Taichung Store Allegedly Forces Cosmetics Sales on Elementary School Students; Police Investigating

Central News Agency Report (Reporter: Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, 13th) — A parent has taken to an online community platform to report that their daughter, who recently graduated from elementary school, was subjected to forced cosmetics sales while shopping. Fortunately, the sale was unsuccessful. Taichung police confirmed today that the case has been officially accepted and will be referred to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of violating personal freedom.

The parent detailed in their post that their daughter, accompanied by a classmate, visited Yizhong Street in Taichung when they were approached by store staff aggressively promoting cosmetics. The daughter managed to protect herself by recording the incident. While the cosmetics sale failed, the staff reportedly said, 'Trimming eyebrows for 100 yuan is still good business.' Since the incident, the child has developed anxiety about going shopping.

The Taichung City Police Bureau’s Second Precinct stated that it received a report around 3:30 PM on the 10th regarding a suspected coercive sales incident. The complainant, a minor student, had visited a store in the Yizhong shopping district with a classmate when staff allegedly continued pressuring them to purchase skincare products and restricted their ability to leave.

Police confirmed the case has been formally accepted, and all relevant parties have been summoned for questioning. The case will be referred to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of violating personal freedom.

The Taichung City Legal Affairs Bureau emphasized that minors under 18 are legally considered individuals with limited legal capacity. Purchases of goods or services must be approved in advance or ratified afterward by their legal guardians to be valid, unless the purchase is deemed necessary for daily life. Buying cosmetics is clearly not a daily necessity for elementary school students. The Legal Affairs Bureau and Health Bureau will conduct inspections to understand the situation and remind businesses to review their sales practices and target demographics.

The Legal Affairs Bureau noted that this particular store has received four consumer dispute complaints so far this year. Two complaints have been withdrawn, while the remaining two are undergoing initial procedures handled by the Health Bureau, which has formally notified the business to resolve the issues within 15 days.

Regarding the potential posting of consumer warnings at the store, the Legal Affairs Bureau stated that with two unresolved complaints currently under review, the city government will closely monitor whether complaint volumes increase significantly, how cases are resolved, and whether consumer protection laws are violated, taking appropriate action under the Taichung City Consumer Protection Self-Government Ordinance. (Edited by Li Hsi-chang)