"Ordered 24 Items, but Received 24 Boxes?"... Frustration After Rocket Delivery

A product review left by a customer on Coupang last May was belatedly spotlighted on an online community on the 26th. [Photo by Online Community Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A post criticizing Coupang’s excessive packaging went viral late after a customer ordered 24 items from the e-commerce company and received 24 separate boxes. Some argue that this packaging method is inevitable to enable Coupang’s Rocket Delivery service.

On the 26th, an online community revisited a product review left by a customer in May. Customer A ordered 24 meal replacement products for weight control from a confectionery company and was shocked when the items arrived.

All 24 products were delivered in 24 individual boxes, resulting in a total of 24 boxes.

A said, "Are you kidding me? I usually don’t write reviews, but I’m so frustrated and angry that I have to write this. I ordered 24 items, so why are they delivered in 24 separate boxes?"

He continued, "The products aren’t bulky, and the boxes aren’t small. They could have fit all 24 items in one box with room to spare, so why deliver 24 boxes? Even if it’s partial delivery, what is this?"

He added, "Unpacking the boxes and removing the shipping labels wasted energy and time, and it was a needless waste of resources. Where should I report this? I really think this is unacceptable," criticizing the practice.

A attached photos of the delivered boxes along with the review. The photos showed a large box with a single small product inside, and the living room space, presumably A’s home, filled with 24 boxes.

A Coupang vehicle is passing by Coupang Seocho 1 Delivery Camp in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Netizens who saw this commented, "This is a serious waste of resources," "When I order from Coupang, I also get more than ten separate deliveries, which makes recycling difficult," "Coupang’s excessive packaging has always been a problem," and "This is almost like a box terrorism."

However, some netizens argued that this is an unavoidable aspect of Coupang’s Rocket Delivery system.

One netizen with experience working at a Coupang logistics center explained, "They send items individually packaged like that so they can arrive quickly. If you don’t like that, you have to order combined packaging and accept slower delivery."

Another netizen said, "The products are already packaged, and when an order comes in, they just attach the shipping label and send it out immediately, which is why Rocket Delivery is fast. If a person had to check each order and pack items together, it wouldn’t be fast. If you don’t like that, you have to give up Rocket Delivery."