Stationery Store That Overcharged Middle School Student 70,000 Won for 20,000 Won Paddle Faces Franchise Termination

Two Table Tennis Paddles Sold to Middle Schooler for 140,000 Won: Overcharging Alleged
Market Price Is 25,000 Won; Store Refused Refund Request
Alpha Stationery: "Immediate Franchise Termination Notice"

A stationery store in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, that sold table tennis paddles worth about 20,000 won each to a middle school student for 70,000 won apiece and refused a refund is now beginning the process of having its franchise agreement terminated.

A stationery store in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, sparked controversy after refusing a refund request from a parent following the sale of two table tennis paddles to a middle school student for 140,000 KRW. BobaeDream

According to Edaily and other sources on September 7, the controversy started on August 26 when a parent of a first-year middle school student, referred to as Mr. A, posted on a local online community under the title, "Is this receipt for two table tennis rackets for school supplies—140,000 won—really possible?" Mr. A's son visited a nearby stationery store after finishing a tutoring session to buy school sports supplies. The student decided to purchase the paddles the shop owner recommended, believing they were good quality. Since he had lost a paddle borrowed from a friend, he chose two, including one for the friend. The paddles did not have price tags, and the owner did not inform him of the price before payment.

However, when the payment approval text arrived, the total—covering the table tennis balls, pens, and other items—was 149,800 won. On the receipt, the table tennis paddles were simply labeled “miscellaneous goods” with a price of 70,000 won each, totaling 140,000 won for the two. Mr. A’s side claimed that the same model was available at other retailers for between 22,000 won and 30,000 won.

Mr. A’s husband called his son to check the situation and requested a refund just 17 minutes later. However, the owner refused, citing the statement at the bottom of the receipt: “Sports equipment cannot be exchanged or returned.” Mr. A’s husband argued that the child was given no explanation at the time of purchase that sports equipment was non-refundable. He said, “Because a minor without mature economic understanding assumed the price was typical due to the lack of a price tag,” and added, “While it’s true we should have checked the price before buying, payment proceeded without any price notification or signage.”

Mr. A said, “The seller didn’t tell us the price until payment, and there were no price tags attached, so my child couldn’t have known the cost at all,” adding, “Even the signature required for purchases over 50,000 won wasn’t provided by my child.” Mr. A’s husband also questioned, “Since my child didn’t actually sign for the purchase, I wondered if the shop had signed instead, but never received a clear answer.”

The next day, Mr. A’s side contacted the stationery store headquarters to request clarification. The head office acknowledged that the sales price was high and recommended a refund, but explained that since private brand (PB) products allow franchisees to set their own prices, they could not enforce the refund. Mr. A’s husband said, “The head office also considered the price unreasonably high and recommended a refund, but the shop owner steadfastly refused.” According to reports, the store justified the price by citing different supply chains and higher procurement costs.

Upon hearing the story, online users reacted with comments such as, “Unbelievable,” “How can you sell to a child without any price tag?” and “The word will get around quickly—what are they thinking?” One commenter shared, “Is that stationery store still running the business that way? When my son brought home a recorder and a danso at extremely high prices, I also immediately demanded a refund, but was told musical instruments could not be returned.”

As the controversy grew, Alpha Stationery, the main franchise headquarters, decided to terminate its contract with the store. An Alpha Stationery official told Edaily, “The initial franchise contract with this store was over 10 years ago, so it can be terminated immediately,” adding, “There is a process involving sending two written notices, but we plan to issue a termination notice right away.”

An Alpha Stationery representative said, “The products in question were not supplied by us, and upon further investigation, the normal retail price is 25,000 won. We are also receiving mounting complaints from other franchise owners, so we feel compelled to take action.” If the contract is ultimately terminated, the store can no longer use the Alpha Stationery name or signage.

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