Help centre

HotDeals Korea helps fans outside Korea shop from Korean stores. We offer two services:

• Buy-for-me: send us a product link and we buy the item from the Korean store for you.
• Ship-for-me: order from a Korean store yourself, have it delivered to your free Korean warehouse address, and we forward it to you.

Either way, your parcels arrive in your Korea box, where we take photos and do a basic check. You can combine parcels into one box for free, then choose how to ship it. Every fee is listed on our pricing page.

1. Paste a product link and choose the option and quantity.
2. Our staff check the price and stock and send you a quote, valid for 72 hours.
3. If you accept and pay, we place the store order. Nothing is charged until you accept.
4. The store delivers to our warehouse, where we take arrival photos and check the count, option and visible damage.
5. You ship your items right away, or keep them to combine with other orders.

Looking for somewhere to start? Browse the stores we buy from.

When you sign up, you get a free personal address at our warehouse in Korea. Line 2 of the address includes your suite code, which looks like HDK123456. Use this address when you check out at a Korean store, and keep the suite code on line 2 so we can match the parcel to you.

If you have the Korean tracking number, pre-alert the parcel in your Korea box. When it arrives, we take photos and do the same basic check as for buy-for-me orders.

No. For buy-for-me orders, you send us links and notes in English, and we deal with the Korean store. For ship-for-me, you check out on the store's website yourself, and some stores are only in Korean. Our shopping guides walk through popular stores, and the stores page has tips for each one. If you get stuck, ask us in a support ticket.

Most Korean online stores, from beauty and K-pop shops to fashion sites, big marketplaces and second-hand platforms. The stores page lists the ones we know well. If a store isn't listed, send the link anyway, and we'll tell you in the quote whether we can buy from it.

A few items can't be bought on someone else's behalf, like some fan-club membership goods or event wins that require the buyer's ID. If that applies, we'll tell you before charging anything.

Signing up and your Korean warehouse address are free. After that, you pay for what you use:

• Service fee: ₩3,500 per store order for buy-for-me, and none on store orders of ₩200,000 or more
• Packing & handling: ₩3,000 per outbound shipment
• Shipping: the price of the method you choose

Consolidation is free, and so are the first 60 days of storage. See the pricing page for the full list, or try the calculator.

We ship to many countries with Korea Post and FedEx, and to the US with FedEx and our HDK Economy USA line. Korea Post services to the US have been temporarily suspended since 21 Jul 2026. We don't serve sanctioned destinations.

The calculator shows which methods are available for your country, with an estimated price and delivery time. If your country isn't listed, ask us in a support ticket.

E-mail support@hotdealskorea.com or open a ticket from your account. We're available Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 KST, and we reply within one business day. Include your request, parcel or shipment number if you have one, so we can find your order quickly. For general questions, you can also ask on the community questions board.

Paste the product link, then tell us the option you want (color, size, shade, album version and so on) and the quantity. If you saw a particular price, add it so our staff can check it. You can add items from several stores in one request, and leave a note with anything we should know, like a backup choice in case your first pick sells out.

Staff then verify the price and stock and send you a quote.

72 hours. Korean stores change prices and stock often, so we can't hold a price for longer. Nothing is charged until you accept and pay.

If a quote expires, ask for a fresh one and we'll check the current price and stock again. During big sales, prices can change or items can sell out well before the 72 hours are up, so it's best to pay as soon as you're happy with the quote.

The service fee is ₩3,500 per store order. A store order is one checkout at one store, however many items it includes, so five items from one store cost the same ₩3,500 as one item.

• There's no service fee on store orders of ₩200,000 or more.
• Bulk and group orders of 20 or more identical items are charged 3% of the order instead, with a minimum of ₩10,000.

The pricing page has the full list of fees.

Your quote lists the item prices we verified, each store's delivery charge to our warehouse, and the service fee for each store order. If you chose pay once, it also includes your estimated international shipping, packing & handling and any options you picked.

