Stationery shop to close after selling middle-school student 140,000 won table-tennis bats

A stationery shop in Dongtan is facing backlash after charging a first-year middle-school student 140,000 won for two table-tennis bats. The products reportedly sell online for about 20,000 won each.

The student visited the shop in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to buy school supplies. The bats had no price tags. The student did not ask how much they cost, and the shop owner did not disclose the price before the purchase was paid by card.

The student’s father learned the amount when he received a card approval text showing 148,900 won for the entire purchase, which also included table-tennis balls and pens. After speaking with his son, he checked online and found that the bats were sold for about 20,000 won each. The receipt, however, listed each bat at 70,000 won.

The father reportedly asked the shop for a refund, but the request was refused. As the dispute grew on online communities, the shop’s headquarters was reported to have begun procedures to terminate its franchise contract.