"Seafood Delivered by Courier Has Spoiled"...Airfare and Courier Damage Advisory Ahead of Chuseok Holiday

Fair Trade Commission and Consumer Agency Issue Damage Warning

A week before Chuseok, the largest traditional holiday, on the 10th, officials at the Dong Seoul Postal Logistics Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, are busy sorting Chuseok gifts and parcel deliveries. The Korea Post expects to receive approximately 19.25 million parcels ahead of this Chuseok and has initiated emergency operations at nationwide sorting centers and post offices until the 20th. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Office worker Mr. A sent a seafood gift set worth 350,000 won to his in-laws ahead of the Chuseok holiday. To prevent spoilage, he packed it in a styrofoam box with sufficient cold preservation and sent it via express delivery, but what his in-laws received was a damaged box with spoiled seafood. Mr. A raised an objection to the courier company, but the company refused compensation, saying "It is not our responsibility."

According to the Fair Trade Commission and others on the 10th, in the past three years (2021?2023), consumer damage relief cases reported to the Consumer Agency around the Chuseok holiday in September and October reached 590 cases related to airline tickets and 161 cases related to courier services. The mobile gift card damage status, which was announced annually due to the Timf incident, was not announced this time.

The Fair Trade Commission and the Consumer Agency pointed out, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, travel demand has recovered, leading to a surge in overseas travelers and an increase in consumer damage related to airline tickets. Also, with the preference for non-face-to-face and online transactions, consumers' use of courier services continues to increase, so caution is necessary."

To prevent consumer damage related to airline tickets, before booking, you should check the possibility of natural disasters at the travel destination and immigration policies, and carefully review refund regulations such as cancellation fees when purchasing. When changing or canceling airline tickets due to natural disasters at the travel destination, fees may be incurred unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel alert (level 3 or higher) or a special travel advisory, so caution is required.

In case of damage such as loss, damage, or delayed delivery of checked baggage, it is advisable to immediately visit the airline desk at the airport to obtain a damage confirmation certificate.

Also, around the holidays, courier volumes surge, causing delivery delays or damage to items, so it is better to request delivery with sufficient time. For products prone to spoilage or deterioration, such as food and agricultural products, use ‘express services’ to ensure arrival within a short period.

For transport items that may be damaged or broken, use sufficient cushioning materials for packaging, label them with ‘Fragile’ notices, and notify the courier company in advance. For high-value items worth over 500,000 won, notify in advance and pay additional fees or purchase insurance to ensure safe delivery or prepare for accidents. If the item price is not stated, the compensation limit may be restricted to 500,000 won.