When living in Korea, you will always move to different places. If you’ve had an experience like this, then you know that no matter how big or small your new apartment is, there will always be something that you want to leave behind. When moving out of an apartment, you’ll realize that you have a lot of unnecessary items. It would be a pity that some of them would be thrown away, you might have to pay the garbage disposal fee as well, so what’s a better option than to resell it second-hand. Ziptoss has made a list of apps and tips for buying and selling second-hand goods. We will introduce the South Korean “eBay” as well as some commonly used Korean terms and precautions in second-hand transactions.
Common second-hand trading platforms
- Carrot Market (당근마켓)
It is convenient to upload and operate in this app, and the prices are affordable. It can locate second-hand transaction information within a 6km radius, hold face-to-face transactions, and network community functions such as surrounding coffee shops and furniture decorations. Many people will directly give away some furniture for free. But there is no official direct intermediary or guarantee.
- Lightning Market (번개장터)
The second-hand trading app with 10th and 20th generation young people as the main users. The platform provides product catalog, purchase, settlement, and distribution services. Buyers and buyers can also directly talk and transfer money. Less face-to-face delivery, mainly by mail. When uploading second-hand information, you need to add various keywords to increase traffic. There are also more expensive items listed here.
- Hello Market (헬로마켓)
Mainly sells home appliances, with payment functions, but their software is still being optimized and improved, with only a small number of users.
- Junggonara (중고나라)
In addition to individual sellers, the second-hand trading website represented by South Korea also has some merchants who specialize in second-hand transactions (the two can be distinguished from their page). It is also connected with Naver functions such as the Naver blog. Buyers can organize various product information at once, reducing the trouble of repeating introductions and explanations. People of all ages and transaction needs are used, and the overall transaction speed is quite slow. Juggonara is suitable when you’re buying large items such as used cars and furniture.
5. For Students: University selling group and group chats on social media.
They will share some second-hand transaction information on where you can buy inexpensive items, especially during the graduation season. This is convenient, simple, and safe, you can buy or sell some small items, and the prices are relatively affordable, but usually, there is less information given.
Transactions to consider
- Face-to-face transactions
Arrange the time and place on time, and some people will disappear or not show up, so before going out, make sure that you have proper contact with each other before going out. If the other party does not reply or has been blocked, then do not go out. If the other party says that they’d be late, wait for them to update you and go out later, or you can also adjust the time and place. If you are late, you should inform the other party ahead in terms of politeness. Apartment safety tips: it is recommended to choose a subway entrance or a crowded place to meet. If you encounter someone who has disappeared for no reason or is impolite, it’s better to report it.
- Mailing
The goods can be shipped on the same day after the payment transfer. If the seller does not ship the goods, you must follow up to avoid forgetting or delaying the delivery. The convenience store postage fee is around 1600-2600 won and can be mailed within 24 hours. The postage fee at the post office is 3000+ won, and will usually close at 7:00 PM. Be sure to confirm with the other party who will pay the postage and what courier to choose. After the goods are mailed, the seller can give the buyer a photo of proof. When having something mailed to you, be sure to give the details or landmarks to your apartment(such as private entrance apartments).
*Deceived: Since the transaction is negotiated between the buyer and seller, especially when the transaction is mailed, it is a direct transfer method, there is no intermediate guarantee, so when the transfer is made and if the other party does not ship the goods, then it would be difficult to get your money back. We suggest you look at the comments and reviews if there is any bad record, and the time of the comment, etc., and judge from all sides.
- Appointment transaction
When you sell second-hand goods, some sellers are not sure or are still comparing, so they might ask for a reservation(예약), the seller is required to keep the item first, and then pay for the transaction. But buyers who really want to buy your item will usually reply the next day.
Also, some people will give away furniture and daily necessities for free (무료드림). You can start as soon as possible when you meet someone you like. After the transaction is over, thank them politely before leaving.