Bonjour director arrested after About Beauty closure left 593 customers empty-pocketed

Customs have arrested a director of Bonjour Holdings after the sudden suspension of three beauty chains, including About Beauty, attracted 667 complaints. The complaints involves 593 customers who paid HK$30 million for services that can no longer be used because of the suspension.

The 63-year-old male director of Bonjour Holdings, which customs said owns About Beauty, was arrested on Tuesday for violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by "wrongly accepting payment."

The group was found to be selling prepaid packages after knowing that the chain could not continue operations due to outstanding rent and lease expiration.

He has been released on bail.

Three beauty salons owned by Bonjour Holdings, About Beauty, Dr.Protalk and Top Comfort, have suddenly suspended their operations last month.

A customer paid almost HK$2 million – the highest amount among victims. 

Customs divisional commander Wilson Wong Chi-chung said that the department is still investigating the role of the arrested director, but there is evidence that shows he understood the situation the chain was in. 

"The customs does not rule out more arrests and will investigate the operational status, the flow of funds and whether there have been unusual promotional activities before it ceased operations," Wong said.

Wong said that many of the victims have not used any of the packages they bought when the chain announced its suspension. Many purchased new packages before finishing the previous ones.

Sales contracts showed that the package had one-year validity, but customers said they were told verbally that the packages could last longer than that.