Amounts are in Korean won. At checkout, you'll see the total in US dollars, converted at the mid-market rate plus 4.5%. There's no other payment fee.

Yes, free of charge, as long as we haven't placed the store order yet. You'll get a full refund to your original payment method.

Once we've bought the item, the store's own return rules apply, and Korean return shipping is added. Some stores don't accept returns of certain items, such as opened cosmetics or sale items, so check before you order if you're unsure. Our refund policy has the details.

If we can't buy an item after you've paid, for example because it sold out or the store cancelled the order, we refund it in full, including its share of the fees. The refund goes back to your original payment method and usually takes 5–10 days to appear. The rest of your request goes ahead as normal.

If the store's price has gone up by the time we buy, we ask you first: you can pay the difference or cancel that item for a full refund. During big sales, add a backup choice in your request note so we know what you'd like instead.

Sometimes. We can't buy items that require the buyer's own identity, such as some fan-club membership goods or event wins that need ID, unless the event rules allow someone else to buy for you. We check listings before quoting, and if an item needs this, we'll tell you before charging anything.

This post explains what we can and can't do.

Yes. Members organise shared boxes on the Group orders board. HotDeals Korea doesn't handle money between members: each participant should have their own account and pay us directly for their items. Organisers must follow the import rules in their country.

Read the board rules before joining, and report anything that looks like a scam. For 20 or more identical items, the bulk fee applies (3%, minimum ₩10,000).

In your Korea box, as soon as you've signed up. The address is free and personal to you. Line 2 includes your suite code, which looks like HDK123456.

Copy the address exactly when you check out at a Korean store, and always keep the suite code on line 2. Without it, matching the parcel to your account takes longer.

A pre-alert tells us a parcel is on its way to you at our warehouse. Add it in your Korea box with the store name, a short description and the tracking number.

It's optional, but it helps us match your parcel quickly, especially if the store left off your suite code. It's also an easy way to keep track of what you're expecting during big sales.

We take arrival photos, weigh the parcel and do a basic check: the item count, the option (color, size, version) and visible damage. You'll get an e-mail, and the photos appear in your Korea box.

If you want a closer look, detailed photos (up to 10) cost ₩1,500 per parcel. If something doesn't match your order or looks damaged, tell us in a support ticket before you ship it.

Storage is free for 60 days from arrival. After that, it's ₩500 per day per parcel, or ₩1,000 per day for parcels over 5 kg. Storage charges never go above ₩30,000 per parcel.

We only dispose of a parcel after 150 days, and only after sending you three e-mail reminders. So there's plenty of time to wait for other orders and ship everything together.

Yes, and consolidation is free. Choose the parcels in your Korea box and ask us to ship them together. Packing & handling is ₩3,000 per outbound shipment, so one combined box usually costs less than several separate ones.

Keep in mind that a combined box has a higher value, which can affect import taxes in some countries. The calculator gives an estimate, but customs in your country decides.

Standard packing is covered by the ₩3,000 packing & handling fee. You can add:

• Extra protection (bubble wrap and corner guards): ₩2,000
• Vacuum-pack for soft items like clothes: ₩5,000
• Detailed photos, up to 10: ₩1,500 per parcel
• Priority packing within 1 business day: ₩3,000
• Extra loss & damage cover: 2% of the value, minimum ₩2,000

Extra protection is worth it for glass bottles, and for albums whose condition matters to you.

Parcels without a suite code, or with a misspelled name, can take longer to match. If you pre-alerted the parcel with its tracking number, we can match it by that. If it still hasn't appeared, open a support ticket with the store name, the tracking number and your order confirmation, and we'll look for it.

• K-Packet (Korea Post): tracked, up to 2 kg, 7–16 days
• EMS (Korea Post): 3–8 days, compensation up to ₩700,000 included
• EMS Premium (Korea Post): 2–5 days
• Air parcel (Korea Post): 10–25 days
• Sea parcel (Korea Post): 1–3 months
• FedEx International: 2–5 days
• HDK Economy USA: 6–11 days, duties prepaid, US only

Delivery times are typical ranges, not guarantees. The calculator shows which methods are available for your country.

