Same 'Large Size' Label, but Weight Differs by 1.7 Times... Online Fruit Set Purchase Information Lacking Consistency

Korea Consumer Agency Investigates Product Information at Four Major Online Shopping Malls

Lack of Indication for Size, Weight, Quality, and Grade

Up to 18.3% Weight Difference Among Apples in a Single Set

It has been found that some fruit gift sets purchased online show up to a 1.7-fold difference in weight even within the same grade, indicating that product selection is not uniform and consumers should exercise caution.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on May 13 that it recently investigated the information disclosure status of 240 fruit gift sets sold by four online shopping malls—Naver, Coupang, Gmarket, and 11st. The investigation found that some products failed to indicate the size, weight, quality, or grade of the fruit or provided such information arbitrarily without an explanation of objective criteria, highlighting the need for improvement.

Specifically, 19.2% (46 items) of the sampled products described individual fruit sizes using terms such as 'extra large' or 'medium large' but did not specify the actual size or weight. In addition, 45.0% (108 items) used terms like 'high sugar content' or 'selected for sweetness' without disclosing the Brix value used as the selection criterion.

Some products also used expressions like 'premium product' or 'top product,' which are similar to the official agricultural quality grades 'special' or 'first,' without providing clear grading standards. For the origin of the fruit, they only indicated 'domestic' and used vague terms like 'famous production area' without specifying the actual region.

When the agency purchased four apple sets labeled as 'large' and measured the weight of each fruit (a total of 58 apples), the difference between the minimum (216g) and maximum (377g) weights was about 1.7 times (74.5%). Even within a single set, the weight difference among items reached up to 18.3% (a 58.0g difference), confirming the lack of uniformity in product selection.

The price gap among the 5kg fruit gift sets surveyed (80 sets for each type, 240 in total) ranged from a minimum of 3.9 times (apple sets) to a maximum of 4.7 times (pear sets). By price range, 71.2% (57 sets) of apple sets were priced between 50,000 won and less than 100,000 won, while 63.7% (51 sets) of pear sets and 66.2% (53 sets) of Hallabong sets were priced between 30,000 won and less than 50,000 won, making these ranges the most common.

Consumer complaints are also on the rise. Over the past three years, from 2023 to last year, a total of 4,556 inquiries related to online fruit purchases were received by the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center, increasing by more than 60% each year. Of these, the largest share—51.4% (2,342 cases)—were related to 'quality.' This was followed by 'cancellation of subscription' at 13.3% (604 cases) and 'contract non-fulfillment' at 12.7% (580 cases).

Based on the results of this investigation, the Korea Consumer Agency plans to request online shopping mall operators to provide objective and detailed information on fruit specifications and quality, which are essential for consumers' purchasing decisions. The agency also advised consumers to thoroughly check quality-related labeling when purchasing fruit online.