The KCA launches a campaign to prevent consumer damage for university students in the new school semester

- Consumer education in conjunction with local governments and consumer groups will be given at about 60 universities nationwide -

    In the new school semester, the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) will launch a ‘campaign to prevent consumer damage for university students’ in conjunction with local governments and consumer groups beginning February 23rd.

    At the beginning of every new semester, consumer damages caused to university students by door-to-door selling or multi-level marketing have occurred, and in particular, such damages have happened most frequently in March and April when matriculation ceremonies are held, or lectures begins, requiring extra attention from university students.

    The most common types of damages are: ▲inducing students to make an impulse purchase in lecture rooms or on campus by mentioning that special discounts are available, ▲encouraging students to purchase specific textbooks or register for lectures, saying that those textbooks or lectures have been recommended by schools and professors, and ▲rejecting subscription withdrawals on the ground that packages were damaged after making a contract.

      ※ The number of consumer counseling cases regarding door-to-door selling reported to 1372 Consumer Counselling Center for the last 2 years(2016~2017) was 4,010 cases, and 1,426 (35.6%) out of those 4,010 cases occurred on campus or in lecture rooms.

    To prevent consumer damage caused to university students in the new semester, the KCA will conduct consumer education through orientations and on-campus campaigns at around 60 universities (about 20,000 students) in 5 provincial areas including Gangwon, Yeongnam, Chungcheong, Honam and Jeju in conjunction with local governments and consumer groups.

    In addition, it will produce materials containing actual damage cases and ways to cope with damages in the form of clear holders and leaflets, and provide students with the materials at campaign spots.

    The KCA has conducted campaigns to prevent consumer damage for university students in collaboration with local governments, consumer groups, and universities since 2016, and will make further efforts to prevent damage to consumers who are socially marginalized such as aged people and immigrants in addition to university students.