Coupang decided to give compensation coupons worth 50,000 won to all customers affected by the personal data leak, but a warning has emerged from the legal community not to use the coupons.
Ilro, a law firm pursuing a damages lawsuit against Coupang, posted a warning on the class-action participants' online forum on the 29th. Ilro noted that the proposed compensation is not cash but a discount applicable only when purchasing the company's products. The firm said this is a responsibility-evading measure aimed at minimizing Coupang's expense burden while inducing additional customer spending.
In particular, the 50,000 won coupons are split into four categories, effectively forcing at least four separate purchases to receive the full benefit. Critics say it encourages excessive spending.
The most concerning point is the potential restriction of legal rights. Ilro warned that the terms and conditions may include a "no-suit settlement clause" stating that "all compensation is deemed complete with this remedy, and no civil or criminal objections will be raised in the future" when the coupon is used.
A no-suit settlement is a legal term meaning that, because the parties have amicably compromised, they will not raise any civil or criminal objections thereafter. Once such a settlement is formed, plaintiffs may be disadvantaged in subsequent damages suits or have their participation restricted.
There was also concern that if Coupang's automatic coupon-application system uses a coupon regardless of the user's intent, the damages amount calculated later could be reduced. Accordingly, Ilro asked customers to refrain from using the coupons, as disadvantages may occur without their knowledge.
Earlier, Coupang said it takes full responsibility for the personal data leak and announced it would provide coupons worth 50,000 won per person to all 33.7 million customers who received leak notifications for their accounts.