10ml 'eye-tightening liquid' for $1,200: Store in Nex accused of hard selling beauty care products to elderly

[UPDATE OCT 18] Responding to AsiaOne's queries, The Mineral Boutique said that they had provided the customer, surnamed Tan, with a refund.

They said that during Tan's visit to the store on May 28, she "expressed satisfaction" after trying the product and proceeded with the purchase.

"We regret that the product did not meet her expectations," said The Mineral Boutique. "Madam Tan returned to the shop on May 31 with her son to request a refund. In line with our refund policy, we processed the full refund within three working days, completing it on June 3.

"We have provided Madam Tan and her son with a detailed explanation regarding the product and the refund process, and we trust that this matter has been resolved to their satisfaction."

On the allegations of touting, Mineral Boutique said that they are aware of the mall's regulations, which their management enforces "very strictly".

They added that the allegations may have arisen due a "misconception".

Their daily operations involving beauty advisors offering product samples within their shop front and inviting customers in for demonstrations, said the company.

"Our staff are strictly limited to operating within the storefront area and are not permitted to leave the store," said The Mineral Boutique. 

"We take this matter very seriously, and disciplinary actions are taken immediately if any staff fail to follow these instructions."

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One man has taken to social media to complain about staff of a beauty shop "disturbing the peace" in Nex with their touting and hard selling tactics.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, the man, who gave his name as Derrick Law, said that his 68-year-old mother was pressured by The Mineral Boutique to buy a small bottle of "eye-tightening liquid".

Law also accused the store manager of pestering his non-English-speaking mother to reveal her credit card details.

"Moreover, Mineral Boutique's products are astronomically expensive and unjustifiable," he said. "[How] can a 10ml bottle of eye-tightening liquid cost $1,200?

"In my experience, an alternative brand costs only less than $150."

The man also pointed out that the shop had a history of "exerting predatory pressure selling and unethical sale tactics on the elderly shoppers".

He shared screenshots of complaints from Google Reviews, with more than a dozen customers taking offence with The Mineral Boutique's sale tactics in their Nex and Jewel Changi Airport outlets.

"I hope Singaporeans will be educated about the existence of such retail shops in the neighbourhood which employ aggressive salespeople to target the elderly customers who can easily be convinced to spend an insane amount of money on skincare products," said Law.

He added that multiple police reports, as well as complaints to the Consumers Association of Singapore and Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore have been made.

Under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, it is illegal for businesses to "solicit any other person persistently" which "causes annoyance".

First-time offenders would be liable on conviction of a fine of between $1,000 to $5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months.

ALSO READ: 60-year-old goes to mall to withdraw cash, ends up spending $2,400 at beauty care store

chingshijie@asiaone.com