The Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee of the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said on the 25th that it will launch a collective dispute mediation procedure over the installation of a kitchen system air conditioner at the Sincheon Station Efite apartment complex in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
The Sincheon Station Efite apartments are set to begin move-ins on the 30th. Consumers who bought the 111㎡ type or acquired it through a resale contract raised complaints, saying the installation location of the kitchen system air conditioner and the direction of the air outlet were built differently from the guidance they received during the contracting process.
The consumers applied to the committee for collective dispute mediation in Jul., demanding compensation for damages caused by the construction changes, such as reduced cooling performance, or rework.
The committee said it decided to open the collective dispute procedure after deliberation, noting that more than 50 consumers were harmed by construction differing from the contract and that the key issues in the case are essentially the same in fact or law.
Daou Development, the project developer, and HL D&I Halla, the builder, are the parties to the dispute mediation. Consumers may participate in the collective dispute mediation until the 14th of next month during the public notice period.
Han Yong-ho, chair of the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee, said, "Because this dispute arose at an apartment complex with move-in imminent, we will move quickly through the procedure and work to prepare a reasonable mediation plan."