[6] Shanghai Wenfeng washes hair, the peak of brainwashing deception
Compiled from The Paper
Case review
The website of the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation shows that Shanghai Wenfeng Hairdressing and Beauty Co., Ltd. was fined 100,000 yuan for claiming that massage can cure diseases.
Starting from July 2021, in order to expand its business, better promote agarwood moxibustion health massage services, and further improve performance, Wenfeng Company purchased the "Zhizhen Agarwood Gift Box" for use with agarwood moxibustion and distributed it to a total of 50 directly operated stores and brand franchise stores across the country for external sale and use. This product is mainly used for in-store health massage services. At the same time, to support publicity, the company's planning department independently designed and edited, based on graphic and textual information retrieved from Baidu,"July, August, and September 2021: Wenfeng nationwide stores summer spectacular. Agarwood moxibustion nourishes the heart with fragrance and nourishes the body with moxibustion. Natural agarwood, additive-free mugwort, pleasant scent, better health... Agarwood qi and blood moxibustion can help customers achieve four remarkable effects: expelling dampness and cold, alleviating pain, replenishing original yang, and regulating qi and blood."Graphic and textual advertising slogans were distributed to the persons in charge of 50 stores nationwide on July 5, 2021 via WeChat groups or email, with instructions to produce the aforementioned advertising content in the form of posters, table cards, and other formats for public display within the stores.
In addition, the corporate journal "Today's Wenfeng" (Issue 201, July 2021), which was independently produced and publicly displayed by Wenfeng Company, also contained advertising claims such as "Chenxiang Qi and Blood Moxibustion can help customers achieve 'expelling dampness and cold, alleviating illness and pain, replenishing primordial yang, and regulating qi and blood.'" The aforementioned Chenxiang moxibustion health massage services do not have medical applications, and the products in the "Zhizhen Chenxiang Gift Box" also lack drug or medical device approval numbers and do not have disease treatment functions.
On December 7, 2021, the Hongkou District Market Supervision Bureau of Shanghai decided to impose the following administrative penalties on the party: (1) order to cease publishing advertisements and eliminate the impact within the corresponding scope; (2) a fine of RMB one hundred thousand yuan only.
Article 17 of the Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China
Except for advertisements for medical treatment, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, any other advertisements are prohibited from mentioning disease treatment functions, and must not use medical terminology or expressions that could easily confuse the promoted products with pharmaceuticals or medical devices.
[1] The author's perspective
Recently, Shanghai Wenfeng Beauty and Hairdressing has been hit by one wave of trouble after another. First, it was summoned for talks by the Shanghai Consumer Council over issues such as false advertising and forced consumption. Then, a flattering article that heaped rainbow-colored praise on its founder pushed public opinion to a peak, even drawing attention from heavyweight media outlets such as CCTV.com and Xinhua News Agency, which sharply criticized it for “vigorously promoting a personality cult.”
As of now, there are a total of 115 legal proceedings, legal documents, and administrative penalties associated with Shanghai Wenfeng. A review of the penalties imposed on Shanghai Wenfeng in recent years reveals the following: in February 2020, the company’s legal representative, Hao Ge, was fined 500,000 yuan; in 2019, an elderly person spent 2.35 million yuan at Wenfeng Hair and Beauty over a period of three years; in 2012, the Songjiang Wenfeng hair and beauty salon was suspected of illegal medical practice; and in 2007, a citizen surnamed Gao received skin care treatment at the Wenfeng hair and beauty salon on Fuhai Road in Jiading District and developed symptoms including redness, swelling, and skin ulceration after returning home. It is evident that despite many years in operation, the company has been plagued by continuous disputes, and its brand reputation is now at serious risk.
In response to recent adverse incidents, Shanghai Wenfeng issued an apology statement, stating that the company is undergoing rectification. The author believes that since businesses operate with open doors, consumers are the source of livelihood. Only by respecting consumers and effectively safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests can one truly succeed in business.
