KT, Massive Cancellations of Galaxy S25 Pre-orders... Pre-order Customers Express Frustration

"First 1,000 Customers Only" Notice Delivered After the Fact

Samsung Electronics' new flagship smartphone Galaxy S25 has begun pre-orders through carriers, but carrier KT has been embroiled in controversy over unilateral cancellations of pre-order registrations.

Yonhap News

On the 24th, when Galaxy S25 pre-orders started, various online communities actively shared information posts about where to get the best pre-order benefits. Among them, information was shared that KT offered the best discount benefits, and it was explained that ordering through KT Mall would allow customers to purchase at the lowest price by applying various coupons and used phone trade-in compensations. In particular, it was added that participating in events held for some YouTubers' subscribers would increase the discount even further, leading pre-order customers to flock to KT until January 25.

KT.com left a comment on the YouTube channel that collaborated on the event. Screenshot of the YouTube channel

However, on the afternoon of the 25th, KT sent text messages to those who participated late in the pre-order, informing them that their reservations had been canceled. The message stated, "The Galaxy S25 pre-order you applied for was canceled due to the omission of the 'limited to the first 1,000 customers' notice, and since the first-come, first-served registration ended early, it will be inevitably canceled." KT also announced in an apology statement that "a Naver Pay gift certificate worth 30,000 KRW will be provided as compensation for the canceled reservations."

Consumers raised suspicions that KT canceled only the orders placed on the 25th while leaving those who pre-ordered by the 24th untouched because the marketing costs became difficult to bear. They even demanded explanations from the YouTubers who held subscriber events, saying "Reveal the truth." The YouTuber who conducted the event also apologized, saying, "We were not aware of the participant limit in advance," and "We did not realize the first-come, first-served participant designation during the negotiation process with KT."

The customers whose pre-orders were canceled expressed their frustration, saying, "A company like KT operates in a haphazard manner."