Underage tattoo dispute earns market watchdog consent warning

A dispute between a tattooist and a teenage boy who wanted a refund midway through getting tattoo work done has led to the market watchdog of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, issuing a consent warning.

The boy, identified as Yang Yang, and his 13-year-old friend went to get their tattoos in Zhengzhou in November 2020, local media Dahe News reported today.

The shop owner knew that the two were underage. He asked them to sign a letter of guarantee, saying they were voluntarily getting the tattoos, Dahe News reported.

Yang Yang paid the tattoo artist 1,500 yuan (US$232.25).

He visited the artist again on July 8 this year and paid 2,000 yuan to color the tattoos. But he wanted to quit halfway through because it hurt too much.

Yang Yang said he didn't want the tattoos anymore and wanted a refund, but was denied.

An official with Zhengzhou's Administration of Market Regulation said that any type of guarantee signed by a minor was invalid and consumption by minors should only be allowed with parental consent, reported Dahe News.

The official said the market watchdog could help mediate the dispute, the report said.

"Yang Yang is a minor with limited capacity for civil conduct. A court will decide whether the level of consumption meets the judgment level of his age," said lawyer Liu Siqi from Shanghai Shenkang Law Firm.

"A spending of 3,500 yuan is normally considered exceeding the judgment level of a 14-year-old boy. If the father chooses to bring the dispute to court, it is likely he would get a portion of the money back, but no more than 50 percent of the total," said Liu.