"Galaxy Note 20 for 60,000 Won"... Deceptive Marketing Runs Rampant (Comprehensive)

25% Optional Contract Available to Everyone but Discount Is Misleading
They Say 50% of the Release Price Is Returned... Must Use for 2 Years and Repurchase

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Deceptive marketing claiming that the Galaxy Note20 can be purchased for 60,000 KRW is rampant.

Some online retailers advertise on portal sites that the Galaxy Note20 is available for around 60,000 KRW, and the Galaxy Note20 Ultra for the high 100,000 KRW range.

Many do not provide detailed explanations of the complicated conditions such as returning the device after 2 years of use, so caution is required. There are also many cases where benefits that anyone can receive are packaged as if they are discounts.

For example, if you purchase the Galaxy Note20, priced at 1,190,000 KRW, under the condition of using a 90,000 KRW monthly plan, you can receive a 540,000 KRW discount through the selective contract discount. This is not a benefit provided by the retailer, but a benefit anyone can receive by choosing the selective contract discount instead of the device subsidy.

When sold under the condition of returning the device after 2 years of use, it becomes even more complicated. Retailers explain that even if you purchase the device under a 24-month contract, the fee is calculated over 48 months of installments, and if you return the device after 2 years, you will be refunded 50% of the original price. For the Galaxy Note20, this is 599,500 KRW, and for the Ultra, 726,000 KRW.

The problem is that the compensation amount may be less than expected at the time of sale depending on the device’s condition upon return. Moreover, you must repurchase a premium phone after returning the device to receive the benefit. You also have to pay an additional cost for the compensation program operated by the carriers (8,000 KRW per month).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There are also frequent cases where activation is delayed even after purchasing the Galaxy Note20. Dealerships or retailers recruited customers during pre-orders but are delaying activation due to lower-than-expected sales incentives.

Carriers have induced activation delays by reclaiming sales incentives under the pretext of market stabilization. When dealerships or retailers face reduced or reclaimed sales incentives, they delay activation to avoid losses, leaving consumers with no choice but to wait.

A carrier official explained, "Rebates are set on the release date, but dealerships or retailers who gathered subscribers through pre-orders before the release date sometimes promise an unspecified rebate amount. When the amount decreases, they postpone activation."

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