South Korean tax refund platforms face surge in consumer complaints

Consumer complaints regarding tax agency platforms have surged in South Korea, with inquiries increasing more than sevenfold compared to the same month last year. According to an analysis by the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korea Consumer Council for September, 281 consultations were filed regarding tax agency services, a 726.5% increase from 34 consultations in September of the previous year.

The primary cause of the dissatisfaction involves unexpected or excessive fee charges. In some instances, platforms reportedly charged fees for tax refunds that consumers had already obtained by filing directly with the National Tax Service. One consumer reported that after checking a potential refund amount on an app and subsequently filing independently, the platform claimed the refund was a result of its service and demanded payment, refusing to refund the fee once the consumer contested it.

Other sectors also saw rising complaint rates, including plastic surgery clinics regarding contract cancellations and penalties, fruit products due to quality issues following the Chuseok holiday, wedding services, and courier delivery services.