{"coverage_note":"Five discrepancy categories were assessed for Coupang.com. Pricing (discrepancy_pricing): A verified finding was made \u2014 the KFTC issued a June 2026 fine and corrective order confirming that Coupang's 'WOW Member Price' labels concealed a mandatory coupon step, creating a gap between advertised and actual checkout prices. Policy (discrepancy_policy): A verified finding was made \u2014 a November 2024 Korea Times report and a KFTC regulatory action documented in ICLG's 2026 Korea Consumer Protection report both confirm Coupang unilaterally narrowed its return policy in ways that contradict its previously advertised unconditional 30-day terms. Availability (discrepancy_availability): No verified, Coupang-specific evidence of ghost inventory or bait-and-switch availability issues was found; searches returned only unrelated results. Identity (discrepancy_identity): No hidden or deceptive merchant-of-record practices were found; Coupang's marketplace structure and intermediary role are disclosed in its Terms of Use, which is standard. Undisclosed constraints (discrepancy_undisclosed_constraint): No verified evidence of hidden checkout gates, mid-transaction capability failures, or undisclosed purchase restrictions was found; KFTC search-ranking fines and a 2025 data breach were surfaced but do not constitute transactional constraints.","human_handoff_required_for":[{"action":"Escalate to a human when the checkout price for a 'WOW Member Price' item is higher than the price displayed on the product listing page, because Coupang has been found by the KFTC to require a separate one-time coupon to actually reach the advertised WOW Member Price \u2014 meaning the agent cannot assume the browsed price will apply at checkout without explicit coupon application and user confirmation of the final amount.","evidence":[{"description":"South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined Coupang 500 million KRW in June 2026 and issued a corrective order after finding that 'WOW Member Price' labels concealed the requirement to apply a one-time coupon, making the displayed price unavailable at checkout without that separate step.","reference":"https://www.ftc.go.kr/"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"},{"action":"Escalate to a human before completing any purchase where the user's intent depends on being able to return the item, specifically for electronics (if the item may be powered on), cosmetics (which now require a dermatologist's prescription for return), or apparel without intact price tags \u2014 because Coupang unilaterally narrowed its return policy in November 2024 in ways that contradict the unconditional 30-day return policy it historically advertised and that may have influenced the user's purchase decision.","evidence":[{"description":"A November 2024 Korea Times report confirmed Coupang introduced major new return restrictions without adequate prior notice, including barring returns of powered-on electronics and requiring medical documentation for cosmetics returns, directly contradicting the previously advertised unconditional 30-day return policy.","reference":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/"},{"description":"The ICLG 2026 Korea Consumer Protection report documents a KFTC regulatory finding that Coupang interfered with consumers' statutory cancellation rights through deceptive means.","reference":"https://iclg.com/practice-areas/consumer-protection-laws-and-regulations/korea"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"},{"action":"Escalate to a human if a return or refund dispute arises on a Coupang third-party marketplace transaction where Coupang asserts it is only an intermediary and disclaims liability, because the platform's Terms of Use (under C-Pass Co., Ltd.) explicitly deflect responsibility for buyer-seller disputes to the third-party seller, creating ambiguity about who holds the payment obligation and who the agent should engage to resolve the issue.","evidence":[{"description":"Coupang's Marketplace Terms of Use (effective January 14, 2025, issued under C-Pass Co., Ltd.) explicitly state that Coupang acts as an intermediary and disclaims liability for disputes between buyers and third-party sellers, meaning the merchant of record and the dispute resolution counterparty may not be Coupang itself.","reference":"https://www.coupang.com/np/member/join/termsOfService"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"}],"record_verification":{"last_checked_agentic_scan":"2026-06-30","last_checked_human_verified":null},"vendor_id":"coupang","verified_discrepancies":[{"actuals":"South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) found that from August 2020 to May 2022, Coupang concealed that the 'WOW Member Price' was only accessible by applying a one-time coupon issued to paid members \u2014 not a persistent membership discount. The price shown at the point of browse was therefore not the price available at checkout without the coupon, misleading consumers about the actual cost. Coupang was fined 500 million KRW and issued a corrective order in June 2026.","discrepancy_start_date_est":"August 2020 (violation period confirmed by regulator as August 26, 2020 \u2013 May 15, 2022; corrective order issued June 2026)","evidence":[{"description":"The KFTC announced on June 9, 2026 that it had issued a corrective order and 500 million won fine against Coupang for deceptive 'WOW Member Price' advertising, ruling the practice constituted deceptive advertising under Korea's Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.","reference":"https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026060909050808320"}],"interim_guidance":"When transacting on Coupang as a WOW member, do not assume that the 'WOW Member Price' displayed on a product listing is automatically the price at checkout. Verify at checkout whether a one-time coupon must be explicitly applied to reach that price, and confirm the final total before completing purchase. If the checkout total is higher than the listed WOW Member Price, do not proceed without user confirmation of the actual price.","last_checked_date":"2026-06-30","status":"remediation_claimed_not_reverified","type":"pricing_discrepancy","vendor_claim":"Coupang displays 'WOW Member Price' labels on its platform, implying that these reduced prices are a standing, ongoing benefit available to paid WOW membership subscribers."},{"actuals":"South Korea's Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) found in a regulatory action that Coupang interfered with consumers' rights to cancel contracts through deceptive means. Separately, in November 2024 Coupang unilaterally narrowed its return policy mid-service without clear prior notice to existing members: electronics that have been powered on are now ineligible for return, cosmetics require a dermatologist's prescription document, and apparel without price tags is excluded \u2014 conditions that contradict the previously stated unconditional 30-day policy that attracted many paying subscribers.","discrepancy_start_date_est":"November 2024 (policy restriction); KFTC cancellation interference finding predates this","evidence":[{"description":"ICLG's 2026 Korea Consumer Protection report documents a KFTC regulatory action in which Coupang was found to have 'interfered with consumers' cancellation of contracts by deceptive means' and was issued corrective orders and administrative fines.","reference":"https://iclg.com/practice-areas/consumer-protection-laws-and-regulations/korea"},{"description":"Korea Times (November 2024) reports Coupang announced significant new restrictions on its previously advertised unconditional 30-day return policy, including bans on returning powered-on electronics and requiring medical documentation for cosmetic returns.","reference":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/11/129_325405.html"}],"interim_guidance":"Before completing any purchase on Coupang.com, an agent must verify the current return eligibility for the specific product category (electronics, cosmetics, apparel) against Coupang's live policy page rather than relying on any general '30-day return' claim in marketing materials or historical documentation. For electronics, confirm whether the item qualifies for return if opened/powered on. If the user's transaction depends on the ability to return the item, the agent should surface the current category-specific restrictions and flag that Coupang's enforced policy is materially narrower than its historically advertised terms.","last_checked_date":"2026-06-30","status":"active","type":"policy_discrepancy","vendor_claim":"Coupang has advertised a broad, no-questions-asked 30-day return policy to customers, positioning its refund terms as a key benefit of its paid Rocket WOW membership and general shopping experience."}]}