Amid the ongoing distribution of counterfeit products through online platforms, 6 out of 10 victims have reportedly not even attempted to seek a refund.
According to a survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) involving 500 domestic consumers, 58.6% (293 individuals) of respondents had not requested refunds even after realizing they purchased counterfeit products. Among these individuals, 60.4% (177 individuals) cited that the process was complicated or took too much time as their primary reason.
Additionally, nearly half of consumers (49.0%) reported that they did not verify the authenticity of a product before purchase. Among them, 36.7% (90 individuals) explained that they did so because they trusted the online platform.
Among consumers who purchased counterfeit products, 68.4% (342 individuals) were not even aware that such actions could be legally problematic, indicating that consumers' legal and ethical awareness regarding counterfeit transactions is also low.
Actual cases of harm are on the rise. Over the past three years, a total of 1,572 inquiries related to counterfeit products were received by the Consumer Counseling Center at 1372 and the International Trade Consumer Portal. By item category, the most inquiries were received for: ▲ Bags (21.0%·330 cases) ▲ Shoes (14.5%·228 cases) ▲ Cosmetics (12.5%·196 cases) ▲ Audio equipment (10.9%·171 cases).
In particular, the number of inquiries regarding high-priced foreign brand bags has been confirmed to have increased annually over the past three years.
The consumer agency noted, "Products with excessively low prices are suspected to be counterfeit," urging consumers to exercise particular caution. It also pointed out that among eight shopping platforms, Naver Band, AliExpress, Coupang, and Temu require individuals to inquire directly for information on how to report counterfeit products, which is inconvenient.