This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post.
Spas should be all about relaxation, and EZ-Link’s newest TRUST programme will go a long way towards helping us do just that. With the LTA subsidiary set to manage our payments and transactions with local spa companies, you won’t need to worry about signing up for pricey prepaid packages — only to see your money go down the drain when the spa you frequent goes bust.
Around five years ago, the reputation of Singapore’s spa industry infamously took a hit when numerous spas closed down without warning. Patrons of spas like Coslab and Wellness Village Spa lost thousands of dollars in prepaid spa sessions when these operators shut down practically overnight. The high-profile closures sparked a huge amount of outcry — even if you weren’t the one actually patronising these spas, you’d probably have heard the complaints of someone else who did. Needless to say, a lot of faith was lost in Singapore’s multi-million dollar spa industry.
The aptly-named TRUST aims — as the name suggests — to enhance Singaporeans’ trust in local spa merchants by offering an extra safety net for our cash. Because it’s EZ-Link, cards are naturally involved — each customer will get a card when they buy a prepaid package at any spa merchant under TRUST.
According to The Straits Times, the money paid by spa patrons will be channelled into a fund controlled by EZ-Link, and EZ-Link will transfer payment to a spa operator only after you’ve completed a spa session. In other words, there’s zero risk of not getting your money’s worth — EZ-Link will return you your unused cash should your spa unexpectedly go bust.
TRUST — a programme set up by EZ-Link and supported by both the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and the Spa and Wellness Association of Singapore — comes on the heels of an insurance scheme set up by CASE in 2011. In a bid to provide assurance to spa customers, this mandatory insurance programme means that patrons will be compensated for their unused packages — something which CASE president Lim Biow Chuan pointed out, “might not always be sufficient“.
So with TRUST, it looks like we can finally rest easy on that spa table without fretting about those high-priced packages. And who knows, with our latest Hello Kitty EZ-charms, we might just be seeing a spa-themed version soon.