Korea's Fair Trade Commission Targets Hidden Fees in Photography Industry

Status of consumer damage relief applications related to photography [Photo=Fair Trade Commission]

Recently, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has taken steps to address the photography industry’s practice of luring consumers with free photo shoots, only to demand additional fees for original photo files or albums and frames. On June 5, the FTC and the Korea Consumer Agency held a meeting with industry representatives, including the Korea Photographers Association and the Korea Professional Photographers Association, to discuss measures to prevent consumer harm during photography services.
This meeting was part of the government's "Normalization Project" aimed at resolving information asymmetry in the photography sector. The initiative seeks to improve practices where services are advertised as low-cost or free, but consumers are later charged high fees for original files, album production, or costume rentals.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency, there have been 1,670 applications for damage relief related to photography services from 2022 to April of this year. Of these, 262 cases, or 15.7%, were linked to deceptive advertising for “free shoots.”
The breakdown shows 62 cases in 2022, 44 in 2023, 61 in 2024, and 77 last year. The agency noted that many consumers who booked services after seeing ads for free photography were later asked to purchase frames or albums under the condition of receiving their original photos.
In response, the FTC and the Korea Consumer Agency recommended that businesses disclose detailed price lists, including basic photography fees, the availability of original photo files, album and frame production costs, and costume rental fees on their websites and in their establishments.
They also urged businesses to clearly inform consumers about potential additional costs before the shoot and to provide clear guidance during the contract phase.
Furthermore, the agencies reminded operators to comply with advertising laws prohibiting misleading advertisements and to disclose compensation standards for damages.
Industry representatives expressed their willingness to cooperate with self-improvement efforts. The Korea Photographers Association and the Korea Professional Photographers Association suggested expanding the posting of detailed price lists and pre-service notifications, as well as providing promotional and educational support to help small businesses understand relevant guidelines.
An FTC official stated, "We will continue to engage with the photography industry while maintaining ongoing monitoring and enforcement against deceptive practices that harm consumers."

* This article has been translated by AI.

AJP