[Editor’s Note] We aim to go a step further. The investigative team at Aju Economy, 'Balpum,' consists of reporters in their 20s and 30s who engage directly with people to record their voices and experiences. We track all issues related to economy, industry, politics, society, real estate, and culture, focusing on the realities of life. Problems have always existed but often remain hidden and unreported. 'Balpum' seeks to reveal the unseen and amplify unheard voices by verifying and persistently questioning. We will walk to places readers cannot reach.
"Now I take a deep breath before answering the phone"
New business owners, eager to start fresh, are becoming targets for advertising agencies. These scammers impersonate official advertising agencies from portal sites, exploiting the anxiety of new entrepreneurs to push for high-value contracts.
On June 5, the Aju Economy investigative team met with Im Da-eun, the owner of a café called 'Seung-ryong's House' in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. On the very first day of her café's opening, a phone call resulted in a charge of 2,376,000 won. After two months of fighting against the company's attempts to avoid refunds and delay the process, she finally received a full refund.
The incident began on the day Im opened her café in March. Within a minute of registering her store's location and phone number on 'Naver Place,' she received a call from a marketing company claiming to be an 'official Naver agency.' They promised to ensure her café appeared at the top of search results for terms like 'Gangdong-gu café' and 'Cheonho-dong café.'
Having just completed her military service, Im was anxious about sales and managing her café. The company exploited this vulnerability, insisting, "You can't afford not to spend on advertising at the start," and "Are you going to quit after just a year of running the café?" pressuring her to sign a contract.
While she only partially understood the rapid-fire explanations, Im ended up providing her credit card number. At the end of the call, they also requested her Naver ID and password. Feeling uneasy, she clearly stated, "Please do not proceed with anything," and hung up. However, the calls from the company continued throughout the day.
A group chat was even created that included Im and the company's employees. Despite her repeated refusals to contract during her commute home, the payment had already been processed. After a hectic first month, Im checked her credit card statement and found the payment had been deducted. An email she received after the transaction included a 'registration confirmation' document, indicating a three-year contract with a total amount of 2,376,000 won, payable in 12 monthly installments.
Im had not even received a detailed explanation of the service. The company sent the 'registration confirmation' contract only after the payment was completed. When she protested, they delayed their response, dragging out the process. After continued demands for a refund, they offered to refund her minus a 20% cancellation fee. Im argued that she had not received any service and could not pay a cancellation fee, ultimately securing a promise for a '100% refund.'
However, the refund never materialized. The company cited their internal system as a reason to ask her to wait until the 15th of the following month. By the end of April, they unilaterally deposited only the amount minus a 20% cancellation fee, citing an 'advertising setup fee' that Im had never heard of.
When she protested again, the representative claimed, "I am just a marketing staff member and do not have the authority in the system," and transferred her call to a supervisor. The new staff members asked Im to explain her situation from the beginning. They then suggested, "Let’s settle amicably with a 10% cancellation fee."
Im expressed her anger not just over the amount but also over the company's handling of the situation. She sent a formal notice to the company and filed a complaint with the Korea Consumer Agency's Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee. However, the committee's decisions lack enforcement power, making it difficult to execute if the company refuses. The credit card company also expressed reluctance, stating that they cannot cancel online advertising expenses on their own.
Im found a breakthrough through a complaint to the Financial Supervisory Service. She detailed the lack of proactive measures from the credit card company regarding the unexpected charge. The pressure from the Financial Supervisory Service on the credit card company, in turn, pressured the advertising agency. Only then did the company begin to take action. After filing her complaint with the Financial Supervisory Service at the end of April, Im received the remaining amount in May.
Throughout her ordeal, Im experienced intense feelings of self-blame. She said, "I felt like I was at fault for being inadequate or not knowing enough, which made my hands tremble and affected me mentally." However, by sharing her experience on social media, she discovered that many other small business owners had faced similar situations and had given up on refunds.
She advised other small business owners who have suffered similar fates, saying, "Do not feel guilty at all. It’s not that you are lacking; they are the ones who are ruthless. If you fight back without giving up, you will definitely get your money back."
Im emphasized the importance of recording all calls with the company. She stated, "Having a recording that confirms a refund promise or shows that payment was made without a detailed explanation is the strongest evidence when filing a complaint later." She also suggested that utilizing complaints to the Financial Supervisory Service could be an effective solution.
Although she did not record the first call due to the chaos, she recorded all subsequent conversations with the company. She documented everything from the promise of a '100% refund' to the calls where she pressed them for details after they changed their story and deducted the cancellation fee.
She noted, "The recordings I collected became the strongest weapon to prove the unfairness during the complaint process with the Financial Supervisory Service and the credit card company. You must keep evidence from the very first call."
To reduce exposure to advertising calls, she advised separating personal mobile numbers from business phone numbers. Im explained, "If you use your personal phone number when registering on Naver Place, agencies will save your number and bombard you with messages day and night, wearing you down."
She added, "Since you have to answer all calls from unknown numbers, it’s safer to have a separate landline or dedicated business number." After her experience with the advertising agency, Im has also changed her phone habits. When she receives calls from unknown numbers, she no longer rushes to answer. Instead, she takes a moment to breathe and check her call recording first.
