"Service Termination as of August 31" Unilateral Notice
Shopping Mall Contact Cut Off... Hundreds of Victims in Open Chat Room
Allets, an online shopping mall selling furniture and home appliances, suddenly announced the termination of its operations.
According to Yonhap News on the 18th, Allets posted a notice on its homepage on the 16th stating, "Due to unavoidable business circumstances, we inform you that the service will be terminated as of August 31." Interstella Co., Ltd., which operates Allets, was established in 2015 and has been conducting business by combining media content with a premium shopping platform. Its headquarters is located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The company entered the e-commerce business in 2020, promoting itself as a premium curated shop and has been selling various products online, including furniture, home appliances, interior accessories, and daily necessities.
Sellers and customers on Allets have reported being "unable to contact the shopping mall" and have opened a victim support open chat room. As of 6 p.m. on the 18th, about 400 consumers have joined the consumer group, and more than 300 members have joined the partner company victim group.
An email sent by the CEO of Interstella to employees, shared by the victims, stated, "Just 2 to 3 days ago, we thought we could somehow endure and overcome the various situations that started with Timf," and "The last investment discussed recently was finally canceled on August 15, making it impossible to continue operating the company."
Customers who were notified of delivery suspension after placing orders are urging prompt refunds, including credit card payment cancellations. Sellers and consumers are concerned that Allets' business suspension could lead to a "second Tmon and Wemakeprice incident" due to unsettled payments and delayed refunds. Allets' sellers claim that the mid-term settlement date was the 16th, but payments have not been made yet, estimating that unsettled amounts could reach hundreds of billions of won.
Kim (36), who purchased 2 million won worth of TVs, washing machines, and dryers from Allets on the 2nd, told Yonhap News, "I suddenly received a text message from Lotte Hi-Mart stating that delivery was suspended due to the termination of Allets Shop service." Kim had ordered Lotte Hi-Mart linked products from Allets to be delivered to his new home on the 21st, ahead of his move. However, on the 17th, he received a delivery suspension message from Hi-Mart and learned about Allets' business closure. He said, "I cannot reach Allets customer center by phone or KakaoTalk inquiry," and added, "I am very worried that I might not get a refund, just like the Timf incident."
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