Proposed New Laws to Regulate Pre-paid Contracts in Beauty and Fitness Sectors
建議制定新法規監管美容及健身業的預付合約
Introduction
The government has proposed changes to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance to improve consumer protection for people signing pre-paid contracts in the beauty and fitness industries.
政府建議修改《商品說明條例》，旨在為在美容及健身業簽署預付合約的消費者提供更好的保障。
Main Body
The new rules would require a seven-day 'cooling-off' period and a 14-day window for refunds for contracts that reach certain price levels, such as HK$3,000, HK$8,000, or HK$15,000. To reduce risks, the government wants to limit contract lengths to two years and ensure that services start within three months of signing. These changes are based on data showing that beauty and fitness businesses make up nearly 90 percent of all unfair sales practice cases. Furthermore, the government suggests making 'wrongly accepting payment' a crime under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, which would allow Customs officers to freeze assets more easily.
新規定將要求對於達到特定金額（例如 3,000 港元、8,000 港元或 15,000 港元）的合約，提供七天「冷靜期」及 14 天的退款期。為了降低風險，政府希望將合約期限限制在兩年內，並確保在簽約後三個月內開始提供服務。這些變更基準於數據顯示，美容及健身業者佔了所有不公平銷售行為個案的近 90%。此外，政府建議將「錯誤接受款項」列為《有組織及嚴重罪行條例》下的罪行，這將使海關人員能更輕鬆地凍結資產。
Most stakeholders have reacted positively to these plans. The Consumer Council emphasized that the cooling-off period would stop impulsive buying and prevent aggressive sales tactics. They noted that many past complaints involved contracts lasting over two years. Similarly, lawmakers Bill Tang and Holden Chow expressed their support. Mr. Tang suggested that these rules could restore trust in the industry after a fitness chain collapsed in 2024, causing losses of over HK$100 million. He also proposed extending these rules to the home renovation sector. Meanwhile, the government asserts that this approach protects consumers while still allowing businesses the freedom to make contracts.
大多數利益相關者對這些計劃反應積極。消費者委員會強調，冷靜期將能防止衝動消費並遏制激進的銷售手段。他們指出，許多過去的投訴涉及期限超過兩年的合約。同樣地，立法會議員唐炳堅與周浩林亦表達支持。唐先生建議，在 2024 年某健身連鎖店倒閉導致超過 1 億港元損失後，這些規定可恢復業界信心。他還建議將這些規定擴展至居家裝修行業。同時，政府堅稱此方法在保護消費者的同時，仍允許企業擁有制定合約的自由。
Conclusion
A two-month public consultation period has started to collect feedback from the public and the industry regarding these proposed changes.
為期兩個月的公眾諮詢期已經開始，以收集公眾及業界對這些建議變更的意見。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The "B2 Power-Up": From Simple to Sophisticated
At the A2 level, you likely say "The law is good because it helps people." To reach B2, you need to use Complex Cause-and-Effect structures.
Look at this specific phrase from the text:
"...the cooling-off period would stop impulsive buying and prevent aggressive sales tactics."
🛠️ The Linguistic Shift: "Preventing" vs. "Stopping"
While A2 students use "stop" for everything, B2 speakers use Prevent.
- Stop = Something is happening, and you make it end. (Example: Stop the car!)
- Prevent = You act before the problem happens so it never starts. (Example: The law prevents the scam.)
📈 Upgrade Your Vocabulary: The "Business-Formal" Spectrum
Stop using "small words" and start using "precise words" found in the article:
| A2 Word (Simple) | B2 Word (Precise) | Context from Text |
|---|---|---|
| Change | Proposed / Regulation | Proposed new laws to regulate... |
| Big | Certain price levels | ...contracts that reach certain price levels... |
| Say | Assert / Emphasize | The government asserts... Council emphasized... |
🧠 The Logic of "Would"
Notice the text says the rules "would require" and "would stop."
Why not "will"? Because these laws are not active yet. They are hypothetical. Moving from Will Would is a hallmark of the B2 transition. It shows you understand that the future is not certain, but a possibility based on a plan.
B2 Formula to try:
[Proposed Action] + would + [Positive Result]
Example: "Adding more parks would improve the city's air quality."