More slimming companies are luring customers into being their 'spokeswomen', but some of the women later regret it when they fail to meet weight-loss targets.
The women are told that if they meet their weight targets, they will be given the opportunity to become spokeswomen in advertisements. But the customers are required to pay a deposit to show their 'determination and sincerity' - and the sum is about the same as the market price of the treatment. If the woman cannot reach a designated weight, she may lose a month's deposit.
In the first eight months of this year, the Consumer Council received 31 complaints from women persuaded to become spokeswomen. There were 24 complaints last year.
Among them was a woman, with diabetes, who signed a contract in which she paid a deposit of HK$24,800, equivalent to the cost of 46 treatments.
To lose more weight to meet the target, she paid an additional HK$7,000 for acupuncture, but missed her first-month target.
She said she tried harder, but found the company slowed the progress of her treatments and required her to do less exercise. She decided the company was being dishonest, and reported the case to the council.