Deleting Coupang

Looking back at the companies that have had the greatest impact on my life over the past decade, Coupang would almost certainly be on the list. You can order anything, any time of the year — including holidays — with free shipping, and it arrives by early the next morning. Prices are 20–30% cheaper than brick-and-mortar stores, and even returns are a breeze.

In terms of overall user experience, it is overwhelmingly superior — no other e-commerce player comes close. That is why I have deeply respected and loved Coupang as a service.

Of course, there have always been dark patterns, like the full-screen ads that greet you the moment you open the app. I have also seen plenty of controversy over Coupang’s corporate culture and its treatment of workers, which has hardly been labor-friendly. There were aspects I personally disagreed with — and yet, considering how Coupang completely transformed the Korean e-commerce landscape as I knew it, I still held the company in high regard. Until yesterday.

Today, I deleted Coupang. The user experience it provides crossed a line I am not willing to accept.

Coupang recently raised its Rocket WOW membership monthly fee from ₩4,990 to ₩7,890, and is currently seeking users’ consent to the price increase. The way it goes about obtaining that consent, however, is deeply troubling. When you go to purchase an item, the familiar “Buy” button — the one that has always been there — is replaced with “Agree to fee increase and buy.” Hovering faintly above it is a much less conspicuous “Buy without agreeing” label. The result is a UI where, even if you have no intention of consenting to the fee hike, a single misclick locks in your agreement.

This UI, designed to steer users toward an unintended choice, appears every single time you make a purchase. And once you have clicked agree, there is no way to withdraw that consent. There is no way to review which terms you agreed to. From a user’s perspective, it is a deeply frustrating experience — and the moment trust in the company begins to crack.

I believe Coupang’s recipe for success has always been rooted in delivering the best possible customer experience and satisfaction. Coupang became what it is, I am convinced, because of the unmatched usability across every step — ordering, receiving, and returning. Tricking users into misclicks and stripping away their right to choose is not the formula that built Coupang.

I hope Coupang stops deceiving its users. I hope it gives users genuine choices and a way to undo those choices. I look forward to the day when Coupang offers the same world-class user experience in how it handles terms and consent.