Discount subscriptions put money, personal data at risk, experts warn
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Subscriptions to services such as Netflix and YouTube Premium cost an average of 65 percent less when bought through unofficial resellers, but buyers risk losing their accounts, their money and their personal data, a cybersecurity firm said Monday.
Netherlands-based Surfshark compared official prices for 10 popular subscription services, including Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium and Duolingo, with prices on resale platforms. Resold subscriptions averaged about 6,200 won ($4.60) a month, compared with about 17,600 won through official channels. That is a saving of about 11,400 won a month, or more than 130,000 won a year.
Resellers typically sell shared accounts or access to them, often at prices far below official rates.
The study found that eight of the 10 services required a minimum 12-month commitment on resale platforms, and the other two required at least six months. Buyers who lose access before the term ends may have to rely on the reseller for help or a refund.
Some platforms also asked for more personal information than needed. One asked for a buyer’s name, address, postal code and email address, and another for a name, country and WhatsApp number.
“A deal promising to save about 130,000 won a year can turn into a loss of about 67,000 won the very next day,” said Tomas Stamulis, Surfshark’s chief security officer. He added that some buyers find within a day or two that their account was already being used by someone else.
Stamulis advised consumers to buy only from official websites or verified partners, avoid long prepayments to unknown sellers and give out as little personal information as possible.
Complaints have risen in Korea as well. Consultations on shared YouTube Premium accounts at the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center, a city-run consumer protection body, jumped from seven in 2023 to 229 in 2024 and 488 in 2025. The center received 202 more from January to August this year.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.