Chanel, Hermes, Rolex and other luxury brands
Disappeared after taking money claiming to buy luxury goods
Over 200 victims... Reported closure after being sued
A case has occurred in a Naver proxy purchasing cafe with nearly 400,000 members, where someone took payment for luxury goods on behalf of customers but did not send the items, keeping only the money. The police are currently investigating.
The incident was carried out by Mr. Lee, one of several proxy purchasing agents active in this cafe. There are about 200 victims, and the estimated damage amount is approximately 1.5 billion KRW. This means the average damage per person is about 7.5 million KRW.
About 70 victims have hired lawyers and taken legal action against Mr. Lee. The victims claim they raised the issue with the cafe management but no measures were taken.
Mr. Lee mainly purchased high-priced brands such as Chanel, Herm?s, and Rolex, which are difficult to obtain domestically, from overseas and shipped them internationally. Therefore, the damage amount per person reached up to tens of millions of KRW.
Mr. Lee delayed sending the goods by making excuses such as "the items are out of stock overseas and we are waiting for restock" or "the items are held up at customs and cannot be imported."
Most victims reportedly intended to purchase expensive products for wedding gifts or presents for acquaintances.
Mr. Lee additionally demanded a 4% card fee, so most victims paid in cash. If payment had been made by credit card, they could have exercised payment suspension or installment defense rights, but in the case of cash, the only remedy is a civil lawsuit.
Mr. Lee continued to accept orders until just before the problem surfaced, but suddenly filed for business closure after victims submitted a complaint to the Namyangju Southern Police Station on the 20th.
There are also claims that the cafe management exacerbated the damage by not taking active measures. When victims protested, asking, "How will you take responsibility for the second and third wave of victims because the management did not penalize the seller?" the cafe responded, "Penalties are a matter for the management to handle," and "If you are dissatisfied, please shop at department stores."
Belatedly, the cafe management posted a notice on the 21st stating, "We are considering finding a settlement with the victims," but members are demanding clarification, saying it is "an ambiguous statement" and asking, "If a settlement cannot be reached, will the management take responsibility and compensate?"
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