Chinese Lives

A hair saloon that cheated and threatened its customers to pay up to 100 times real bill, was finally closed up for further investigation, but under tax evasion charges. I first heard this in last December that a girl went in the saloon for a 68 RMB perm curl hairdo but ended up paying 5800 RMB. She was told to buy a VIP member card with that amount, so as to apply 40% discount, and she could have about 2000RMB balance left for next use. If not, she had to pay 5670 RMB in full. Of course, it was not normal business pricing, and fortunately the girl had all her money back after one local media interfered.

How much most people pay for a haircut in central China? Average saloon, I mean not obviously expensive place probably run by celebrity stylist, charges 30 RMB for a lady’s haircut, about 100 RMB —400RMB for perm curl, and 100-300 RMB plus each for color and hair care treatment. When it is national holidays, there are usually sale package for less money.

If you look carefully at two numbers on saloon’s window, there is the trick. Two prices aren’t same, actually 100 times different. I personally experienced similar hard sale in other saloons of another city. Stylists live on additional hair treatment because their pay base on sales commisions, so their boss drive them to force deals made. But still, the saloon in trouble was inhonest, strolling on gray areas and actually blackmailing innocent customers.

That evil saloon threatened and cheated customers not the first time. Local newspaper had written articles about their gangster-minded business style. But assumed backstage big-name certainly protected the saloon from being terminated.

The saloon was fined 500,000 RMB for tax evasion charges.