Consumer disputes at nail and eyelash salons have been increasing over the past two years, with most complaints regarding unfair refund policies, the Consumer Protection Committee said yesterday.
A French market research company’s report estimated that the global market size of manicure and pedicure services will next year reach about US$9 billion, the committee said.
A domestic company estimated that nail care and eyelash extension services in Taiwan generate an annual economic output of about NT$1 billion (US$33.85 million).
Consumer disputes filed at the government’s consumers protection offices increased from 31 cases in 2016 to 86 cases last year.
The top three reasons for the disputes were refund policies (63 cases), educational courses (16) and service quality, safety and hygiene issues (10), the committee said.
Most of the refund policy disputes involved the purchase of discounted packages, for which customers reported difficulty making appointments and unwillingness to refund prepaid fees, with some saying their refunds were delayed for as long as 90 days, it said.
According to the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法), refunds should be made within 15 days from the next day of the consumer’s notification of contract termination.
Issues concerning educational courses and product quality, safety and hygiene have been discussed with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to enhance management, committee official Wang Shu-hui (王淑慧) said.
She urged consumers to keep in mind that most salons have a prepaid model and additional rules about canceling appointments or arriving late, so people should carefully evaluate their needs and finances before making a purchase.
As manicures, pedicures and eyelash extensions are applied to the body, consumers should also evaluate a salon’s safety and hygiene, as well as government approval of its products, to avoid allergic reactions, Wang said.
Meanwhile, the committee added that tattoo parlors are mostly registered as nail or hair salons, as there is no specific category for tattoo parlors in the government’s business registration system, but said it has asked the economic and health ministries to discuss how to improve management of the tattoo industry and to report their results to the committee in June.
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