauty services, but this experience made me realise how dark and manipulative beauty sales could be.”
He is now seeking a chargeback of HK$4,060 from the bank.
Company registration records show the directors of Apex are Ozel Barnos, Eli Vaknin, Sagi Vardi, Yogev Itzhak Vardi and Yinon Avraham Vardi.
The company website, which has become inaccessible, said it started as an Israeli family business and now had about a dozen shops in the city, under the brands of Earth, Napara, Privilege Boutique, Avinichi, Dualsonic and more.
Another firm to come under scrutiny was The Mineral Boutique, a brand under Beauty Express Group that has at least five branches in major shopping centres.
A 42-year-old clerk surnamed Wong alleged that similar tactics were used when a saleswoman applied a product directly onto her skin without permission at the Log-on shop in Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong, in June.
Wong said the saleswoman claimed the product could only be removed using a specialised device inside the counter area.
Once inside, Wong alleged, staff repeatedly grabbed her hand when she tried to pull away and cornered her while attempting to sell her high-value products, alongside a store manager.
Wong said that when she tried to leave, the saleswoman replied: “What is there left to think about? You’ve already seen the results.”
Wong said the remark prompted her to leave immediately and then file a formal complaint with City’super, the parent company of Log-on.
In a response to Wong, City’super said it had investigated the incident, reiterated that aggressive sales tactics were strictly prohibited and offered her a gift box.
City’super told the SCMP that it had received two customer “comments” about the counter’s services in the past year, as well as “a limited number of comments or complaints” over the past five years.
It said all cases had been investigated and handled through established procedures.
Asked whether such complaints influenced lease renewals, City’super declined to comment on specific contractual arrangements.
“We evaluate business relationships and commercial arrangements based on a range of factors including compliance with applicable laws and regulations, operational requirements, customer feedback and other relevant considerations,” it said.
Beauty Express Group declined to comment on the complaint, citing a lack of sufficient information to identify the customers involved.
It told the SCMP that it did not tolerate aggressive sales practices, non-consensual physical contact or any conduct that compromised a customer’s ability to make a free and informed purchasing decision.
The group’s directors include Aviad Ben Ezra and Baruch Szerer. Other brands under the group include Telosin, Premier by Dead Sea, Gratiae and more.

Lawyer Eric Chan Pak-ho said the tactics used on the student could constitute an offence under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. However, the key question was whether sales staff had used “harassment, coercion or undue influence” to persuade John to agree to each purchase.
Chan added that concealing no-refund policies could increase the company’s legal liability.
Under the law, practices that significantly impair a consumer’s freedom of choice or conduct and cause them to make a purchase they would not otherwise have made are considered an offence.
Commercial lawyer Kenix Yuen Pui-kwan said that applying beauty products to a consumer’s skin might not, in itself, breach the ordinance.
“However, if that conduct forms part of a broader sales strategy involving harassment, coercion or undue influence, it may be relevant,” Yuen said.
Depending on the nature of the physical contact, other criminal issues could also arise, she cautioned.
Dr Amos Cheung, a clinical psychologist registered with the Hong Kong Psychological Society, said falling victim to high-pressure sales tactics did not mean a person lacked intelligence.
Such tactics were carefully engineered to exploit human vulnerability and bypass rational reasoning, he said.
Offering free samples could make shoppers feel indebted and reluctant to refuse invitations to enter a store, while applying products to someone’s face without consent could also help identify customers who were more susceptible to manipulation, he said.
Sales representatives could exaggerate imperfections in shoppers’ appearance in ways linked to their self-esteem and sense of self-worth, pushing them towards “emotional reasoning”, Cheung said.
“Such feelings of fear, anxiety and restlessness could impact your rational reasoning process and push you into a state of emotional reasoning,” he said.
He added that compliments could also lower customers’ guard by making sales staff seem friendly and trustworthy.
“If you are unsure about a store’s sales tactics, do not visit it alone,” he said.
“It’s important to be alert to words intended to trigger unnecessary anxiety, shame and panic, and prepare your response, such as ‘I never purchase out of impulse. I will think about it.’ Then, leave immediately.”
*Name changed at interviewee’s request


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More Hong Kong consumers allege coercive beauty sales in wake of Opatra crackdown

The Mineral Boutique has at least five branches in major shopping centres, including one at Festival Walk. Photo: Dickson Lee

Customs officers arrest a 43-year-old man and 25-year-old woman in connection with a local beauty retailer linked to UK brand Opatra London accused of deceptive sales practices on August 19. Photo: Nora Tam

The Lionesse store on Hankou Road. Photo: Dickson Lee

Consumers say aggressive sales tactics across the beauty sector include credit card abuse. Photo: Getty Images

The Opatra London outlet on Russell Street in Causeway Bay. The four Hong Kong outlets have suspended operations. Photo: Nora Tam

Inside the playbook used to dupe Hongkongers into making big beauty product buys

Orogold is also under the spotlight for alleged aggressive sales tactics. Photo: Warton Li

A former Orogold employee has spoken of the aggressive tactics used at the brand’s outlets in Hong Kong. Photo: Warton Li

Hong Kong customs have raided a corporate secretarial office in Sheung Wan as part of an investigation into aggressive sales tactics. Photo: Handout

A closed branch of Opatra London on Russell Street in Causeway Bay. Photo: Nora Tam

Top executive at Opatra Hong Kong operator quits amid coercive sales probe

The Lux Boutique outlet at Harbour City has it windows covered and door locked on Thursday. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong customs arrests 2 over aggressive sales tactics at Opatra-branded shops

Customs officers take away the two suspects on Wednesday. Photo: Nora Tam

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy

Law and Crime

Legal experts warn aggressive sales tactics may breach Trade Descriptions Ordinance prohibiting harassment, coercion and misleading claims


Legal experts warn aggressive sales tactics may breach Trade Descriptions Ordinance prohibiting harassment, coercion and misleading claims.


Consumers

Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Britain

City’super

More Hong Kong consumers allege coercive beauty sales in wake of Opatra crackdown

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Legal experts warn aggressive sales tactics may breach Trade Descriptions Ordinance prohibiting harassment, coercion and misleading claims

Legal experts warn aggressive sales tactics may breach Trade Descriptions Ordinance prohibiting harassment, coercion and misleading claims