Seoul e-commerce center analyzes 359 complaints about overseas shopping sites

False advertising, refund refusals top the list of grievances

Clothing and fashion items account for 63.2% of cases

City urges consumers to verify seller details and keep transaction records

Examples of consumer harm from overseas online stores advertised on YouTube. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Examples of consumer harm from overseas online stores advertised on YouTube. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

More consumers are buying goods from overseas online stores through YouTube advertisements, but deliveries that differ from what was advertised are increasing, prompting warnings from city officials.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that consumer complaints are rising over overseas shopping sites promoted via YouTube — cases where shoppers receive low-quality products that do not match the advertisement, or lose contact with sellers and cannot obtain returns or refunds.

The Seoul e-commerce center and the Korea Consumer Agency said a combined 359 consultations were filed with the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center and the Seoul e-commerce center in the first half of 2026. Consultations in June alone reached 142, roughly 4.6 times the 31 recorded in January.

An analysis of complaint types found that "false or exaggerated advertising" — including delivery of low-quality products that did not match the advertisement — and "refusal of refunds or subscription cancellations" each accounted for 24.0 percent of cases, or 86 cases each. "Loss of contact with sellers," such as websites shutting down, followed at 21.7 percent (78 cases), with "delivery problems" at 13.4 percent (48 cases) and "excessive return shipping charges" at 11.4 percent (41 cases).

By product category, clothing and fashion items such as jackets and shoes accounted for the largest share at 63.2 percent of all cases (227 cases), followed by furniture, household and kitchen goods at 11.1 percent (40 cases) and health and hygiene products such as eyewear and shampoo at 10.6 percent (38 cases).

The average loss per case was 70,849 won ($51), and 88.9 percent of all cases (319 cases) involved transactions under 100,000 won. Victims were concentrated among middle-aged and older consumers. Among the 339 cases where age was confirmed, those in their 50s accounted for the largest share at 34.8 percent (118 cases), while those aged 60 and older made up 30.4 percent (103 cases).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government urged consumers not to make purchases based solely on advertisement content or discount rates when buying from overseas shopping sites found through YouTube ads. Shoppers should first verify the seller's identity — including business name, address and contact information — as well as return and refund policies. The city also stressed the importance of screenshotting advertisements, order details and payment records in advance as a precaution against potential disputes.

The city said it plans to strengthen monitoring of overseas shopping sites promoted through online advertising channels such as YouTube, working with the Korea Consumer Agency through the Seoul e-commerce center.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, 67.1 percent of all overseas direct-purchase complaints last year involved shopping sites accessed through Instagram or YouTube.

"As middle-aged and older consumers are using video platforms and social media more, related harm is also on the rise — shoppers must verify seller information before making a purchase," said Lee Yeon-hwa, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's fair economy division.


ikson@heraldcorp.com