Korean Job Discussion Forums

[flakingcorn]

Alright. Im intending to get a smartphone. I've been to KT and the staff said the minimum is for 3 months usage. Monthly fee of 55,000. No termination charges whatsoever. And i get a free smartphone (Galaxy S2 within the selections of phone).

Another friend of mine signed a same plan, but with LG, and she got herself a LG Optimus Big for free too. It was also made clear to her that she could cancel her contract anytime, because she is leaving in Dec.

It really sounds too good to be true, but it IS true. Am I missing out on anything!?

[nick70100]

I don't know all the details, but it sounds too good to be true, or at the very least that you are misunderstanding something.

One thing that springs to mind is that in Korea the cost of the phone and contract are usually considered seperately.

In Korean, the "계약" (contract) usually has relatively low penalties for cancelling early, usually less than 100,000, no matter what sort of phone you have. The "할부" (roughly translated means installment payment plan) is the cost of the phone disounted and spread out over a length of time, usually one or two years, with very penalties penalties if you cancel early. This is a separate line item on the bill, considered separately from the cost of your monthly plan.

The problem is that a lot of people around here call both of these things a "contract" in English when they are actually two different things. So it may be the case that the contract (계약) is only 3 months but the phone cost (할부) is much longer or expensive to cancel. Then again, I don't know why they would tell you the phone is "free" if that is the case, ans usually the length of time for both is the same. Maybe they just mean no money up front? Who knows, you haven't really given us enough details here to say for sure.

Let's think about it though, the Galaxy S2 still costs 750,000 new. Why would they give it to you for free and let you walk away with it after 3 months? Certainly makes no sense to me. I'd suggest taking someone who speaks Korean in there and get everything explained clearly and in writing. If it really works out come back and tell us the name and location of the shop. I'm sure they'll be overwhelmed with foreigners coming in after that.

[flakingcorn]

[Drew10]

I can assure you the phones are not free.

The GS2 is still pretty expensive (quite a bit higher than 750k that's for sure). There is no penalty for cancelling the contract, but you will have to finish paying your phone installments, once you cancel the contract you lose all discounts on the installment fees. Meaning you will pay between 30k-35k per month multiplied by however many months are left out of your 2 year "agreement".

[SeoulNate]

[flakingcorn]

i finally realise what's going on.

they'll help you sign a plan with the free galaxy, and then you then they are telling you that you can run off without paying after a few months.
and they are helping you to do it. it's the branch at sejong immigration centre and they are openly advertising it, with promotion notices and all...........

almost everyone in that branch is signing up for that...

[Mr. Peabody]

[flakingcorn]

no joke, nobody blinks an eye.
even the store manager goes around and see if everything is going well.
it is a LG U+ outlet by the way.