Refund Scheme for Affected Consumers of DNA Brands

If you visited any DNA Brands outlet on or after 1 January 2023 and felt pressured by staff into making a purchase, you may be eligible for a refund. You don't need to figure this out alone, the Consumers Association of Singapore (“CASE”) is here to guide you through the process.

Simply reach out to CASE, who will help you find out if you qualify and walk you through making a claim.

You can contact CASE through:

• Hotline: 6277 5100 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to schedule an in-person appointment

• Online Form: https://complaints.case.org.sg (opens in new tab)

The following outlets operated by DNA Brands Co Pte Ltd are covered under this scheme:

Don't worry if the outlet you visited has since closed, you can still make a claim! As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, your claim is valid regardless of whether the outlet is still operating today. Find out if you qualify in the "Understanding Eligibility" section below.

*This outlet was previously operated by DNA Brands but has since closed. If you visited these outlets on or after 1 January 2023, you can still submit a claim through CASE.

#This outlet was previously operated as Beautique and has since been renamed Allura (S/N 11)

^DNA Brands operated the outlets named above. A separate Hong Kong-registered company, The Mineral Boutique Limited, has since informed CCS that it owns The Mineral Boutique's brand trademarks. This investigation concerned DNA Brands only (Media Release). The Mineral Boutique Limited, and any outlets other than those named above trading under The Mineral Boutique brand trademarks, were not subject to this investigation.

You may be eligible if both of the following apply to you:

• You purchased products or services from any of the outlets listed in Question 2 on or after 1 January 2023, and

• You experienced aggravating circumstances or felt unduly pressured when making those purchases

You don't need to be completely sure whether what happened to you qualifies. If you felt pressured during your purchase, we encourage you to reach out to CASE, they will assess your situation based on your individual circumstances.

You'll need to submit documents showing that you made purchases at any of the outlets listed in Question 2 on or after 1 January 2023. These may include:

• Receipts, invoices, or transaction proof (such as NETS slips or PayNow screenshots)

• Bank or credit card statements showing payments to any DNA Brands outlet

• Contracts or package agreements

• Messages or correspondence with DNA Brands staff

CASE will assess your claim based on the documents and information you provide.

Please note that your claim may not be successful if insufficient supporting documents are submitted, so do gather as much as you can.

Aggravating circumstances refer to situations that made you particularly vulnerable or that made the pressure you experienced more serious. Some examples include being pressured into using your CPF funds for purchases or having a medical condition that affected your ability to fully understand what you were buying.

This is not an exhaustive list, CASE will assess your individual situation to determine whether aggravating circumstances apply to you.

Undue pressure depends on the context and specifics of what happened to you. If you felt you were treated unfairly or pushed into making purchases you didn't want, you can share a summary of your experience with CASE and they will assess whether undue pressure was involved.

The number of visits and how much of your package or products you have used may be taken into consideration when CASE assesses your claim and determines the refund amount. That said, the most important factor is whether you experienced aggravating circumstances or undue pressure during your purchases.

Yes, you may still submit a claim under this scheme. CASE will assess whether you are eligible for any further refunds. However, please note that additional refunds beyond what you have already received will be the exception rather than the norm.

Whether your claim covers unused portions, used portions, or both will depend on your individual circumstances. CASE will assess each claim on its own merits. To help CASE make a fair assessment, please provide as much detail as possible about what you purchased and what you have already used.

Unfortunately, purchases made before 1 January 2023 are not covered under this refund scheme. However, you may still approach CASE for assistance, and they will be able to guide you on other available channels for redress.

You can submit your claim by contacting CASE through the channels listed in Question 2. Claims may be submitted from 3 August 2026 to 30 November 2026.

Here's a simple overview of what to expect:

Step 1 — Submit your claim Contact CASE via the hotline to schedule an in-person appointment, or submit your complaint through the online form.

Step 2 — Assessment CASE will review your claim and assess your eligibility based on your individual circumstances. They may follow up with you to better understand your situation, and may request additional documents or information to support your claim.

