Disputes between businesses and consumers arising from the process of canceling reservations made at camping sites have also increased.
The Korea Consumer Agency recently revealed that there have been a total of 327 consumer protection cases related to camping sites reported over the past five years, indicating that complaints occur consistently each year.
The main types of damage include disputes over 'contract cancellation and penalties' at 55.9% (183 cases), 'refusal to withdraw the application' at 19.3% (63 cases), and complaints regarding refunds due to cancellations before using the camping site at 75.2% (246 cases). Following this, disputes over 'contract breaches' due to poor hygiene or restrictions on facilities such as water outages or heating failures accounted for 15.6% (51 cases), and 'unfair practices' from additional fees charged without prior notice accounted for 4.6% (15 cases).
Looking at the detailed reasons for disputes related to contract cancellation and penalties, conflicts caused by 'weather changes and natural disasters' such as typhoons and heavy rains accounted for the largest portion at 33.3% (61 cases), followed by 'consumer-related dissatisfaction with cancellation/refund standards' at 31.2% (57 cases) and 'infectious diseases' at 19.1% (35 cases).
The consumer agency analyzed that the recent increase in sudden heavy rains and snow due to weather changes has led to more cases of businesses refusing refunds or disputes over penalties when canceling camping site contracts.
According to the 'Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards (Accommodation Business)', if consumers are unable to move to their accommodation area or use lodging facilities due to climate change or natural disasters, it is stipulated that businesses refund the deposit even for same-day cancellations. However, an analysis of actual damage cases revealed that camping sites either have no contract cancellation criteria related to strong winds or heavy rains or have criteria that impose penalties on consumers, which differs from the 'Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards.'
The consumer agency plans to share damage cases with around 4,000 camping site businesses nationwide in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization. They will also spread awareness of the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards to prevent consumer damage and improve the transaction environment.
The consumer agency urged consumers to carefully check the weather forecasts and facility information for their camping dates before signing contracts and to review the penalty regulations on the camping site's website or reservation platforms. It also advised that if a dispute arises, they should keep evidence such as photographs and recordings, particularly securing the Korea Meteorological Administration's weather advisory and warning documents in cases of cancellations due to weather changes.