MORE spas have stepped forward to offer bailout packages to victims of the now-defunct salon Wax in the City, bringing the number up from just three last week to 13.
Representatives from 22 beauty-and-wellness firms turned up at a closed-door meeting organised by Atos Wellness Group in a spa shop at The Cathay yesterday.
Atos Wellness, Subtle Senses and Rustic Nirvana were the first three spas to commit to helping out Wax's customers.
The customers were left high and dry, with packages costing up to a few thousand dollars and which were not fully claimed, when Wax shut down.
Representatives from 10 other spas pledged to help the customers, who are believed to number more than 3,000.
Ms Rachael Lim, administrative coordinator of Beauty Lane, said it stepped in to "help preserve the name of the beauty-and-wellness industry".
"We want to help the customers, as it is not their fault that the spas they signed packages with closed down," she said.
A website listing the firms taking part in this bailout campaign will be up by the end of the month.
Said Mr Ananda Rajah, 53, CEO of Atos Wellness: "We will need time to finalise the terms and conditions, and to contact the Consumers Association of Singapore to get a list of affected customers."
He believes that more centres will come forward to offer help.
There will be a cap on the number of Wax customers each participating centre takes in, and some may also decide to put a cap on the value left in the customers' packages which can be redeemed, he said.
Once the website is up, customers can choose which outlet they wish to sign up with.
The first three spas to step forward have also set up an alliance, the Spa, Beauty and Wellness Alliance, to address the fallout of a spa's closure, said Mr Ananda.
He added that the alliance is currently in touch with Spa Association and Spa and Wellness Association on drafting up regulation guidelines.
Civil servant Janice Sim, 29, who has a Wax package, said she hopes to redeem manicure services, as she had signed the Wax package for those services.
"I am glad that people are looking at long-term solutions," she said.
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