[MyDaily = Reporter Bang Geum-suk] As solo and independent international travel surges, disputes over OTAs canceling bookings unfairly and using misleading price displays are on the rise.
On the 24th, the Korea Consumer Agency reviewed 200 listings from six major OTAs (Interpark Tour, MyRealTrip, Wag, KKday, Klook, and Triple). It found 246 consumer complaints filed between 2022 and August of last year, with cases increasing year over year.
The top complaint was contract non-fulfillment—services that didn’t match the advertised itinerary—making up 28.0% (69 cases).
Close behind were last-minute contract cancellations—notifications right before a tour that it couldn’t proceed due to missing names on the reservation list or not meeting the minimum participant requirement—at 26.4% (65 cases). Another 25.6% (63 cases) involved withdrawal-of-offer disputes, where refunds were refused after purchase.
Under current standard terms for overseas travel, travel companies must notify consumers at least seven days before departure if they cancel a contract because the minimum participant number wasn’t met.
But when the agency analyzed the 22 listings that disclosed a minimum participant requirement, it found that 72.7% (16 listings) either sent cancellation notices only 1–3 days before departure or had no notification standard at all.
Deceptive pricing was widespread, too: 20.5% (41 listings) showed child fares as the headline price or presented optional add-ons as if they were the base price.
The Consumer Agency asked operators to comply with the seven-day cancellation notice, display the total price on the first screen, and establish clear refund rules for force majeure events like natural disasters.
An agency official urged travelers to check cancellation-notice periods and refund policies and to double-check the final payment amount for any product that requires a minimum number of participants.