Mostly by weight. Most methods charge the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, which is length × width × height in centimeters, divided by 6000 for Korea Post or by 5000 for FedEx. That's why a light but bulky box, like one with a padded jacket or plush toys, can cost more than its weight suggests.

Korea Post prices are its published 2026 rates. Use the calculator to compare methods for your box.

It depends on what matters most to you. For speed, look at EMS Premium or FedEx (2–5 days). EMS (3–8 days) sits in the middle and includes compensation up to ₩700,000. For light orders up to 2 kg, K-Packet is tracked and takes 7–16 days. For heavy boxes that aren't urgent, sea parcel takes 1–3 months. For the US, choose FedEx or HDK Economy USA.

The calculator compares prices and times for your country and box.

Yes, by FedEx International (2–5 days) or HDK Economy USA (6–11 days, duties prepaid). Korea Post services to the US have been temporarily suspended since 21 Jul 2026, so postal methods like K-Packet and EMS aren't available for US addresses for now.

On US shipments, we prepay duties at checkout at 12.5% and refund any difference once US Customs bills the actual amount. Our US shipping update has the details.

Once you ask us to ship, we pack your parcels, weigh the box and send you the final cost. After you pay, we usually hand it to the carrier on the next business day. If you chose pay once, you've already paid, so we pack and ship as soon as everything has arrived.

If you're in a hurry, add priority packing (₩3,000) and we'll pack within 1 business day.

When your box leaves our warehouse, we e-mail you the tracking number, and it also appears in your account. K-Packet, EMS, EMS Premium, FedEx and HDK Economy USA have full tracking. Air parcel and sea parcel tracking is more limited, and it may not update for a while once the parcel leaves Korea.

If tracking stops moving for longer than you'd expect, open a support ticket and we'll check with the carrier.

Air-safety rules. Perfume, nail polish and remover, acetone, metal aerosol sprays and lithium batteries (including batteries built into devices) can't go by post. Creams or mists that are pressurised or marked as dangerous goods can't either. Products in non-pressurised plastic or glass containers are fine.

Couriers can sometimes carry perfume with dangerous-goods approval. Check prohibited items before you order.

Possibly. It depends on your country, the value of your box and what's inside, and customs in your country decides. Our calculator gives an estimate, but it's only an estimate.

Outside the US, any duties and taxes are usually collected by the carrier or post office before delivery, sometimes with a handling fee. US shipments work differently: we prepay duties at checkout.

The US ended duty-free imports under $800 on 29 Aug 2025, so duty now applies to parcels of any value. On US shipments, we prepay duties at checkout at 12.5% of the goods value, shown as a separate line.

Once US Customs bills the actual amount, we refund any difference to your original payment method. The tariff rate for goods from Korea has been reported at 10–12.5%, and US Customs decides. Our US shipping update has the latest.

EU: since 1 Jul 2026, low-value parcels pay a flat €3 duty per item category, plus import VAT at your country's rate.

UK: 20% VAT applies to all parcels.

In both cases, the carrier may add a handling fee. These are estimates, and customs in your country decides the final amount. The calculator shows an estimate for your box.

Mexico: courier parcels from Korea are charged about 33.5%.

Brazil: taxes are high on parcels outside the Remessa Conforme program: 60% federal tax plus the state ICMS.

Both countries also need the recipient's tax ID on the customs form: RFC or CURP for Mexico, and CPF for Brazil. These figures are estimates, and customs in your country decides. Check the calculator before you ship.

