Consumer Agency: “581 cases of damage have been reported in the past three years… Most of them are men in their 30s.”
<img src="https://img4.yna.co.kr/photo/cms/2019/06/28/12/PCM20190628000412990_P4.jpg" alt="Korea Consumer Agency“/>
Korea Consumer Agency
[연합뉴스TV 제공]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Seong-hoon = After receiving a call informing him that he had won a free lodging voucher in November 2021, Mr. A met with a company employee and signed a resort membership contract. The payment amount was 3.98 million won.
At the time, the employee explained that if you maintain your membership for one year, the annual fee and registration fee will be waived, and the contract can be canceled after one year.
As the employee said, Mr. A canceled the contract after one year and requested a refund, but the company kept delaying it, saying that more than 400 members were waiting for refunds, and eventually did not return the money.
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Recently, caution is required as there is an increasing number of cases where people are being lured into signing ‘pseudo-condominium membership’ contracts using the lure of winning free lodging vouchers.
![[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]](https://img1.yna.co.kr/etc/inner/KR/2024/10/17/AKR20241017121800030_01_i_P4.jpg)
[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
According to the Korea Consumer Agency on the 18th, the number of applications for relief for damage related to similar condo memberships received from 2021 to June of this year reached 581.
By year, there are 151 cases in 2021, 179 cases in 2022, and 146 cases last year. This year, as of last June, the number of applications was 105, a 72.1% increase from the same period last year (61 cases).
Typically, similar condominium memberships provide the right to use affiliated lodging facilities such as resorts and pensions during the contracted period, with the condition of returning the membership fee (deposit) upon expiration.
![[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]](https://img3.yna.co.kr/etc/inner/KR/2024/10/17/AKR20241017121800030_03_i_P4.jpg)
[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
However, the Consumer Agency explained that damages such as refusal to withdraw subscription or delay in returning the membership fee even after the contract has ended are frequent.
Looking at the actual types of damage, 431 cases (74.2%) were damage related to contract termination, and 120 cases (20.7%) were delays in returning the membership fee after contract expiration, accounting for more than 90% of the total.
As for the form of sales, door-to-door sales accounted for the majority with 411 cases (70.7%).
77.6% (451 cases) of the total number of victims were men, and the largest age group was in their 30s at 31.4% (180 cases).
![[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]](https://img2.yna.co.kr/etc/inner/KR/2024/10/17/AKR20241017121800030_02_i_P4.jpg)
[한국소비자원 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
In order to prevent related damage, the Consumer Agency urged people to sign contracts carefully and not be deceived by commercials such as winning free lodging vouchers or waiving entrance fees.
If you signed a contract on impulse, we advised you to request cancellation in writing (with proof of content) within 14 days and that any verbal agreements made with the sales staff must be clearly stated in the contract.
In addition, it was explained that long-term contracts must be paid for by credit card installments so that the remaining amount can be recovered even if a situation such as a business closure occurs.
Report via KakaoTalk okjebo
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2024/10/18 06:00 Sent
