VandS Clinic Seoul spotlights transparent pricing for international patients

VandS Clinic Seoul is emphasizing VAT-excluded pricing, separate global customer benefits and upfront cost checks for overseas patients as South Korea faces closer scrutiny of clinic refund and cancellation terms. The clinic says the approach is meant to reduce confusion before treatment and help international visitors understand final out-of-pocket costs.

Why it matters: - South Korea's aesthetic and cosmetic clinics are under heavier consumer-protection scrutiny, especially around prepaid treatments, refunds and cancellation penalties. - VandS Clinic is using that environment to highlight how it communicates pricing to international patients before treatment. - Clear price disclosure can affect how overseas patients compare clinics and plan travel, treatment and payment.

What happened: - VandS Clinic Seoul said it is emphasizing transparent pricing for international patients across its clinic network. - The clinic labels promotional treatment prices as “VAT Excluded” in official marketing and event materials. - The clinic also separately communicates global customer benefits for eligible international patients. - International patients can contact the clinic through WhatsApp at +82-10-3594-8078 before traveling to Korea.

The details: - A September 14 report by JB News, citing the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, said 1,150 prepaid medical-treatment dispute cases were submitted between 2021 and 2024. - The same report said cases rose from 88 in 2023 to 449 in 2024. - Contract cancellation and penalty disputes made up 83.1% of the reported cases. - The Korea Fair Trade Commission instructed 15 major aesthetic and dermatology clinic brands to voluntarily revise unfair terms, including refund limits, excessive cancellation penalties, transfer bans and liability exemptions. - VandS Clinic was not among the clinics cited for unfair contract terms. - VandS Clinic says its promotional prices are shown without VAT so patients can separate the advertised price from the tax before paying. - The clinic encourages international patients to confirm VAT, treatment details and the final payment amount with the branch they plan to visit. - VandS Clinic says eligible global customers may receive branch-specific benefits, often 7% at many branches and 5% at some branches. - The benefit is a clinic-provided promotional offer, not a government VAT refund. - South Korea abolished its government medical aesthetic VAT refund program for foreign visitors in January 2026. - VandS Clinic asks patients to confirm the applicable benefit with the specific branch because policies vary. - The clinic tells patients to verify six items before treatment: the advertised price, whether VAT is included or excluded, the exact treatment and dosage, the device or product brand, the applicable global customer benefit and the final amount payable. - VandS Clinic says preliminary treatment information and estimated pricing can be provided before arrival through its international team. - Final treatment recommendations are confirmed after an in-person physician consultation and assessment. - The clinic says it operates more than 68 branches across South Korea and four international locations in Japan. - VandS Clinic specializes in non-invasive skin rejuvenation, lifting, laser treatments and other aesthetic procedures.

Between the lines: - The clinic is positioning transparency as a competitive advantage as international patients become more careful about total treatment costs. - Separating VAT, clinic discounts and final payment amounts reduces the risk of misunderstandings over what an advertised price actually covers. - The timing also helps VandS Clinic align itself with a national debate over fairness in prepaid medical contracts without directly being part of the enforcement action.

What's next: - International patients are being urged to confirm terms directly with the branch they plan to use before paying or booking treatment. - VandS Clinic says its pricing and benefit policy may continue to vary by branch and promotion. - The clinic's international patient service will keep offering pre-arrival guidance on treatment goals, pricing and branch-level benefits.

The bottom line: - VandS Clinic is trying to turn pricing clarity into part of the patient experience, not just a checkout detail.