Hong Kong customs detain yoga studio director over unpaid prepaid memberships

Customs officials apprehended a 61-year-old company director linked to the abrupt closure of the Hotstone Yoga chain. He faces accusations of “wrongly accepting payment” in breach of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance after numerous residents reported they could not redeem prepaid classes. By Friday afternoon, 381 complaints had been filed, amounting to almost HK$4.1 million, with the biggest single claim near HK$46,000.

Chong Kai-shing, divisional commander of the Unfair Trade Practice Investigation Division, said investigators will scrutinise the business’s operational and financial status before the shutdown and trace where the funds went, though details remain undisclosed. The Consumer Council received 286 complaints, reporting losses of roughly HK$3.9 million. The investigation remains ongoing and could lead to additional arrests.