"Check with Delivery Companies in Advance for Possible Chuseok Package Delivery Delays"

Fair Trade Commission and Consumer Agency Issue Consumer Damage Advisory for Chuseok Holiday

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok]

#1

Mr. A requested a delivery of dried yellow corvina fish by courier on September 2 last year, after writing the phrase "No delivery to security office." However, the courier left the item at the security office without contacting Mr. A or the recipient. Two weeks later, it was found that the fish had already spoiled. Mr. A informed the courier company of the damage and demanded compensation, but the company refused, stating that the delivery was completed normally.

#2

In 2018, Mr. B purchased twenty 100,000 KRW cultural gift certificates at a discounted price of 1.92 million KRW from Company C's website. After the purchase, the gift certificates were not sent continuously, and despite repeated attempts to contact Company C for a refund, no response was received.

On the 21st, the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer damage advisory for the Chuseok holiday, warning consumers to be cautious about damages in the courier and gift certificate sectors. They emphasized that if delivery delays are expected due to circumstances in the courier industry, consumers should confirm with the courier company in advance about normal delivery status and measures to be taken in case of delays.

Source=Korea Fair Trade Commission

According to the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, consumer damages in the courier and gift certificate sectors have been continuously occurring during September and October, which include the Chuseok holiday period.

Consumer consultations related to courier services were 1,865 cases in 2017, 1,678 cases in 2018, and 1,137 cases last year. Requests for damage relief during the same period were 48, 64, and 30 cases respectively. For gift certificates, consumer consultations were 679 cases in 2017, 518 in 2018, and 512 last year. Damage relief requests were 32, 25, and 46 cases respectively.

Representative consumer damage cases include ▲ item damage, destruction, loss, delivery delay, wrong delivery (all related to courier services) ▲ failure to deliver after bulk purchase, refusal of refund, refusal to refund remaining balance after gift certificate use (all related to gift certificates).

Especially during the Chuseok holiday, courier service usage is concentrated, leading to many incidents of item damage, destruction, loss, and delivery delays. Damages also occur where agricultural and marine products or frozen foods are delivered in spoiled or deteriorated condition.

Source=Korea Fair Trade Commission

Consumers should carefully decide when choosing courier or gift certificate services by comparing product information, expected delivery date, delivery location, transaction conditions (refund policies, validity period, etc.), and company information.

Consumers who suffer damages should keep evidence such as receipts, photos, and videos to demand compensation from the business operator and notify the operator immediately upon damage occurrence.

If delivery delays are expected due to circumstances in the courier industry, consumers should confirm with the courier company in advance about measures to be taken in case of delays and whether normal delivery is possible. If a delivery contract has already been made and a delivery request submitted, consumers should check with the courier company about any delays and negotiate changes to the delivery date or return of the goods if delays occur.

If consumer damages occur, consumers can apply for consultation or damage relief by preparing transaction details and evidence documents through the "1372 Consumer Counseling Center" or the "Happy Dream Open Consumer Portal."

The Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency urged, "Consumers using courier and gift certificate services during the Chuseok holiday should familiarize themselves with the damage cases and precautions included in the damage advisory to avoid suffering damages."

They added, "Business operators should provide accurate information about prices and transaction conditions in an easy-to-understand manner for consumers, and if the terms and conditions used differ from the standard terms or consumer dispute resolution standards, they must clearly notify consumers in advance."

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