Cooling-off key 'lies in prepayments amid chain woes'

RTHK - Oct 2, 2026

A marketing expert suggested on Friday that the amount of prepayments should be taken into consideration in deciding whether service contracts should be subject to cooling-off periods. The suggestion by Kenneth Kwong of the Hang Seng University's Department of Marketing came following the abrupt closure of the Hotstone Yoga chain on Wednesday. The Consumer Council had received 27 complaints as of 5pm on Thursday, with losses amounting to nearly HK$430,000, over the shutdown. Authorities including the Customs and Excise Department are probing the case. This came as the government is looking to amend the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by introducing a mandatory seven-day cooling-off period and a 14-day refund period for prepaid contracts sold by beauty parlours and fitness centres. The new requirement would apply to contracts valued at one of three possible thresholds: HK$3,000 or above, HK$8,000 or above, or HK$15,000 or above. Kwong said he was left shocked by Hotstone's closure as some customers had only signed up for classes shortly before the shutdown. He stressed more should be done to better protect customers, instead of only targeting specific industries. “If the prepayment [amount is] more than HK$1,000, this kind of cooling-off period should be applied to this kind of service because it will be quite...

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Korea abolishes Prosecutors' Office after 78 years, putting new criminal justice system to test

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President requests confirmation hearing for nominee to head new investigation agency

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