Consumer counseling trend in September 2016

- Counseling on tooth paste, cargo transportation service, pension increased -

□ (The number of cases) September 2016, the number of cases reported to “1372 consumer counseling center” has decreased by 13.4% (9,562cases), recording 61,645 compared to previous month (71,207 cases) and a 0.8% (528 cases) decrease compare to the same period last month (62,173 cases).

□ (Rapidly increased counseled products list) Compare to the last month, the increased percentage of counseling products are “Tooth paste” (4,606.3%), “Jumper or Jacket” (69.9%), “Cargo transportation service” (43.1%), “Bed”(11.2%), “Sneakers”(9.8%)

□ (Watch list of daily used products) “Tooth paste” is included in one of the most increased counseled product list both when compared to the last month and to the same period last year.

* Counseling of a tooth paste have skyrocketed since the press release on humidifier sterilizer of     Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (September 26, 2016).

□ (Special sales) Counseling on special selling reached 16,246, accounting for 26.4% of the total counseling. Depending on type, counseling regarding “e-commerce” was the highest (9,471 cases), followed by “door-to-door sales” (2,731 cases), “telephone sales” (1,486 cases), and “Home Shopping” (1,022 cases).

□ (Products consumer counseled the most) Most counseled products includes “cellular phone and smart phone” (2,315 cases), “telecommunication service (1,803 cases), and “water purifier machine rental service” (1,344 cases) in order.

□ (Reason for counseling) “product quality” (13,993 cases) was the biggest reason for counseling followed by “contract termination and damage for contract breach” (11,922 cases), “breach of contract” (6,760 cases).

* Regarding product “quality” counseling, “hospital services”, “telecommunication devices”, and “cars”, on “contract termination and damage for contract breach” counseling, “membership”, “accommodation”, and “internet service”, and for “breach of contract” related counseling, “cargo transport service”, “telecommunication service”, and “internet service” were the highest.

□ (Counseled Age) Among 34,133 counseling cases which consumers’ age were identifiable, “consumers in their 30s” were the most counseled aged group reporting 11,258 cases (33.0%), followed by people in their “40s” (8,750cases, 25.6%), “50s”(5,764 cases), and “20s”(4,910cases, 14.4%).

* Consumers in their “20s-30s” mostly counseled on “membership” while it was “communication devices for people in the “40s”, and “telecommunication service” for “50s”, “teenagers and younger generation” and “60s” were “medical service”.

□ (Redressed cases) Out of 61,645 cases as of September 2016, 83%(51,230 cases) were solved by information including consumer dispute redress standard and governing regulations from consumer organization, local governments, Korea Consumer Agency. 12.5%(7,697 cases) cases that cannot be solved by consumers themselves were addressed by consumer organization and local governments and 4.4% (2,716 cases) were addressed through Korea Consumer Agency’s damage redress and dispute settlement.

※ Refer to “1372 consumer counseling center website” (www.1372.go.kr) for details – Go to “Statistics” – “Consumer counseling trend analysis”