Step 3 — Outcome notification CASE will inform you of the outcome of your claim.

Step 4 — Refund disbursement If your claim is successful, your refund will be released from a secure escrow account held by an independent escrow agent at the end of the Refund Scheme. Refunds will be disbursed via:

• PayNow to a bank account linked to your NRIC number, or

• Bank transfer (FAST) to your registered bank account, if you don't have a PayNow-linked account, or

• PayNow to an authorised representative's account, if you don't have a bank account — provided you submit a written authorisation appointing that representative

Please note that the entire process, including refund disbursement, can take up to 12 months.

Yes, there is an administrative fee of $38.15 to process your claim.

The good news, if your claim is successful, this fee will be fully refunded to you.

However, if your claim is unsuccessful, the administrative fee will not be refunded. If you have questions about the fee, please contact CASE directly.

Please refer to Question 4 for the full list of documents you will need to show that you were a customer of the outlets.

You may also be asked to provide your NRIC and confirm your bank account details for identity verification or refund processing purposes. If these are required, CASE will contact you directly and advise you on how to submit them securely.

Yes, the deadline to submit your claim is 30 November 2026.

Claims submitted by this date will be assessed for eligibility under this refund scheme.

Claims submitted after 30 November 2026 will not be considered under this scheme and will instead be handled through CASE's regular case management processes.

This is generally not encouraged, as CASE needs to assess the affected consumer's individual circumstances directly. While CASE may make exceptions in certain situations, they will still need to follow up with the affected consumer personally to better understand what happened.

You may approach DNA Brands directly for refunds relating to reasons other than undue pressure or aggravating circumstances. DNA Brands also has a 14-day cooling-off refund policy, please contact them directly for details.

However, if you believe you were subjected to undue pressure or experienced aggravating circumstances during purchases made at any of the outlets on or after 1 January 2023, you are strongly encouraged to submit your claim through CASE under this scheme.

The refund amount will depend on your individual circumstances, including the nature of the pressure you experienced, the amount you paid, and how much of your packages or products you have used. Each claim will be assessed individually.

If you are not satisfied with the refund offered, you may choose to decline it and pursue other means of redress independently. Please note, however, that declining the refund is permanent and irrevocable, once refused, you will not be able to receive a refund under this scheme again.

If your claim is successful, your refund will be processed and disbursed before July 2027 through the methods described in Question 12.

By submitting a claim under this scheme, you acknowledge and accept that CASE's findings are final. However, you are free to pursue redress through other channels, including CASE's routine dispute resolution process, the Small Claims Tribunals, or by seeking independent legal advice before taking legal action against DNA Brands.

CASE can provide information on available channels for redress, but we encourage you to make your own assessment of the most appropriate course of action and seek independent legal advice where needed.

For more information on filing a case with the Small Claims Tribunal, visit: www.judiciary.gov.sg/civil/how-to-file-serve-small-claim (opens in new tab)

This refund scheme is administered by CASE, who serves as the main point of contact for consumers to submit claims and determine eligibility. Please note that CASE does not hold the refund monies, the funds are held securely in escrow by an independent escrow agent.

The funds have been set aside and secured in escrow by an independent party as part of the resolution reached between CCS and DNA Brands. This arrangement ensures that the money is protected and available for eligible consumers, with CASE independently assessing each claim to ensure the process is fair.

Accepting a refund under this scheme requires you to sign a settlement agreement with DNA Brands, confirming that you have accepted the refund in full settlement of your claim. This means you will not be able to take legal action against DNA Brands on the same subject matter covered by your claim.

That said, accepting the refund does not affect your right to pursue legal action against DNA Brands for matters not covered by your claim. If you wish to explore your legal options, we encourage you to seek independent legal advice before making a decision.

This refund scheme is part of a resolution reached between CCS and DNA Brands following CCS's investigation into the company's sales practices. DNA Brands has voluntarily committed to setting aside funds and cooperating with CASE to administer refunds to affected consumers.