Conditions Focused on Recipients, Not Payers
Compatible Only with Some KT Devices
LG Uplus Partnership Pending... Not Available for MVNOs
Consumer Complaints Over 'Insufficient Prior Explanation'
[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] SK Telecom’s ‘Visible Coloring’ V Coloring service, launched last year, has attracted nearly one million subscribers within six months of its release, but complaints about the service continue. The usage conditions are very strict, not only for the recipients who are the users but also for the caller’s telecom carrier and device model, yet there are criticisms that prior guidance is insufficient.
According to industry sources on the 19th, the current eligible users for V Coloring are limited to SK Telecom customers who can use the T Phone service and KT customers using certain compatible latest devices such as the Galaxy Note20 and Galaxy S21 series. LG Uplus is scheduled to partner in the first half of this year, so usage is currently unavailable, and MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) users cannot use the service either. For devices, iPhones can only set up the service but cannot view the V Coloring screen itself.
Since smooth cooperation between telecom carriers is essential due to the nature of the coloring product, consumer dissatisfaction has increased due to these restrictions. Many users have expressed inconvenience in reviews of the official V Coloring app. One user, identifying as a KT customer, claimed, “There was no proper notification or explanation that ‘Galaxy Note9’ is not supported, and it feels like they just want to take money by making me subscribe,” stating they were not properly informed. Another user also complained, “The coloring itself does not apply. I called with a Galaxy S21, but neither the video nor the music changed.”
SK Telecom provides regular voice coloring as an alternative when V Coloring is unavailable. However, this results in infringement on the rights of consumers who initially chose the service. Even then, the coloring that plays is not the one selected by the consumer but the default coloring called T Ring. The price difference is also more than threefold between V Coloring (3,300 KRW) and regular coloring (990 KRW) based on the normal price before discount promotions.
V Coloring, which utilizes short-form videos, started service on September 24 last year and attracted over 500,000 subscribers within 50 days of launch. This year, SK Telecom has continued to draw attention by running a 100 KRW event as part of its marketing drive for five major subscription products. SK Telecom recently opened V Studio at the Hongdae T Factory, where users can create their own personalized coloring.
An SK Telecom official explained, “It took about a year from the launch of the world’s first coloring service by SK Telecom to establish partnerships with other telecom carriers,” adding, “Since partnerships with other companies are not easy, service improvement work is still ongoing.”
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