(image: Kobiz Media/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jun. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — With an increasing number of South Korean consumers opting to make their online purchases thorough overseas websites, complaints related to direct foreign purchases are also on the rise.
The Korea Consumer Agency’s Cross Border Transaction Consumer Portal saw a 305 percent rise in complaints last year with 1,463 cases, up from 361 cases in 2016.
The number of complaints this year is growing rapidly, with 1,306 cases filed from January to May. This is almost on par with the total number of complaints filed last year.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said many complaints regarded lodging, plane tickets and other services in addition to consumers goods such as shoes and clothes.
The agency has started to distribute its own manual that includes case studies enabling consumers to actively respond and take action when overseas transactions go awry.
The Cross Border Transaction Consumer Portal (www.crossborder.kca.go.kr) provides guidelines and other relevant information that consumers must be aware of when making direct purchases from overseas websites.
The portal is also available in English.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
