Seventy-four customers have sued the distributor of Korea King frying pans for damages totalling 9.6 million baht while also seeking another 1.6 billion baht for all users in Thailand in a class-action lawsuit.
Two consumers from Pathum Thani and Satun provinces represented a group of 74 users in filing the lawsuit with the Civil Court on Ratchadaphisek Road Friday afternoon to demand compensation from Wizard Solutions Co, the importer and distributor.
The 74 users sought damages totalling 9.6 million baht from the company, which they alleged had exaggerated claims about the product. They also asked the court to try the case as a class-action lawsuit, in which case they demand 1.6 billion baht in compensation for all buyers of Korea King pans in Thailand. The court set the examination of the suit on Sept 25.
Accompanying the plaintiffs, Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, said the legal action was expected to set a precedent for consumer protection as the company imported at least 1 million pans and there should be more than 500,000 damaged consumers in the country.
The suit was aimed at seeking refunds for all customers as the plaintiffs considered the product quality did not match the claims in its advertisements. If the plaintiffs win the case, all buyers of the pans will be protected, Miss Saree said.
She said the plaintiffs did not target TV host Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda who advertised the products on TV.
Chaloempong Klabdee, head of volunteer lawyers at the foundation, said the Consumer Protection Board fined the company for 100,000 baht for illegal advertisements and ordered it to correct its advertisements and refund the customers who officially complained.
The class-action suit would protect the right of all consumers who bought the products, he said.
Sitthawat Pakinsakulpat, the foundation’s lawyer handling the case, said the lawsuit covered consumers who bought Diamond and Gold series of the pans.
Plaintiff Orakalya Phumphueng from Pathum Thani said she paid 3,900 baht for a Diamond pan, convinced by the TV show host who elaborated on the high quality of the product including their oil-free usage.
She said when she used the product to fry fish, she still had to use cooking oil.
Kalyathat Tingwang from the southern border province of Satun said she took a flight to the capital to file the lawsuit. She bought the product for 3,300 baht but learned later each unit was imported at the cost of 289 baht each. She had thought she had got a big discount from the advertised original price of 15,000 baht each.
Earlier reports said that Korea King pans were claimed to be coated by eight layers of marble. The Diamond model was priced at 3,900 baht and the Gold model at 3,300 baht.
Criticism that the pan is grossly overpriced in Thailand came after a Facebook user showed a photo of the Korea King pan of a similar model to those sold in Thailand with the price tag of an equivalent of about 600 baht in Singapore.
The Korea King TV commercial said the Diamond Series cooking pan retailed for 18,000 baht each but the firm offered a discount that brought down the price to 3,800 baht each if it was purchased via a home shopping channel.
Customers were also promised one free pan.
