Someone to buy things for me in Korea — how it works

People look for someone in Korea because the thing they want is close and still out of reach. The usual reasons are the same ones you run into on any Korean site, plus a few that have nothing to do with websites.

• The store needs a Korean phone verification and a Korean card.
• The seller answers only in Korean, or only on KakaoTalk.
• The item is only sold in a physical shop, at a pop-up, or for a limited time.
• The seller will not ship abroad.
• You are already home, and what you need is still in Korea.

There are a few types of help available, and they are not interchangeable. It helps to know which one you are looking at.

Forwarding services

A forwarder gives you a Korean address and ships what arrives there to you. It is useful if you can already buy from the store yourself. It does not solve verification or payment.

Proxy buying services

A proxy places the order for you, usually for a set of supported stores and with a process built around overseas shipping. These work well for standard products sent abroad and are less flexible when a request does not fit their form.

A person on the ground

A concierge or errand service can also call a shop, go to a store, send photos, and bring the item to a hotel. This is the type to look for when the job involves a phone call or a physical trip.

The right choice depends on where you are and how unusual the request is. If you already have the item in a cart and only need it moved, a forwarder may be all you need. If nobody will sell it to you without a Korean account, you need someone to buy it. If it is only on a shelf somewhere in Seoul, you need someone who can walk in.

You may not need to pay anyone. Check these first:

• Is the same product on the shelf somewhere you are going anyway? Buy it there.
• Does the brand have its own website that ships to your country? Buying direct gives you the brand's own returns process.
• Do you have a Korean friend who does not mind? Order to your hotel and pay them back straight away.
• Will your hotel concierge help? Some will call a shop for you, though few will buy for you.

If you do pay someone, ask these questions before you send money:

1. Is the final price one number, with the item, fee, delivery, and payment costs included?
2. Do I get an arrival date before I pay?
3. Will you send photos before it ships, especially for used items?
4. What happens if the item is sold out, or arrives damaged?
5. Is there a company name and registration number on the website?

Be careful with anyone who asks you to pay into a personal account with no written quote, and with anyone offering to rent you a Korean identity. Using someone else's verification can get the account closed, and you have little recourse if that happens.

This is what we do at DOWAME, as a registered Korean company. It works like this:

1. Send a link, a photo, or just describe what you want.
2. We reply within 30 minutes during service hours with one price and an arrival date.
3. You pay only if you say yes. PayPal, cards, Wise, and Alipay all work.
4. We buy it, send you an update, and deliver to your hotel or ship it abroad.

The service fee is from ₩8,000 per item. Delivery and card fees are shown in your quote before you pay. In-store purchases, pickups, and errands are quoted individually.

There are things we will not do: alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medicine; lending our phone number or opening accounts in your name; and undervaluing customs forms. If you are unsure whether something fits, ask in chat. A no costs you nothing.

A visitor wanted one specific pair of sneakers from a Korean resale app, in one size, and had a fixed day to leave Korea.

When we checked, nobody was selling that pair on the app. We found it on a secondhand marketplace and reported the seller's trading history. The customer asked for photos of the shoes, box, and size label before buying, but that seller did not answer questions, so we kept looking.

Then a pair in their size appeared on the resale app that could arrive before they left. It had a small flaw and cost more. We told them both things before they paid, and they chose to go ahead. We ordered it, sent it to their hotel room, and shared the courier's tracking number. Someone buying on your behalf should tell you what is wrong with an item before you pay, even when it might lose the sale.