▲ Korea Consumer Agency
The Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer alert today, June 19, regarding online accommodation bookings, as a high number of damage relief requests related to lodging contracts occur during the summer vacation season.
The number of damage relief requests related to accommodation contracts filed with the Korea Consumer Agency totaled 6,224 cases from 2023 to 2025.
It was found that 21% of all damages were concentrated in July and August, the peak summer vacation season.
Issues related to "contract cancellation or termination," such as excessive penalty fees charged upon cancellation, accounted for the largest portion at 65.5%.
"Non-performance or incomplete performance of contracts," such as poor quality of accommodation services, accounted for 22.0%, while "insufficient display or advertising," such as undisclosed additional charges for extra guests, accounted for 8.2%.
Approximately 72.8% of the damage relief requests related to accommodation contracts were associated with online accommodation platforms.
Under the E-Commerce Act, when purchasing goods or services through online platforms, consumers are entitled to withdraw their subscription within 7 days of the contract date.
However, as there are many cases where withdrawal is refused on the grounds that a "no-refund" policy was notified, consumers are advised to make careful choices when entering into contracts.
The Korea Consumer Agency urged consumers to carefully check the details of refund policies posted by businesses, as well as information regarding travel dates, the number of guests, and the accommodation facility itself when booking. It also advised consumers to keep booking confirmations or reservation records to prepare for potential disputes.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.