SINGAPORE: HairFun, a chain of hair salons in Singapore, has admitted to engaging in unfair trade practices specifically targeting elderly customers.
The company has agreed to cease such actions and provide refunds to affected consumers, according to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on 4 June 2025.
Investigations into the salon group began in October 2024, initiated by CCCS following complaints received by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) regarding HairFun’s sales tactics.
These complaints alleged that elderly patrons were misled and charged for services they neither requested nor agreed to.
Following unannounced visits to three HairFun outlets, CCCS found that two associated companies—Hairfun Beauty Pte Ltd and Hairfun Pte Ltd—had conducted practices deemed misleading and exploitative. These took place between May 2023 and July 2024.
During this period, HairFun attracted elderly customers by offering haircuts at promotional prices ranging from S$4 to S$10.
However, these services were allegedly used as a gateway to pressure customers into more expensive treatments.
In 2023, an elderly man misled into S$1,000 payment after deceptive scalp diagnosis
In one notable incident in November 2023, an elderly man visited a HairFun outlet in Ang Mo Kio for an S$8 haircut.
He was shown images on a monitor, which a staff member claimed indicated “haemorrhaging on the scalp”, despite no scanning device having been used.
The customer was then subjected to a powder-based hair wash without his consent.
When attempting to pay, the employee obscured the total cost and instructed the customer to enter his PIN.
The transaction charged nearly S$1,000, covering a 10-session treatment and hair wash that had not been approved by the customer.
He later consulted a doctor who confirmed that his scalp was healthy and free of any abnormalities.
CCCS found that the three salons in question had previously operated under the name Scissor & Comb, which was also the subject of similar complaints to CASE between 2018 and 2022.
Under the terms of an undertaking with CCCS, HairFun’s two companies and their directors—Roland Teo Jian Hao and Chiong Hong Hioh—have acknowledged their involvement in these unfair practices.
They have committed to discontinuing such conduct, resolving all complaints with CASE, and implementing a five-day cooling-off period for prepaid packages.
The chain has agreed to refund all affected customers and has nearly completed this process. The total refunded amount is approximately S$12,500, according to CCCS.
CCCS’s chief executive, Alvin Koh, expressed concern about the deliberate targeting of elderly consumers.
HairFun refunds nearly S$12,500 to affected customers following investigation
He emphasised the need for businesses to take extra care when dealing with vulnerable individuals and ensure that all terms and prices are fully understood before finalising any sale.
“In view of Singapore’s ageing population, CCCS will step up our community outreach to better educate and equip our seniors with knowledge so as to better protect them,” said Koh.
CASE president Melvin Yong echoed this sentiment in a Facebook post on 4 June, stating that the organisation welcomed the commitments made by the HairFun companies.
He also thanked CASE officers who supported affected customers throughout the refund process.
“CASE will continue working closely with the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore to hold errant businesses accountable,” said Yong.
CCCS has reminded businesses that they should recommend services that genuinely benefit consumers and refrain from any deceptive or high-pressure sales techniques.
Customers, it added, should never feel obliged to pay for unsolicited goods or services and must understand both the offering and the cost before proceeding with any payment.
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