Last month, there was a notable rise in consumer inquiries concerning situations where tax agency platforms imposed unexpectedly high fees or demanded charges even for tax refunds that were self-filed.
On the 1st, the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korean Consumer Organization Council disclosed that an analysis of consumer complaints received by the 1372 Consumer Consultation Center in September identified 281 cases linked to tax agency services. This represents a 116.2% increase compared to the previous month’s 130 cases, and a staggering 726.5% jump from the 34 cases recorded during the same period last year.
The spike in complaints is thought to stem from consumers being charged excessive fees unexpectedly after using tax agency platform services to check refund amounts during the comprehensive income tax filing period or after opting for agency assistance.
For instance, Consumer A used a tax agency platform app in June to verify their refund eligibility, then filed taxes independently via the National Tax Service and successfully received the refund. Despite no actual agency service being rendered, the platform operator claimed the refund resulted from their service and demanded a fee. After paying, Consumer A requested a refund, arguing that no service had been provided, but the company declined.
Overall, consumer consultations in September dropped by 4.8% from the prior month (51,358 cases) to 48,893 cases, and decreased by 16.6% compared to the same month last year (58,628 cases). The categories showing the largest month-on-month increases were tax agency services, followed by plastic surgery clinics (up 35.2%), various fruits and processed fruit products (up 34.0%), wedding services (up 33.3%), and parcel delivery services (up 17.5%).
In the case of plastic surgery clinics, many complaints involved requests to cancel surgical contracts and reclaim deposits. One example included a hospital charging a cancellation fee and examination costs on the day of surgery, which the consumer contested, claiming they had not been informed of these terms beforehand. Complaints about fruits and processed fruit products primarily concerned spoiled or low-quality produce purchased during the Chuseok holiday.
The most frequently reported issue was air passenger transportation services, with 1,242 cases. Gyms ranked second with 1,121 cases, followed by various health foods at 834 cases.
In the event of consumer harm, individuals can seek assistance through the 1372 Consumer Consultation Center or Consumer24—both accessible without area codes—by gathering transaction records and relevant supporting documents.
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