A member of a civic group rips a mock Coupang voucher throughout a press convention in entrance of the corporate’s headquarters in Seoul’s Songpa District, Wednesday, condemning the corporate’s lack of sincerity in compensating its prospects after an enormous information breach by a former Coupang worker final 12 months. Pictured on the mock coupon is Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers. Yonhap
Coupang’s compensation vouchers for patrons following an information breach that affected 33.7 million customers went into impact on Thursday, drawing combined evaluations.
The vouchers, which can be utilized throughout Coupang’s a number of procuring platforms, have happy some prospects with low cost bargains. Others, nevertheless, have criticized the transfer as a gross sales tactic quite than correct compensation and stated they’d proceed their boycott of the e-commerce big.
The voucher package deal, totaling 50,000 gained ($34) per every buyer, was distributed to Coupang’s paid membership customers, common customers and former prospects who’ve closed their accounts.
The package deal consists of 5,000 gained in coupons for Coupang’s e-commerce platform, 5,000 gained for meals supply service Coupang Eats, 20,000 gained for Coupang journey merchandise and 20,000 gained for R.LUX luxurious magnificence and vogue objects. This invited criticism, as a result of the 2 20,000 gained vouchers can solely be used on its much less common platforms, with simply 5,000 gained supplied for Coupang and Coupang Eats.
Not like preliminary criticisms, some evaluations by buyers who used the compensation package deal stated they have been happy. With the coupons utilized, they may buy merchandise from on a regular basis home items to supply meals and tourism packages for discounted costs, and even totally free, relying on the unique worth.
Some customers left feedback on Coupang saying they didn’t pay something for 20 bottles of 500-milliliter bottled water or paid simply 300 gained for a package deal of on the spot noodles. Coupang Eats customers additionally stated they paid just a few thousand gained for a meal. One other person shared that he used one of many coupons for an all-day move at Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, receiving an 80 p.c low cost.
In some instances, enthusiastic feedback akin to “I like you, Coupang” and “Coupang actually pulled this off at its personal expense” have been additionally posted.
On the opposite facet, shopper teams crucial of Coupang’s compensation measure say they are going to proceed their boycott of the platform. They stated the coupons drive victims of the information breach to make purchases, not offering any money worth or different choices that don’t contain procuring at Coupang.
“Coupang has relied on deception and gimmicks, successfully forcing prospects to make use of coupons no matter their intent,” stated an official from the Individuals’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy on Thursday.
Coupang pushed on the compensation plan regardless of receiving criticism from shoppers and the Nationwide Meeting when the corporate first proposed it on Dec. 29, 2025. Many consumers stated they didn’t even learn about R.LUX, saying the coupons “ill-timed advertising” by the corporate. For many who have canceled their Coupang accounts, having to register once more to make use of the vouchers additionally raised anger.
Rep. Choi Min-hee of the ruling Democratic Social gathering of Korea, chairperson of the Nationwide Meeting’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, expressed her concern with Coupang’s compensation plan throughout a current listening to. She stated the New York Inventory Change-listed firm was “hoodwinking” Korean shoppers by attempting to lull them with “one other advertising occasion.”
