The arrest by Hong Kong Customs of two employees of Sayles Retail Ltd — which distributes Opatra London skincare products in Hong Kong — and the subsequent investigation into allegedly aggressive sales tactics, prompts questions about consumer protection in general in Hong Kong. How can the city better protect consumers from increasingly sophisticated hard-sell tactics…
Hong Kong customs is investigating whether an 88-year-old was pressured into spending HK$100,000 (US$12,750) on beauty products at an outlet linked to a company already accused of aggressive sales tactics. In a social media post on Saturday, a woman surnamed Ng wrote that her mother was targeted during a three-hour ordeal in April at the…
The British headquarters and Hong Kong distributor of beauty product company Opatra London have suspended local operations after allegations of aggressive sales tactics triggered the arrest of local senior staff and a raid on a corporate secretarial office in Sheung Wan. In a statement issued on Friday, Opatra London continued to distance itself from the…
As Hong Kong customs expands its investigation into Opatra London following complaints of high-pressure sales tactics involving purchases of up to HK$100,000 (US$12,800), former employees and customers of similar beauty chains say the aggressive sales playbook feels all too familiar. Although the UK-based luxury beauty chain – originally incorporated as Oro Gold – has distanced…
UK-based beauty chain Opatra London has distanced itself from a Hong Kong distributor accused of using “deceptive sales practices”, even after the local branch said it offered to refund about a quarter of a HK$60,000 (US$7,650) shopping bill on skincare products. The company said on Monday night that it deeply regretted if any customers had…
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two women at the border for allegedly smuggling animals after they were separately found with a dog worth HK$3,000 (US$380) and two endangered birds that could be sold for a total of HK$5,000. The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday that it had intercepted a 57-year-old mainland Chinese…
Hong Kong authorities have stepped up inspections of dog licences by launching regular enforcement operations and random checks on pets in public places, warning they will prosecute owners who breach relevant rules. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said officers would commence such operations on Monday at public places where dogs gathered and appealed…
A catapult toy and a tangram set could pose injury and suffocation risks to children, Hong Kong customs has warned, urging retailers to pull the products from shelves. The Customs and Excise Department said on Saturday that it seized 700 units of the toys during an operation and issued a prohibition notice banning their sale….
Hong Kong customs has arrested three members of a local syndicate suspected of selling illicit cigarettes and laundering money, seizing about 2.2 million untaxed products and alleged criminal proceeds of HK$11.3 million. The Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that officers raided five residential flats a day earlier, arresting two men aged 31 and…
Hong Kong authorities have arrested 27 people and seized more than 21,000 litres of illicit fuel worth about HK$3.3 million (US$421,200) in a crackdown on triad-linked illegal fuel sales amid soaring global oil prices. Customs, police and fire services on Wednesday said they had jointly tackled 19 cases between April 13 and 30 in an…