Damage and disrepair pose hidden risks! Don't let shared massage chairs become a "public hazard" and the hygiene situation is worrying for netizens | cinemas | massage chairs

From the long hair of a female passenger in Chongqing West Railway Station being rolled into a massage chair, to "whether the massage chair can leave the cinema", and then to "netizens roast that nearly 90% of the seats in Tai'an High Speed Railway Station in Shandong are massage chairs, and passengers have to sit on the ground"... Recently, the topic of "sharing massage chairs" has been on the hot search again and again, causing hot debate among netizens.

In fact, shared massage chairs have been promoted for many years and can now be seen in many public places, such as stations, airports, shopping malls, cinemas, etc. What are the safety hazards of shared massage chairs while providing convenience to consumers? Will the large-scale promotion of massage chairs in public places infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of consumers? With these questions in mind, the reporter conducted an investigation and interview.

Between waiting for the bus, relax the slightly tense calf muscles caused by running for the bus; Before the movie starts, use it to make a ceremonial ending to the day's work; I'm tired from shopping, so I spent more than ten minutes in the mall doing a spa for my tense shoulders and neck

With the development of the sharing economy, shared massage chairs have emerged. They are scattered in stations, airports, cinemas, shopping malls, and office buildings. By imitating traditional massage techniques such as kneading, tuina, back pounding, and vibration, they relieve muscle tension and relax the body and mind for consumers. With affordable prices and just the right duration, they have won the favor of many people.

However, a recent investigation by the reporter of the Legal Daily found that while sharing massage chairs provides convenience for consumers, there are also some potential safety hazards, such as insufficient hygiene disinfection and sterilization, damaged equipment skin, failure and disrepair. Another interviewee roast that the large-scale promotion of massage chairs in public places occupied the space for ordinary chairs, affecting the normal exercise of the public's right to rest.

Several interviewed experts pointed out that shared massage chairs were originally intended to enrich consumer demand and should not become a "weapon" that harms consumers. No matter where shared massage chairs are installed, relevant parties should do a good job in daily maintenance and cleaning to avoid accidents and endanger people's safety.

Setting up points in various public places

Not much investment and abundant profits

"For those of us who make overtime and business trips our daily lives, it's the most considerate." Ms. Tian, who works at a foreign company in Beijing, is a loyal fan of shared massage chairs. She said she has almost experienced all the shared massage chairs in all scenarios.

Like Ms. Tian, many people are fans of shared massage chairs. Public data shows that during its peak period, the number of shared massage chairs installed nationwide exceeded 1 million within just one year. From cinemas to train stations, airports, and large supermarkets, shared massage chairs are blooming everywhere.

Recently, reporters visited Beijing Airport, multiple shopping malls, and cinemas and found that some shopping malls have multiple shared massage chairs installed on each floor; Some cinemas have dedicated "massage chair rest areas", and even the viewing area has many shared massage chairs.

On August 4th, the reporter saw at a shopping mall in Chaoyang, Beijing that 8 shared massage chairs in the massage area on the second floor were filled with people. Someone has just started the massage service, someone is scanning the code, and someone is sitting and enjoying the service. At Beijing Capital International Airport, the reporter noticed that there are many shared massage chairs in the waiting hall, which are almost fully occupied.

According to Zhang Shan, the person in charge of a massage chair production company in Dongguan, Guangdong, shared massage chairs do not require personnel to be on duty or to be stocked. They have simpler functions and lower maintenance costs. After customers successfully scan and pay, they can enjoy the service. Each massage chair is monitored through remote data, and channel operators can check the status of the massage chair anytime and anywhere.

"Shared massage chairs can be divided into two business models: direct sales and agency." Zhang Shan said that direct sales refer to massage chair manufacturers negotiating with channel parties such as shopping malls, cinemas, and stations through self built platforms, and the manufacturers providing massage chairs for free. The channel parties only need to provide venues, and the profits are negotiated and distributed by both parties. For example, the production company he works for purchases raw materials and develops corresponding products for specific venues. They then negotiate with cinemas and rent for six months to a year to sell their products. So far, the company has sold a total of 400000 shared massage chairs in cinemas in China.

