Beauty and Fitness Industries Back 7-Day Cooling-Off Period for Prepaid Contracts
Crhk · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau has completed a two-month public consultation on introducing a 7-day statutory cooling-off period for prepaid contracts in beauty and fitness services. Secretary Edward Yau Tang-wah revealed that industry stakeholders are generally supportive of the measure, which would amend the Trade Descriptions Ordinance . The government hopes to table the bill at the Legislative Council in the first half of next year after refining the details .
Key Points
- Commerce Secretary Edward Yau Tang-wah (丘應樺) confirmed the beauty and fitness industries support the 7-day cooling-off period, citing international precedents as justification
- The proposed legislation would amend the Trade Descriptions Ordinance to cover prepaid service contracts in beauty and fitness sectors
- Contract value thresholds, refund mechanisms, and handling fee structures remain under review with industry feedback being collected
- The government aims to balance consumer protection with operators' operational challenges while finalizing the bill
- Target submission to LegCo is the first half of next year to expedite the legislative process
Why It Matters
This regulatory development could set a precedent for consumer protection in Hong Kong's service sector, potentially extending to other industries facing similar prepaid contract disputes. The measure follows heightened public concern over predatory sales practices in beauty and fitness industries .
This regulatory development could set a precedent for consumer protection in Hong Kong's service sector, potentially extending to other industries facing similar prepaid contract disputes. The measure follows heightened public concern over predatory sales practices in beauty and fitness industries .