75-Year-Old Woman Spends Entire Rs 4 Crore Savings At Beauty Salon, Daughter Finds Shocking Bills

A 75-year-old woman in China allegedly spent more than Rs 4 crore of her retirement savings on beauty and wellness treatments at the same group of establishments over several years. Her daughter was left stunned when she discovered the extent of the spending. 

The woman, identified by her surname Yu, had been visiting a branch of Yongqi Beauty and Hairdressing Company and a medical beauty clinic linked to the business since 2016, South China Morning Post reported. Her daughter eventually approached a Shanghai television programme for help after discovering that her mother had virtually exhausted her savings.

According to the outlet, Yu underwent a long list of treatments, including skin tightening, thread lifts, meridian massages, eyebrow tattooing and lip tattooing. Billing records obtained by her daughter showed that some of the procedures were allegedly charged at prices far above typical market rates.

One example was a lip tattooing package that cost 39,800 yuan (around Rs 5.6 lakh). The records also showed that Yu underwent some procedures repeatedly, including treatments that would not normally need to be performed so frequently.

Yu said she did not closely monitor how much she was spending because she believed she was financially comfortable.

Notably, her savings had come largely from selling her home. By the time her daughter realised how much money had been spent, Yu could no longer afford to rent an apartment and had even been forced to sell her jewellery.

The situation became more complicated after staff at the Yongqi salon referred Yu to a medical beauty clinic called Rouyi. She was reportedly charged 300,000 yuan (about Rs 42 lakh) for a procedure described as 'intimate care'. Although she paid the amount, she did not undergo the procedure. The clinic instead provided other skincare treatments.

Some of the invoices reportedly listed unusual services with names such as 'happiness chair' and 'space capsule', which Yu was unable to explain.

South China Morning Post said it tried to contact Rouyi for a response, but the telephone numbers listed on the invoices were not functional. Yu's daughter also discovered that the clinic had billed her mother through Yongqi's account.

A Yongqi employee reportedly argued that Yu herself had repeatedly requested the treatments because of concerns about her appearance. The staff member also maintained that the prices were displayed and that Yu had accepted them by making the payments.

Yongqi later issued a partial refund of Yu's advance payment as part of a compromise.

The case has sparked widespread discussion online, with many people questioning how an elderly customer could spend such a large portion of her lifetime savings on beauty treatments. It has also raised broader concerns about aggressive sales practices and the vulnerability of older consumers in the beauty and wellness industry.