Hong Kong consumer watchdog warns drivers not to let car beauty companies take them for a ride
Alert raised after the council received complaints related to such pricey services, which include coating and installation of heat insulation films
The city’s consumer watchdog has warned of unscrupulous traders after receiving complaints about car beauty services, with one case involving a fee of more than HK$10,000 for an “automotive coating service” which allegedly turned out to be just regular car waxing.
Car beauty services, which have become trendy in Hong Kong in recent years, may sometimes fall below consumers’ expectations despite their hefty price tags, the Consumer Council said in its latest issue of Choice magazine.
In one case, a female car owner surnamed Cheung was persuaded into getting a brand new automotive coating service, which claimed to “protect cars from corrosion by pollutants and keep car paint glossy”.
Despite promotional materials saying that the service “must be performed in a dust-free work environment”, Cheung found the company used an ordinary car park for its designated service point. An employee later explained to her that building isolated rooms was not allowed in the car park and Cheung agreed to the arrangement.
But in just three hours, the staff member called to inform her the car was ready for collection, even though its promotional brochure stated that the whole process would take at least 10 hours.