Study on Consumer Problems Related to Use of Online Game Services by Type and Age

온라인게임 서비스 이용 소비자의 연령별.유형별 소비자문제 연구

The purpose of this study is to identify the types of consumer problems involving the use of online game services in Korea. This study analyzed the consumer damage cases by age and type that were reported to the Korea Consumer Protection Board (KCPB). The results of this study are as follows: The online game complaints varied by age. In the case of children, most complaints involved phone charging online game fees without parents' consent. There were similarities in the victimization of teens and children according to reason for complaint, handling result and type of damage. However, based on method of charging, mobile phone and credit card payments were causes in the case of teen victimization. Meanwhile, complaints among adults showed more complexity than the previous two groups such as cases relating to online game companies illegally seizing game items and game accounts, and charging fees for unused services caused by identity theft. By type of charging method, most complaints involved phone and mobile phone payments. According to the analysis result of online game victims, the monetary damage of consumers did not differ among socio-demographic variables such as age, residence, gender and occupation but there was difference in the method of charging. In the handling period, differences could be seen by age, year, gender and type of damage.