The Korea Consumer Agency's 1372 Consumer Counseling Center issued a consumer damage advisory on the 10th, as consumer damages related to the youth-focused travel agency 'Andersen' continue to mount.

The council urged consumers to refrain from making new reservations or signing contracts for Andersen's travel products. Consumers who have already signed contracts should immediately halt any additional payments and ensure that they retain evidence such as contracts and payment records.

Recruitment Posts Remain Even After Business Suspension Notice… Risk of Misunderstanding Andersen officially announced the suspension of its travel operations on the 5th, citing a police and prosecution investigation and search and seizure. However, recruitment posts for upcoming travel products still remain on online cafes and other platforms, raising concerns that consumers may misunderstand the company to be operating normally.

Successive Damage Cases: From Refund Delays to Unauthorized Cancellations The main cases of damage reported to the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center are as follows.

• Severe Refund Delays: Refunds have not been processed for months after contract cancellations, or scheduled refund dates keep being pushed back. The operator informed consumers of refund timelines such as 'in a month,' 'in three months,' 'by the end of May,' 'in June,' and 'by July 5,' but there are numerous cases where refunds were not made even after the promised dates passed.
• Loss of Contact and Unilateral Cancellations: Entering August, cases have also been reported where the company became unreachable just before trip departures, or travel itineraries were unilaterally canceled without prior consultation.
• Abnormal Payment Demands: It was also confirmed that the company requested consumers to directly pay for flights using their personal credit cards, citing difficulties with using corporate cards.

As various cases of damage, including refund delays, loss of contact, and trip cancellations continue to occur successively, consumers are urged to exercise special caution.