The beauty industry in Hong Kong has long been glutted with a myriad of beauty enterprises that claiming they are providing professional medical treatments which, in fact, involves high risks of medical technology.
A 46-year-old woman who went into septic shock from a superbug infection after blood transfusions at the DR beauty center died. Three other women have been stricken after a DC-CIK treatment. But what is more crucial and concerned behind this tragedy is what the DR center promotes its product deceptively to its massive customers. Instead of the one-shot unsafe services occurred and excessive high mark-up on prices, the majority reason for DR beauty center to be unethical business is the “deceptive promotion”.
Deceptive promotion is the practice of misrepresenting the product’s features or performance or luring the customers to the store for a bargain that is out of stock. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009)
In order to push sales volume, two old staff of DR divulged that they were told by the company not to mention all related risks of products to customers when they are selling products. Whatever courses of treatment customers chose, salesman would also advertise and emphasize the products belonging to product of health care or protection, intentionally concealing all the risks brought by products or services which may pose dangers for one’s health or even to death at worst, for example, hiding the negative consequence of a “Frozen liposuction machine”.
Secondly, exaggerated promotion magnified the “Professional” which the characteristic DR claims to possess. Products, however, undoubtedly do not have any proof of whether they have passed the rigorous scientific examination satisfying an international or local standard. That in turn demonstrates that DR’s advertising and promotions are misleading its customers by providing some information that is neither fact nor truth. For example, Technology of a Stem Cell therapy has no proof