Young consumers are bearing the brunt of damages in small-scale moving services, where contracts are signed remotely without on-site estimates, data showed.
The Korea Consumer Agency said Tuesday that an analysis of 241 damage relief applications related to small-scale moving filed last year found that consumers in their 20s and 30s accounted for 65.1%, or 157 cases. Notably, the share of victims in their 20s reached 22.8%, nearly double the 11.6% that this age group represents among all users of the service. The disparity is attributed to young single-person households, who tend to rely on low-cost small operators when relocating between studios or officetels.
By type of damage, broken or lost belongings were the most common at 47.7%, followed by unfair demands for additional fees at 24.9% and breach of contract at 13.9%. Many operators were found to demand price hikes on-site on the day of the move, citing the use of ladder trucks or the structure of the building. When consumers refused, the operators unilaterally refused to carry out the work, leaving customers in difficult situations. Cases were also confirmed in which operators cunningly evaded liability for damages by forgoing the balance of the payment when breakage occurred during the process.
The main cause of such disputes was identified as the non-face-to-face contract method that skips the on-site estimate procedure. Small-scale moving contracts are often concluded based solely on telephone consultations or information entered online. This means information gaps between operators and customers can easily escalate into conflicts on-site. The number of related damage relief applications filed with the Consumer Agency has risen sharply in recent years, from 603 cases in 2023 to 961 cases in 2025.
"During spring, when demand for moving among young people increases due to new school terms and new jobs, damages related to small-scale moving may rise, so young consumers need to be especially cautious," a Consumer Agency official said.
