When Moving Internationally, Customer Confirmation Is Required If the Estimate Is Exceeded

Fair Trade Commission Establishes 'International Door-to-Door Cargo Standard Terms and Conditions'

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[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] In the future, international moving service providers must obtain prior confirmation from customers if they intend to record freight charges exceeding the estimate in the contract.

On the 20th, the Fair Trade Commission announced that it has established the "Standard Terms and Conditions for International Moving Cargo" containing such provisions.

According to the Fair Trade Commission, disputes have arisen where the volume of cargo is increased during the packing stage of overseas moves to charge fees different from the estimate, or contracts are made verbally without preparing an estimate. Additionally, disputes related to additional charges such as unexpected customs inspection fees and storage fees at the time of contract have also occurred.

In response, the Fair Trade Commission finalized the standard terms and conditions after collecting opinions from the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korea Overseas Moving Cargo Association regarding the draft standard terms and conditions for international moving cargo, which was requested for review by the Korea International Logistics Association in July last year.

The standard terms and conditions require that if a business operator records an amount exceeding the estimate on the contract to prevent unauthorized additional freight charges, prior confirmation must be obtained from the customer.

When charging excess freight, the customer must be informed and their confirmation obtained in advance. If changes related to freight calculation, such as moving cargo details and storage period, occur due to reasons attributable to the customer, resulting in charges exceeding the amount stated in the contract, the excess amount and reasons must be notified to the customer beforehand. Also, if additional costs such as customs inspection fees arise during customs clearance at the destination, resulting in charges exceeding the contract amount, the customer must be explained and their confirmation obtained in advance.

Additionally, the standard terms and conditions stipulate that if the consumer or business operator cancels the contract for reasons attributable to themselves, they must bear a penalty fee ranging from the deposit to six times the deposit depending on the timing of cancellation. In cases where the business operator compensates for loss or damage such as loss of moving cargo due to their fault, the liability limit follows the provisions of commercial law and international treaties, and in cases of intentional or gross negligence by the business operator, actual damages must be compensated.

A Fair Trade Commission official stated, "It is expected that disputes over estimates and freight charges will decrease, contributing to the establishment of a sound trading order in the international moving cargo transportation market," and added, "By preventing recording amounts exceeding estimates in contracts or charging unexpected additional costs at the time of contract, disputes between business operators and consumers will be reduced."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.