Agency refers to the mass sales of massage chair manufacturers to distributors and terminal operators. Zhang Shan introduced that their main customer groups are advertising distributors and terminal operators. Manufacturers only produce and sell products, while advertising distributors and terminal operators are responsible for product advertising and operation.

"If we have our own venue resources and directly lay out equipment, the investment is low and the profit is high, so more and more agents are joining the investment of shared massage chairs." Zhang Shan said that compared to the direct sales model, the agency model allows more people to participate in the shared massage chair industry.

Reduce maintenance to save costs

Poor hygiene and safety hazards

As a business cooperation model, the entry of shared massage chairs into these public places was a normal market behavior, but from the perspective of consumer experience, it has been increasingly questioned.

Ms. Liang, who lives in Shunde, Guangdong, and her husband, used to take a walk in the nearby shopping mall after dinner. Once they saw a shared massage chair, they scanned the QR code and sat on it. However, after the machine started, Ms. Liang felt very frustrated.

"Only back massage and waist top massage can be felt. Due to the height limit, the shoulder massages on both sides can not touch the shoulder completely after inflation, let alone relax. The calf press is almost lonely, and when the inflation reaches the maximum, I can only feel the compression on the ankle. I am relatively thin, and the hand massage has no effect." Ms. Liang roast.

Ms. Zhou from Haikou, Hainan also experienced the "one money, two effects" when using a shared massage chair in a cinema. During the viewing, she adjusted the massage chair mode to massage the lower back and waist due to concerns that the sound of massaging the shoulders and neck would affect others' viewing experience. The next morning, when Ms. Zhou woke up, she felt severe pain in her back. Looking in the mirror, she found a large bruise on her back.

"Shared massage chairs are generally made according to the average height and body shape of adults, and are not entirely suitable for some obese or petite individuals. They are also not suitable for patients with osteoporosis, shoulder and neck diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc. If used improperly by ordinary consumers, it can also cause physical damage." Professor Wang Yue from the School of Medical Humanities at Peking University reminds.

Insufficient hygiene disinfection and sterilization is the common feeling of many users sharing massage chairs.

Ms. Wu from Changchun, Jilin, recently got tired from shopping with friends in the mall and wanted to use a shared massage chair to relax. Unexpectedly, after sitting down, I immediately felt the contact surface between my pants and the chair moist, and could still smell a fishy smell. She carefully identified that there might be a puddle of urine on the massage chair. "It's really frustrating!" After contacting the mall to handle it, the mall expressed that they were powerless and could not regulate such incidents. In the end, they compensated Ms. Wu for her laundry expenses and massage chair coupons.

Ms. Luo, who lives in Zunyi, Guizhou, also had a similar experience. When she returned to her hometown this summer vacation, she sat on the shared massage chair for nearly an hour while waiting at the bus station because there were no empty seats. The next day, she found urticaria on the back of her thighs, and there was no significant improvement after the injection.

"For the shared massage chairs in the waiting area of the cinema, we require daily cleaning and regular wiping of the visible leather parts of the massage chairs. The massage chairs inside each cinema are cleaned irregularly, usually once a week. However, there are often some 'leather kids' who like to step on the chairs barefoot, and we cannot wait there all the time." A cleaning lady at a cinema in Chaoyang, Beijing told reporters.

Some respondents also reported that some shared massage chairs had malfunctions and were not repaired in a timely manner, posing safety hazards and even causing safety accidents.

In July this year, the incident of a female passenger's long hair being rolled into a shared massage chair at Chongqing West Railway Station attracted widespread attention from netizens. The investigation results showed that the cause of the accident was the damage to the protective layer of the massage chair. After a comprehensive investigation, it was found that other massage chairs were also damaged.

