Reported 8 months ago
South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has been heavily penalized by the Fair Trade Commission for allegedly manipulating search results and posting fake reviews to induce customers to purchase its own-brand products, violating fair trade laws. The company is accused of putting around 64,000 of its own-brand products at the top of search results, with over 2,000 employees writing 72,000 purchase reviews for 7,300 products to boost their rankings. Despite Coupang claiming the reviews were written objectively by a group of employees and following industry practices, many netizens believe the company orchestrated the scheme. This incident has sparked widespread discussions online and even drew criticism from celebrities, with some calling for Coupang to be honest with consumers and cease using deceptive means to make profits. Previously, the company had faced penalties from the Fair Trade Commission for unfair treatment towards other businesses but won a case in court, and it remains to be seen how this latest penalty will impact Coupang's e-commerce position in South Korea.
Source: YAHOO