LG Uplus receives most complaints among carriers

By Yoon Ja-young

Mobile communications service consumers are most dissatisfied with LG Uplus, the country’s smallest mobile carrier, a consumer report has shown. Among smartphone manufacturers, HTC had the largest number of consumer complaints.

This information was detailed in an online consumer report the Fair Trade Commission launched Wednesday to help consumers make knowledgeable decisions on a diverse range of products and services.

The report includes a wealth of data and statistics filed by the Korea Consumer Agency and other consumer groups.

According to the report, there were 335 cases of consumer complaints against mobile carriers filed with the Korea Consumer Agency from January to September last year, up 23 percent from a year ago. LG Uplus had the highest ratio of consumer complaints ― 7.1 cases per 1 million subscribers ― followed by KT with 6.3 and SK Telecom with 4.2.

One out of five complaints concerned mobile carriers’ not fulfilling the terms of the contract, such as providing free handsets Complaints due to poor call quality and unreasonable charges were also common.

The report also showed growing consumer complaints about smartphones. Among 910 complaints on mobile handsets filed at the agency, which was up 158.8 percent from a year ago, 83 percent concerned smartphones.

HTC consumers were the most dissatisfied, with 216.7 complaints per 1 million customers. Motorola followed with 160.4, and Pantech 68.8. Complaints against Samsung phones totaled 153, while those about Apple stood at 31.

The complainants were mostly dissatisfied with the poor call quality, with one out of three complaining about this, while another 17.8 percent pointed out button malfunctioning or the freezing of phones.

A wide variety of products and services were included in the report, such as home-study tutoring services, premium infant formulas and budget flight services.

FTC is also scheduled to issue a report on high-priced imported garments for kids and imported strollers. Foreign stroller brands, costing as much as 2 million won, have been popular among young moms here, but some doubt whether they are worth the price.

On the whole, some doubt whether the consumer report issued by the commission will be considered trustworthy. Consumer reports in other developed countries are mostly issued by private, unbiased groups, and have garnered trust over decades. The U.S. Consumer Report, for instance, is issued by an NGO whose operation is based solely on subscription fees. There is no room for the government or advertisers, i.e. big business, to exert influence.

The FTC, meanwhile, has recently been playing the role of an anti-inflation body. Last September, it supported a consumer group to issue a report on premium organic milk, according to which it showed no difference in quality compared with ordinary milk despite charging higher prices.

It has supported consumer groups to issue reports on a plethora of premium products, which concluded that these products are overpriced compared to their quality – raising suspicions that the consumer report issued by the agency may turn into influence on businesses to cut prices.