Top 5 Products with Frequent Service Complaints
3,893 Complaints Received Over 3 Years... 1,309 Cases Last Year
Consumer damage caused by outsourcing shoe cleaning to service providers continues to occur, requiring caution.
The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 5th that from 2021 to last year, there were 3,893 consumer complaints related to shoe cleaning received at the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center, ranking it 5th among frequently occurring damage items in the goods-related service sector. By year, there were 1,252 cases in 2021, 1,332 cases in 2022, and 1,309 cases last year.
Consumer damages caused by outsourcing shoe cleaning to companies are continuously occurring. The photo shows shoes inside a washing machine. Stock photo. [Image source=Pixabay]
As a result of analyzing 685 shoe cleaning-related cases submitted to the Shoe Product Deliberation Committee by the Consumer Agency, 52.7% (361 cases) were judged to be the fault of the cleaning service providers, which was the highest. Next, 25.4% (174 cases) were the responsibility of the 'manufacturer and seller' due to product quality defects, 21.2% (145 cases) were classified as 'others' which cannot be considered the business operator's responsibility, and 0.7% (5 cases) were due to 'consumer misuse.'
Among these, an analysis of the 361 cases judged to be the responsibility of the cleaning service providers by defect type showed that 'inappropriate cleaning methods' accounted for 78.1% (282 cases), the highest. This was followed by 'excessive cleaning' at 12.7% (46 cases), and 'insufficient finishing' at 8.0% (29 cases). The Consumer Agency analyzed that the main reason for the high number of damages caused by inappropriate cleaning methods is that cleaners often clean without confirming the proper cleaning method.
To prevent related consumer damage, the Consumer Agency and the National Institute of Technology and Standards improved related notifications in March, encouraging businesses to affix and display key consumer information such as material and handling precautions on shoe products when manufacturing and selling them. Additionally, last month, they held a meeting with four major cleaning companies, recommending that they check precautions before shoe cleaning and notify consumers in advance to reduce disputes.
A representative from the Consumer Agency urged, "To prevent damage related to shoe cleaning, consumers should check the product condition and receive a receipt when outsourcing cleaning, and collect the cleaned items as soon as possible to check for any defects."
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