"Meeting Counts Deducted Merely by Providing Profiles"... Abuses by Matchmaking Agencies Revealed

Korea Consumer Agency Analyzes Damage Relief Cases
More Than Half Involve 'Contract Termination and Penalties'

It has been found that consumer damages related to marriage matchmaking services continue to increase, with cases such as deducting meeting counts simply by providing the counterpart's profile even when no actual meeting takes place.

On July 24, the Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of its analysis of 1,236 cases of damage relief related to marriage matchmaking services, which were received between 2023 and 2025. Among all cases, 'contract termination and penalty' accounted for the largest share at 56.1% (693 cases). This was followed by 'non-fulfillment of contract' at 39.2% (485 cases) and 'quality complaints' at 1.7% (21 cases).

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In cases involving 'contract termination and penalty', there were frequent issues such as deducting meeting counts simply for providing counterpart profiles during early termination, or calculating the refund based on the number of services used and not the total agreed meetings, resulting in reduced reimbursement for customers. Among the eight domestic matchmaking companies surveyed, two had clauses disadvantageous to consumers, such as deducting meeting counts just by providing profiles even when no actual meeting occurred. Additionally, four companies made oral agreements for unlimited introductions or additional arranged meetings (services beyond the basic number) but did not include these in the contract, or limited the number specified. In such instances, when the contract was terminated early, disputes often arose because consumers based reimbursement on the orally conveyed terms, while companies calculated it according to the contract's written terms.

The criteria for success fees and claims for damages were also found to be unclear. Of the 17 companies surveyed, eight (seven domestic and one international) had terms regarding success fees, but the criteria for 'successful marriage' were vague. Some considered the day of the family introduction or the confirmation of the wedding date, not the wedding day itself, as the point of success, or failed to specify concrete criteria at all. Notably, seven out of nine international matchmaking companies required consumers to pay compensation or penalties to their match if they unilaterally canceled or broke off the marriage during the process; however, the basis for such demands was not clearly stated.

There were also many cases where prices and guarantee insurance information were not posted on company websites. According to Article 8 of the Marriage Brokerage Business Act, matchmaking companies running websites must post service fees and membership dues in a way that anyone can easily verify them, regardless of membership. However, only eight out of the 15 companies operating websites made it easy for anyone to check the prices. Four did not post prices online or displayed them as ranges, and the remaining three required a phone number verification or membership sign-up process, thus restricting access to pricing information.

Under relevant laws, matchmaking companies must subscribe to guarantee insurance to cover compensation for damages caused intentionally or negligently, and they must post the claim procedures for guarantee insurance payouts on their websites. However, it was found that at 13 companies, it was difficult to verify whether they had insurance or to confirm its validity period, and one company did not post the claim procedures for guarantee insurance at all.

The number of consumer damage cases related to both domestic and international marriage matchmaking services increased each year: 378 cases in 2023, 409 cases in 2024, and 449 cases in 2025. Based on this investigation, the Korea Consumer Agency recommended that companies under review align the content of their contracts and oral agreements, use the current standard contract terms, improve contract clauses that are disadvantageous to consumers, and amend terms related to the use of member information such as photographs. The agency also advised consumers, "Important information such as the number of meetings should be specified in the written contract rather than orally," and urged, "When signing a contract, be sure to carefully check the terms, including the criteria for deducting meeting counts and refunds."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.