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Photo = Fair Trade Commission |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Three major online platforms selling high-end luxury goods in South Korea have been sanctioned by the government for violating advertising and e-commerce laws.
The platforms allegedly used misleading promotional terms such as “limited-time super sale” for products that were regularly discounted and restricted consumers’ rights to cancel purchases.
On Sunday, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) announced corrective orders, a fine of 12 million KRW (approximately $8,700), and a penalty surcharge of 16 million KRW (approximately $11,600) against Must It, Trenbe, and Balaan.
According to the KFTC, from January 2021 to July 2024, Must It promoted products such as clothing, bags, and shoes using phrases like “one-day-only super sale” and “hurry, the sale ends soon,” despite offering ongoing discounts.
Trenbe and Must It were also found to have unfairly restricted purchase cancellations for discounted items and so-called “wrong-size” products. Even in cases where the seller was at fault—such as product defects or incorrect deliveries—they misled consumers into believing that cancellations were only allowed within seven days, thereby infringing on consumer rights.
Additionally, both Trenbe and Balaan failed to provide mandatory product information under e-commerce law, such as manufacturer, country of origin, and importer details.
The KFTC concluded that these business practices constituted false or exaggerated advertising, obstruction of withdrawal rights, and violation of mandatory information disclosure obligations.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
