Korea Consumer Agency, Analysis Results of Consultations Over the Past 6 Years
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Recently, consumers who contracted beauty and plastic surgery medical services as a package and prepaid the full treatment cost have suffered damages by not receiving refunds for the remaining treatment fees due to the sudden closure of medical institutions, raising the need for caution.
On the 1st, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that an analysis of 1,452 consultations related to medical institution closures received by the '1372 Consumer Counseling Center' from 2016 to last September showed that 70% were related to refunds of prepaid treatment fees, the highest proportion.
According to the Medical Service Act, medical institutions planning to temporarily close or shut down must post related notices in places visible to patients and guardians, as well as on their websites, at least 14 days before the scheduled closure date. However, some medical institutions failed to comply and suddenly closed, causing consumers who had contracted packages and prepaid to suffer damages by not receiving refunds for the remaining treatment fees. There were also cases where notices were posted but consumers did not visit within the specified period, resulting in damages.
The Consumer Agency advised that to prevent related damages, if the treatment period is long, costs should be paid in stages, and if prepayment is unavoidable, consumers should receive and keep a copy of the contract. They also stated that when paying by credit card installment, consumers can refuse to pay the remaining installments and should promptly notify the card company.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
