TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei authorities accused a cosmetics company of aggressive sales tactics Monday (Oct. 13) after Consumer Ombudsmen (消保官) reported 15 disputes this year. The company's employees allegedly stop passersby at store entrances, place products in their hands claiming they are gifts, then use foreign staff inside to pressure additional purchases. Consumer protection officials documented the systematic approach targeting unsuspecting shoppers in Taiwan's capital.
Consumers reported sales teams typically include one foreign and one local staff member promoting facial exfoliation products priced as high as NT$4,900 (around US$160). Lawyer Li Yu-sheng (李育昇), not involved in the case, explained encounters qualify as doorstep sales if consumers were passively approached. He noted such classifications allow consumers to return products within seven days without providing reasons.
Consumer Ombudsmen advised caution, urging individuals to avoid extending their hands when approached by cosmetics sellers. Officials reminded consumers they can clean off test products themselves and emphasized the importance of double-checking card transactions to prevent forced purchases. The warnings aim to protect shoppers from increasingly sophisticated sales manipulation tactics. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$30.683)
