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53YO Part-Time Security Officer Allegedly Duped into Signing $10K Package After Being Told She Had ‘Health Issues’

2022-04-11 , 6:18 pm

Ms Lin, a 53-year-old part-time security officer, complained that she was scared into and signed away about $10,000 in massage therapy packages.

Her masseurs would frequently point out issues in her body, like how her meridians were blocked, her mammary glands clooged, her brain nerves stretched taut which could lead to a loss of consciousness, or that she had a cold womb which could worsen into a Kidney-yang deficiency and cause the inability to control her bowel movements.

Most of the problems are rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine terminology, the health of five organs and six viscera and balance of energies, which you don’t really need to understand.

You just need to know that this massage place basically told Ms Lin that her entire body was problematic in order to persuade her to buy their massage packages.

Before Ms Lin stepped into this massage palour, she never knew she had so many problems with her body, but it turns out the greatest problem was the massage place and their palace of lies.

How the Ruse Begun

From Ms Lin’s retelling, she was in Chinatown last September when she encountered a beauty care centre clerk that was handing out flyers. The other party recommended for her to try the 20-minute session which cost $10 as a trial to see if she would like it.

Since Ms Lin had the habit of getting massages regularly, she felt that the price was reasonable.

She followed the clerk to the massage shop in People’s Park Centre.

However, she could never have expected that in the middle of the massage, her masseur would tell her that her meridians were clogged, and her body was in a poor condition.

Her masseur eventually managed to convince her to follow her to the lobby, then coaxed her to sign a 20-session treatment course that was worth $2,800.

At this point, it would mean that each subsequent massage session will cost her $140, which is much more expensive than the initial trial price of $10.

The staff promised her that she would be healthy by the end of the treatment, so Ms Lin signed it, but she never anticipated that this vicious cycle would never end.

The Seemingly Endless Problems

When Ms Lin went back for another massage the next week, she was informed that the mammary gland in her chest was clogged, and if it was left untreated, they feared that it would lead to cancer in a few years.

Frightened, she signed another 10-session breast care package that cost $1,500.

For the months following, all her masseurs would use the same method.

Once every few weeks, they would point out a problem in a certain part of her body, cajoling her to sign up for care packages that covered her head, chest, and lower body. Each set would cost more than $1,000, and before half a year was through, she had signed away more than $9,900 in various care packages.

Ms Lin said, “They said that I had a cold womb, and then said that there’s a toxic build-up in the lower portion of my body, which could lead to urinary incontinence in the future. When I asked for a head massage because I was having problems sleeping, they would take the opportunity to mention that my nerves were stretched taut and feared that [I was at] the risk of getting dementia or a stroke. In short, there wasn’t a single part of my body that wasn’t riddled with problems.”

You know, if Ms Lin had that many issues, why didn’t you just refer her to the hospital instead?

An Eye Booger Being Called a Worm

The last straw was when her masseur tried to pass off a normal eye booger as a worm.

Miss Masseur, why don’t you just say that the booger was a maggot, her entire body was decaying, and that the massage oil and treatment had preservative effects that can grant her corpse eternal youth?

Ms Lin revealed that when she visited the shop for the last session for her centre/core this month, her masseur pointed out that there was a problem with her eyes, even going as far as saying that worms would grow out from her optic organ.

After the masseur gave a few drips of the eye droplets, she stated that the medicine was expensive, and requested that she signed up for the complementary eye care package.

The only problem with Ms Lin’s eyes at this point, is being blind to the utter farce of a business that’s happening in front of her.

Ms Lin was clearly of that sentiment as she remarked, “Saying that worms will grow out of my eyes is ridiculous as it is, they’re basically swindlers. It was then and there that I finally came to an epiphany. Although there’s still $2,000 to $3,000 worth in sessions, I’m never going back again.”

She expressed that because she didn’t keep the receipts, and she had signed up for the packages on her own will, partially, she isn’t planning to call the police.

However, she hopes that her own experience can serve as a warning for others to reconsider before they sign up for any packages.

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Offering Preferential Treatment Behind the Boss’ Back

From time to time, the masseurs would forcibly and stiffly offer discounted packages, and they would say that they were doing it behind their boss’ back.

Ms Lin recalled that whenever she modestly declined to sign on the package, the other party would say that she was giving her a “special discount”. For example, they would quote that the package was originally priced at $2,000, but they would specially lower the price to $1,000+ for her behind their boss’ back.

Afterwards, they would ask to pay by cash or PayNow.

“When I refused, the masseur would give me the treatment right away, commenting that I would definitely like it once I’ve tried it. In the end, when they were asking for payment, the information on the data entry system would show that I’ve already purchased the package.”

In a fit of anger, Ms Lin angrily accused the other party for playing with the customers’ fears and using exaggerated statements, and called their strong-arming methods extremely despicable.

Store: We Do Not Randomly Collect Money

The staff management refuted this by saying that they would never arbitrarily take the customers’ money, and that they were willing to negotiate with their customers to come to an agreement.

When the reporter of Shin Min Daily News interviewed the manager in-charge of the beauty care centre, Mr Gu, and informed him of the situation, he said that if Ms Lin had any problems or queries, she’s free to vocalise them at any given time.

The store is also willing to come to a compromise with her, and that she could bring up any condition she wants.

He also mentioned that the beauty care centre has been open for more than 20 years, and they have always conducted their business based on their abilities.

In every instance, there would usually be a rotation of four staff members that would attend to Ms Lin, and they would never randomly take her money.