For such issues, industry insiders have told reporters that shared massage chairs placed in public places such as shopping malls, cinemas, and stations generally require the placer to perform cleaning and maintenance on their own. However, many placer dealers are unwilling to regularly repair and maintain them due to cost considerations.

"After the massage chair is put into operation, it needs to be maintained by personnel arranged by the manufacturer, distribution distributor, and terminal operator for daily maintenance. The machine needs to be disinfected once a week without special circumstances, and if there is any abnormality in the machine, the backend system will give an alarm prompt." Zhang Shan said that the maintenance cost is a considerable expense, and the 400000 shared massage chairs invested by his company have a monthly operating cost of approximately 3 million to 4 million yuan.

Zhang Shan introduced that the sales price of massage chairs is mainly composed of four aspects: the material cost of the product itself, the degree of software intelligence, the production cost of the enterprise, and the management cost of the enterprise. The procurement cost of products placed in public places is approximately between 2500 and 3500 yuan. The shared massage chairs sold by the production company to distributors and terminal operators are mainly maintained and repaired by the latter two. Only when the loss of shared massage chairs accumulates to a certain amount, will the production company provide certain repair services. Some dealers may choose to save on daily maintenance costs in order to recover costs in a timely manner and save costs.

Warning of hazards is indispensable

Intensify daily inspections

Several interviewed experts pointed out that there is a certain demand from the public for shared massage chairs, but they should not expand in an disorderly manner or occupy public spaces at will. Instead, they should be classified and set up differently based on the characteristics of the place. For example, in places with high traffic and limited seating resources such as hospitals and stations, the number of shared massage chairs should be moderate and located at relevant edges and corners; Commercial places such as shopping malls and cinemas can be set up, but the layout should be reasonable and compliant, and should not occupy fire exits or affect people's passage. For some problems that arise in reality, such as shared massage chairs causing consumers to experience allergies, bruises, curly hair and other physical injuries, the venue responsible party and supplier should bear compensation responsibility, and consumers should also learn to protect their rights in accordance with the law.

In Wang Yue's view, the identity of users of shared massage chairs is diverse and uncertain, making it impossible to confirm whether the user has skin diseases or other infectious diseases, which can lead to the leather seats being contaminated with bacteria. The person in charge of the venue where the massage chair is placed is responsible for regularly cleaning and maintaining cleanliness, but the causes of allergies or skin inflammation are diverse, and the fabric material of the massage chair may also be one of the causes of diseases, which cannot be generalized.

"The shared massage chairs placed in public places should be the responsibility of the venue owner and massage chair supplier for safety assurance. When shopping malls provide massage chair services, they need to ensure compliance with the basic requirement of ensuring personal and property safety." said Chen Yinjiang, Deputy Secretary General of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Law Society.

From the perspective of consumer rights protection, Chen Yinjiang believes that if there are situations where improper or abnormal use can cause harm, the relevant responsible parties need to provide clear explanations or warnings, remind consumers of precautions and correct usage methods. If the product is insufficient to ensure personal and property safety, or the relevant safety tips are insufficient, resulting in personal injury or property damage to consumers, the responsible party shall bear corresponding compensation responsibilities.

"Once personal injury or property damage occurs, consumers should first retain relevant evidence in a timely manner and negotiate with the service provider to resolve the issue. If consultation fails, they can file a complaint with the Consumer Association or relevant administrative authorities and request participation in mediation. If mediation still fails to resolve the issue, they can also protect their rights by applying for arbitration or filing a lawsuit in court." Chen Yinjiang said that the relevant responsible parties need to bear compensation responsibilities, including medical expenses and reasonable transportation and work loss expenses.

"The key to solving the problem is for operators to operate with integrity and abide by the law, and actively protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers." Chen Yinjiang said that regulatory authorities should increase their daily inspections. If they find obvious violations or damages to consumer rights in their business activities, they should promptly investigate and punish them in accordance with the law, supervise rectification, and ensure that high-quality shared massage services are provided to consumers.