Opatra row revives scrutiny of Dead Sea sales tactics
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong customs officers arrested two staff members from Sayles Retail after a woman alleged she was cheated into paying more than HK$60,000 for beauty products, bringing fresh scrutiny to the company’s sales methods. The case has also renewed attention on similarities between the city’s beauty retail complaints and the global “Dead Sea sales scams” documented over the past two decades
Key Points
- A South China Morning Post review of WikiLeaks records found reports of allegedly pushy Dead Sea product sales in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Europe
- Diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks described a billion-dollar industry tied to alleged immigration fraud, illegal labour, money laundering and worker exploitation in the United States
- A 2009 cable prepared by former US ambassador to Israel James Cunningham said many young Israelis worked in the trade on tourist visas or expired work visas
- The cable said low post-military pay and scarce jobs in Israel created strong financial incentives for former Israel Defence Forces conscripts to join the business
- In Hong Kong, Sayles Retail distributes Opatra London and Lux Boutique, luxury skincare brands whose products include some containing Dead Sea salts and minerals
Why It Matters
Experts have called on the Hong Kong government to strengthen consumer protection by expanding proposed cooling-off period legislation to cover retail beauty goods. For local shoppers, the case raises questions about whether existing rules are adequate when high-pressure sales tactics are used for expensive skincare products