Delivery Driver Steals Laptop Right After "Delivery Complete" Photo: The Sudden Twist

Amid surging RAM prices that have significantly driven up the cost of laptops, a quick-service delivery driver stole a laptop that had been sent out for repairs.

[Anchor Kim Jong-won: This is CCTV footage. What the quick-service driver is holding in his hand. It's an 8-month-old laptop being returned home after repairs. He brings it neatly packed in a box. He sets it down right in front of the door. He notifies that the delivery has been completed. Now, normally, people leave right after doing this. But if you look at this driver, he doesn't leave and keeps standing there. What is he trying to do? Well, the homeowner is currently not at home. After hesitating and standing still for a moment, he picks up the exact laptop he just delivered and walks away. So, after sending a notification that it was delivered, he just took it right back.]

The victim, who bought the laptop earlier this year and sent it in for free repairs through Coupang after it broke down, lost a laptop worth approximately 1.3 million won in this manner.

An investigation began following the victim's report, and the apprehended quick-service driver admitted to the crime.

The problem came afterwards.

Kakao Mobility, which brokered the quick-service delivery, maintained the stance that since the theft was committed by the individual driver after the delivery was completed, it was not the company's responsibility.

[Kakao Official: There is evidence. Then you can proceed with the driver. (I suffered damages from Kakao Quick, why should I proceed with the driver?) The person who caused this damage is the driver...]

[Kakao Official: This isn't a loss or damage, but a case caused by that driver's theft. Strictly speaking, the delivery was completed, but since a deviation by the driver led to theft or such issues, there is no change that the driver who caused the damage must compensate for it.]

Frustrated, the victim searched directly to see if there were similar cases and mentioned a past report on a similar incident by SBS News Hunters to Kakao.

Kakao then changed its stance, stating that it would proceed with compensation.

[Theft Victim: Because I kept feeling frustrated over this incident, I checked via YouTube to see if there were similar cases, and since News Hunters had reported on a related case, I told Kakao that I confirmed it through News Hunters. Only then, in the next phone call, did they change their words to say they would proceed with compensation... I feel that if I hadn't found a similar case, it probably wouldn't have gone as far as compensation.]

However, conflicts over the compensation amount continue.

While Kakao's stance is to compensate based on the purchase price of 1.3 million won, the victim argues that the current market price should be reflected, noting that buying the same model again costs 1.8 million won due to rising RAM prices.

The key issues are whether to use the purchase price or the current market price as the basis for the damage amount, and whether to apply depreciation considering the period of use.

(Planning: Lee Seyoung, Video Editing: Lee Yu-jin, Footage Source: News Hunters, Production: SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.