Agoda Fined 2.424 Billion Won for Failing to Clearly Disclose Refund Terms

The Korea Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission held its 22nd plenary session on July 6 and imposed a corrective order along with a fine of 2.424 billion won on the online travel platform Agoda for failing to clearly disclose important information such as refund conditions and cancellation or change fees.
The commission determined that during the flight booking process, Agoda did not clearly display information regarding refund eligibility and cancellation or change fees on the main booking screen, instead providing it through less relevant links, which made it difficult for users to access key information.
The commission also explained that when users selected the "pay later" option during hotel bookings, Agoda did not sufficiently inform them that an additional fee of up to 5% could be charged, and that the total expected payment amount was displayed in a way that made it difficult for users to accurately understand the cost.
Although Agoda voluntarily corrected some of these issues following the commission's investigation, the company was still sanctioned as the violations themselves were confirmed.
The commission concluded that these actions constitute prohibited activities under the Telecommunications Business Act that significantly undermine user interests, and ordered the company to improve its business procedures so that refund conditions, fees, and final payment amounts can be easily verified during the booking process.
"Businesses must clearly and easily disclose information that affects a user's decision to enter into a contract and their financial burden," said Kim Jong-cheol, Chairperson of the Korea Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission. "We will respond with a zero-tolerance policy toward any actions that infringe upon the interests of users."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.