YouTube Account-Sharing Complaints Surge... 1,700 in October Alone; Consumer Alert Issued

Prepaying for six months to two years of service, only for it to be discontinued
Providers become unreachable or delay refunds
Beware of providers urging cash payments through open chat rooms

Consumers seeking to save on YouTube Premium subscription fees have increasingly been paying account-sharing service providers in advance for six months to two years of service, only to have the service discontinued and be unable to recover the fees for the remaining period.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on November 12 that it would issue a consumer alert following a sharp increase in complaints about such consumer 피해.

A total of 2,323 complaints related to YouTube account-sharing services were filed with the Seoul Electronic Commerce Center from January through early November this year. Fewer than 100 complaints were filed each month from January through September, but the number surged to 1,728 in October, accounting for 74.4% of all complaints. By provider, 2,226 complaints were concentrated among 10 companies that each received at least 10 complaints, accounting for 95.8% of the total.

Most affected consumers had signed long-term contracts lasting from six months to two years and paid the fees in advance. However, the service was discontinued before the contracted period ended. Consumers have been unable to recover fees for the remaining period because the providers are unreachable or have delayed refunds.

Providers that received a large share of the complaints have posted notices on their websites saying they had informed customers in advance that services could be discontinued due to changes in Google's policies, and stating that they are merely purchase agents.

Affected consumers mainly paid through websites they found via account-sharing service advertisements on social media and YouTube. Some also transferred cash to accounts provided by companies they had contacted through KakaoTalk open chat rooms. Bank transfers were used in 90.1% of complaints related to these services. Because providers must issue refunds directly for payments made by bank transfer, consumers may face delays or difficulties in obtaining redress if providers become unreachable or refuse to refund them.

Account-sharing service providers have offered services by adding buyers' Google accounts as members of overseas family plans or by using workarounds to subscribe in countries where fees are lower than in South Korea. If these arrangements do not comply with YouTube's terms of service, access may be discontinued even if the contract period has not ended.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stressed that consumers should be cautious about paying several months' or years' worth of fees upfront based solely on low prices, as providers cannot guarantee continued service even when they promise long-term access. The city also emphasized the need to improve the range of official plans available to consumers in South Korea to help prevent losses. While family, student and two-person plans are offered in other countries, choices in South Korea are limited, leaving consumers with few options suited to their household composition or circumstances.

Lee Yeonhwa, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Fair Economy Division, said, "If an account-sharing provider urges you to pay only in cash through an open chat room or website, stop the transaction. Please be especially cautious when paying long-term fees in advance." She added, "Google needs to launch a wider range of plans in South Korea so consumers can choose official plans that suit their circumstances."

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