[Matjalal X-File] "Where Did the Strawberry on the Drink Go?"... Menu Very Different from Advertisement, How to Handle It

Consumers Confused by Discrepancy Between Ad Photos and Actual Products
Possible to Report as Fair Trade Commission's Misleading Advertisement Violation
However, Low Results Compared to Effort Make It an Unrealistic Solution

"This is nothing like the advertisement photos."

Won Nari (pseudonym), a 30-something office worker living in Seoul, was greatly disappointed recently when she received a 'Strawberry Milk Tea' she ordered at a franchise cafe in Gangnam. Unlike the advertisement, there was not a single decorative strawberry on top of the drink, where there should have been plenty. For Won, who considers buying pretty and delicious desserts a 'sohwakhaeng' (small but certain happiness), she hesitated but finally asked the staff, "Why are there no strawberries on top of the drink?" The startled staff replied, "We gave you plenty," and handed her a cup with strawberries separately.

Beverage in the advertisement photo and the actual beverage received by Mr. Wonnari (pseudonym)

After receiving the report, we contacted the franchise headquarters directly. They responded that it is clearly stated and notified to franchise stores that decorative strawberries must be placed on top of the strawberry milk tea. This case appears to be a situation where the franchise store did not properly follow the headquarters' manual.

Pizzas with insufficient toppings, burgers that are deeply squished, cream buns lacking cream, chicken with too little seasoning….

There is probably no consumer who has never eaten food that looked different from the advertisement. Different makers and varying sizes of ingredients each time make this inevitable. Most people do not expect the food to look exactly like the photo. For example, if a cake has a large strawberry on top in the photo, they might tolerate fewer strawberries in reality.

But what if the food that arrives is completely different from expectations? Many people would struggle internally whether to complain or not. Especially consumers who find it difficult to express dissatisfaction might just eat the food and leave the store, worried about being labeled a 'difficult customer.' They might silently think, "I will never come back," while suppressing their anger.

The ideal solution would be to make a legitimate complaint like Won did and receive food closer to what was expected. However, sometimes when complaints are raised, the response can be defensive, saying "Actual food and advertisement images may differ."

At this point, consumers have a system they can use. They can report violations of the 'Labeling and Advertising Act' to the Fair Trade Commission. According to Article 3, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Labeling and Advertising Act, acts of advertising that are false or excessively exaggerated can be subject to corrective measures and even imprisonment. In fact, in 2017, the Fair Trade Commission issued a corrective order and a fine of 26 million KRW to Juicee for falsely advertising a product as '1L fresh fruit juice' when the volume was less than 1L.

However, since food prices are relatively low, spending time and effort on reporting to the Fair Trade Commission is not a practical option. Most people are unlikely to even try. If the problematic restaurant is a franchise, there is a relatively easy way to communicate opinions to the headquarters and receive compensation. This is by filing a complaint directly through the customer center or cyber complaint system operated on the website.

When a complaint is received, the headquarters investigates the facts through the business department and provides feedback to the consumer. If the complaint is a legitimate report to avoid being a 'sucker customer' rather than an unreasonable demand, the headquarters welcomes it as part of 'franchisee guidance,' so be sure to remember this.