A 15-year-old girl in Shanghai, China, secretly spent 808 RMB (about 478 MYR) to get 14 ear piercings at once without her parents’ knowledge. She was discovered after her ears became red and inflamed, prompting her father to file a complaint against the business.
According to Chinese media reports, Xiao Qin (pseudonym) went to a roadside ear piercing shop in early July and had 14 piercings done on her left ear at once. As her ears became red and inflamed, her father filed a complaint with the Minhang District Consumer Protection Committee in Shanghai, demanding that the business take responsibility.
Xiao Qin’s father stated that for a 15-year-old to get 14 ear piercings at once clearly exceeds the judgment and physical capacity appropriate for her age. He called on businesses to remain highly vigilant about customers’ ages before providing such services, and to either directly refuse service or obtain clear parental consent.
The shop owner argued that it is difficult to accurately judge a customer’s age by appearance alone, and that requests for multiple piercings at once are not uncommon; therefore, they refused to give a refund.
In response, the Consumer Protection Committee pointed out that getting 14 ear piercings at once is indeed an unconventional and high-risk act. The shop failed to verify the customer’s age and cognitive ability, evidencing significant flaws in the service procedure. For services involving clear bodily alterations or intensive invasive procedures, businesses should be especially cautious and earnestly uphold special protection obligations toward minors, evaluating carefully and taking necessary measures.
After several rounds of negotiation, the business eventually agreed to refund the 808 RMB fee, and promised to strengthen identification and protection of minors in future operations and standardize its business practices. (News source: CTWANT)