No plan to extend tighter rules to yoga and dance studios: Hong Kong official
Proposed rules would apply only to gyms and beauty parlours, which logged about 5,000 prepaid contract complaints over six years, official says
Hong Kong has no plans to expand proposed tighter regulations on prepaid beauty and fitness contracts to cover dance and yoga studios, as those venues have generated relatively few complaints, an official has said.
Winsome Au Wai-sum, deputy secretary for commerce and economic development, said on Tuesday that the government would gauge industry feedback during a public consultation and refine the proposal, after some operators argued the new requirements failed to reflect operational realities.
The government on Monday launched a two-month public consultation on proposed amendments to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, aimed at strengthening consumer protection amid persistent complaints about unfair practices and high-pressure sales tactics.
Key proposals include the introduction of a seven-day cooling-off period and a 14-day refund period.
Au said the proposal would apply only to gyms and beauty parlours, which accounted for about 5,000 complaints related to prepaid contracts over the past six years, while exempting other venues such as martial arts, yoga and dance studios.
The aim was to avoid overregulation, she added, noting that these venues had attracted very few complaints.