The in-depth investigative report tracking the deceptive practices of advertising agencies targeting small business owners will continue in '[Aju Investigative Report] "Advertising Costs 0 Won" but Scamming Hundreds of Thousands of Won... Advertising Agencies That Hurt Small Business Owners.'
New business owners, eager to start fresh, are becoming targets for advertising agencies. These scammers impersonate official advertising agencies from portal sites, exploiting the anxiety of new entrepreneurs to push for high-value contracts.
On June 5, the Aju Economy investigative team met with Im Da-eun, the owner of a café called 'Seung-ryong's House' in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. On the very first day of her café's opening, a phone call resulted in a charge of 2,376,000 won. After two months of fighting against the company's attempts to avoid refunds and delay the process, she finally received a full refund.
The incident began on the day Im opened her café in March. Within a minute of registering her store's location and phone number on 'Naver Place,' she received a call from a marketing company claiming to be an 'official Naver agency.' They promised to ensure her café appeared at the top of search results for terms like 'Gangdong-gu café' and 'Cheonho-dong café.'
Having just completed her military service, Im was anxious about sales and managing her café. The company exploited this vulnerability, insisting, "You can't afford not to spend on advertising at the start," and "Are you going to quit after just a year of running the café?" pressuring her to sign a contract.
While she only partially understood the rapid-fire explanations, Im ended up providing her credit card number. At the end of the call, they also requested her Naver ID and password. Feeling uneasy, she clearly stated, "Please do not proceed with anything," and hung up. However, the calls from the company continued throughout the day.
A group chat was even created that included Im and the company's employees. Despite her repeated refusals to contract during her commute home, the payment had already been processed. After a hectic first month, Im checked her credit card statement and found the payment had been deducted. An email she received after the transaction included a 'registration confirmation' document, indicating a three-year contract with a total amount of 2,376,000 won, payable in 12 monthly installments.
Im had not even received a detailed explanation of the service. The company sent the 'registration confirmation' contract only after the payment was completed. When she protested, they delayed their response, dragging out the process. After continued demands for a refund, they offered to refund her minus a 20% cancellation fee. Im argued that she had not received any service and could not pay a cancellation fee, ultimately securing a promise for a '100% refund.'
However, the refund never materialized. The company cited their internal system as a reason to ask her to wait until the 15th of the following month. By the end of April, they unilaterally deposited only the amount minus a 20% cancellation fee, citing an 'advertising setup fee' that Im had never heard of.
When she protested again, the representative claimed, "I am just a marketing staff member and do not have the authority in the system," and transferred her call to a supervisor. The new staff members asked Im to explain her situation from the beginning. They then suggested, "Let’s settle amicably with a 10% cancellation fee."
Im expressed her anger not just over the amount but also over the company's handling of the situation. She sent a formal notice to the company and filed a complaint with the Korea Consumer Agency's Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee. However, the committee's decisions lack enforcement power, making it difficult to execute if the company refuses. The credit card company also expressed reluctance, stating that they cannot cancel online advertising expenses on their own.
Im found a breakthrough through a complaint to the Financial Supervisory Service. She detailed the lack of proactive measures from the credit card company regarding the unexpected charge. The pressure from the Financial Supervisory Service on the credit card company, in turn, pressured the advertising agency. Only then did the company begin to take action. After filing her complaint with the Financial Supervisory Service at the end of April, Im received the remaining amount in May.
Throughout her ordeal, Im experienced intense feelings of self-blame. She said, "I felt like I was at fault for being inadequate or not knowing enough, which made my hands tremble and affected me mentally." However, by sharing her experience on social media, she discovered that many other small business owners had faced similar situations and had given up on refunds.
She advised other small business owners who have suffered similar fates, saying, "Do not feel guilty at all. It’s not that you are lacking; they are the ones who are ruthless. If you fight back without giving up, you will definitely get your money back."
Im emphasized the importance of recording all calls with the company. She stated, "Having a recording that confirms a refund promise or shows that payment was made without a detailed explanation is the strongest evidence when filing a complaint later." She also suggested that utilizing complaints to the Financial Supervisory Service could be an effective solution.
Although she did not record the first call due to the chaos, she recorded all subsequent conversations with the company. She documented everything from the promise of a '100% refund' to the calls where she pressed them for details after they changed their story and deducted the cancellation fee.
She noted, "The recordings I collected became the strongest weapon to prove the unfairness during the complaint process with the Financial Supervisory Service and the credit card company. You must keep evidence from the very first call."
To reduce exposure to advertising calls, she advised separating personal mobile numbers from business phone numbers. Im explained, "If you use your personal phone number when registering on Naver Place, agencies will save your number and bombard you with messages day and night, wearing you down."
She added, "Since you have to answer all calls from unknown numbers, it’s safer to have a separate landline or dedicated business number." After her experience with the advertising agency, Im has also changed her phone habits. When she receives calls from unknown numbers, she no longer rushes to answer. Instead, she takes a moment to breathe and check her call recording first.
The in-depth investigative report tracking the deceptive practices of advertising agencies targeting small business owners will continue in '[Aju Investigative Report] "Advertising Costs 0 Won" but Scamming Hundreds of Thousands of Won... Advertising Agencies That Hurt Small Business Owners.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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