Beijing beauty salon investigated after woman, 78, spends US$44,000 on treatments
Her son claimed she was conned after offer of free massage led to payments for eight treatments in eight months
Beijing’s industry and commerce authority is investigating a claim that a 78-year-old woman was defrauded by being coaxed into spending large sums of money at a beauty salon, a report claims.
The woman spent 274,500 yuan (US$43,700) on several treatments at the salon over the course of eight months, the Legal Evening News reported.
In May last year, she was stopped by a man in a supermarket who said the salon was offering a promotion and could give her free treatment for her weak leg.
She was given a free foot massage lasting 40 minutes, then recommended to buy a membership card, which cost her 14,500 yuan (US$2,300). A shop assistant referred to her in affectionate terms.
Two months later, the woman had her pulse taken by a shop assistant dressed in a white doctor’s coat, who told her that her “chi” – from the traditional Chinese medicine term referring to inner energy – was weak and all her blood veins on her back were blocked.