Beauty prepayment losses hit S$1.9m in first half of 2026, nearly 18 times higher than a year ago: CASE
The Consumers Association of Singapore received 1,124 complaints against the beauty industry in the first half of the year, more than double the 558 complaints received in the first half of 2025.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) reported a sharp increase in beauty-related prepayment losses to S$1.9 million in the first half of 2026, nearly 18 times the S$108,000 recorded in the same period last year. Over 1,124 complaints were lodged, more than double the 558 complaints from the same period in 2025. The surge was primarily driven by business closures and unethical sales tactics, with 40% of complaints related to businesses failing to meet contractual obligations.
CASE president Melvin Yong cautioned consumers against making large upfront payments for beauty packages. CASE received a total of 6,684 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026, up 6.9% from 6,253 in 2025. Travel and airline industries saw a rise in complaints, with travel complaints up 76.4% and airline complaints up 19.3%, largely due to disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions and flight schedule changes.
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