By Park Si-soo
Korea’s four largest social commerce services providers were fined for selling fake goods while promoting them as genuine ones imported from Japan, the state fair trade regulator said Tuesday.
The companies involved were ordered to stop selling the products and post a letter of apology on the front page of their websites for five days.
The companies in question are Ticket Monster, Coupang, We Make Price and Groupon, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). The companies were slapped with a total of 23 million won ($21,600) fine, the FTC said.
It said the companies had sold low-quality cosmetic brushes while promoting them as high-quality products manufactured by Japan’s famous brand Alty. The demand for the item surged among fashion-conscious women after it appeared on TV home shopping programs, the regulator said.
Nearly 1,600 fake brushes were sold through the companies for around 50,000 won ($47) each between June and July last year.
A captured image of an advertisement for the fake products, attached in the FTC press release, says the brushes were manufactured by Japan’s Alty and imported directly.
The ad says the products were invested in after a two-year-long research and development program involving many cosmetic and skin-care experts.
FTC officials warned many products up for sale at social commerce websites are promoted with wrong information about their origin, manufacturer and other specifications, calling for users to check them thoroughly before purchasing them.
They said buyers of fake brushes are entitled to seek compensation that is up to double the price set for the products. The rule is applied to all items available at social commerce websites, they said.