The figure was initially reported by the Consumers Association of Singapore at just S$29,000 from 15 complaints it received by Nov. 23 when the situation emerged.
By Dec. 2, both the number of complaints and total losses had surged to 439 and S$904,000, respectively, said the association’s president, Melvin Yong, on Wednesday, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Yong said Wan Yang has confirmed that its three entities, namely Wan Yang Holdings, Wan Yang Foot Reflexology Centre and Wan Yang Health Product & Foot Reflexology Centre, stopped operating on Nov. 21 and are now undergoing liquidation.
The company has nominated RSM SG Corporate Advisory as the proposed liquidator, with formal appointments expected after a creditors’ meeting on Dec. 10.
The association has established a dedicated communication channel with the proposed liquidators to ensure consumers with complaints about unused prepaid packages can be referred directly to them for faster processing, Yong added.
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An outlet of Wan Yang Health Product and Foot Reflexology in Singapore. Photo from Google Maps |
The chain’s abrupt closure late last month caught many customers off guard, as no prior warning or signs were given. Some reported visiting outlets and booking appointments just days before and found operations running normally. Others said staff had been promoting new packages shortly before the shutdown, Channel News Asia reported.
Former employees were also only notified on the same day the chain’s outlets ceased operations.
One female employee told Shin Min Daily News that she arrived for work in the morning as usual when her outlet’s manager suddenly called a meeting to tell staff to cancel all customer appointments for that evening and stop selling packages. That afternoon, the manager announced it would be their last day of operations.
“Many of us were mentally prepared for some changes, but we thought the company would at least continue until Chinese New Year next year,” she said. “We didn’t expect it to be so sudden.”
The Ministry of Manpower told Mothership it would ensure the company meets its legal obligations, including salary payments, and said it is ready to assist affected workers with job matching support.