Some countries require the recipient's tax ID on the customs form, and customs can hold a parcel without it. These include:

• Brazil: CPF
• Chile: RUT
• Argentina: CUIT or CUIL
• Mexico: RFC or CURP
• Kazakhstan: IIN

Taiwan uses EZ WAY real-name confirmation for cosmetics, and other countries may ask too. Save your tax ID with your delivery address, and we'll add it to the customs form. Our privacy policy explains how we handle it.

No. Customs in your country decides what you pay, and it can value or classify goods differently from our estimate. Rules also change: the US and the EU have both changed theirs recently. We base our estimates on published rules and update them when the rules change.

US shipments work differently: we prepay duties at 12.5% and refund any difference once US Customs bills the actual amount.

The real contents and the real price paid. We can't mark purchases as gifts or declare a lower value to reduce import taxes. False declarations can get a parcel held, returned or seized, and the recipient fined.

An accurate customs form also matters if something goes wrong, because compensation for a lost or damaged parcel is usually based on the declared value.

At launch, we accept PayPal, including cards through PayPal's checkout. Payments are charged in US dollars, and nothing is charged until you accept a quote or a shipping invoice.

If your card or PayPal account uses a currency other than US dollars, PayPal or your bank may convert the amount at their own rate. That conversion is between you and them, so check their terms if you're unsure.

The mid-market rate plus 4.5%. That margin covers card and PayPal fees and currency conversion, and there's no other payment fee.

For example, if the mid-market rate is ₩1,356 to US$1, our rate works out to about ₩1,298 to US$1, and a ₩100,000 total comes to US$77.07. You'll see the exact dollar amount before you pay.

Usually in two steps:

1. When you accept a buy-for-me quote: the items, the stores' delivery charges to our warehouse, and the service fees.
2. When your box is packed and weighed: shipping, packing & handling, any options, and prepaid duties for US shipments.

Ship-for-me parcels only need the second payment. If you choose pay once, you pay for both upfront in a single payment.

Pay once lets you pay for your items and the estimated shipping upfront, so we can ship as soon as everything has arrived. When we pack your box:

• If the actual cost is lower than the estimate, we refund the difference automatically.
• If it's up to 10% higher, we cover the extra.
• If it's more than 10% higher, we'll ask you to pay the difference before we ship.

Refunds go back to your original payment method and usually take 5–10 days to appear, depending on your bank or PayPal. You don't need to ask for a refund when:

• we couldn't buy an item after you paid (refunded in full, including its share of fees)
• your pay-once shipping cost was lower than the estimate
• US Customs billed less than the duties we prepaid

For cancellations and returns, see our refund policy.

No. Every fee is listed on the pricing page, and your quote and shipping invoice show each line. There's no payment fee on top of our exchange rate.

The costs we don't control are import duties and taxes in your country, which customs decides, and any conversion charge from your bank or PayPal if your account isn't in US dollars. Storage is free for 60 days; after that, daily storage fees apply.

If PayPal doesn't complete the payment, you aren't charged. You can try again while your quote is still valid (72 hours from when we sent it), or use a different card through PayPal.

If you see a charge but your order still shows as unpaid, don't pay again. Open a support ticket with the date and amount, and we'll check it for you.

Our arrival check covers the item count, the option and visible damage, and we'll flag anything that doesn't match. If you spot a problem in the photos, open a support ticket before you ship.

For buy-for-me orders, we placed the order, so we'll take it up with the store. What happens next depends on the store's return or exchange rules, and Korean return shipping may apply. For ship-for-me parcels, the order is between you and the store, but our arrival photos can support your claim.

First, check the tracking. Parcels can pause at customs, and delivery times are estimates, not guarantees. If tracking hasn't moved for longer than expected, or it shows delivered but you don't have the parcel, open a support ticket and we'll contact the carrier.

Compensation depends on the method. EMS includes compensation up to ₩700,000, and you can add extra loss & damage cover (2% of the value, minimum ₩2,000) when you ship.

Before you throw anything away, take photos of the outer box, the shipping label, the packing inside and the damaged items. Keep the box and packing until the claim is settled. Then open a support ticket with the photos and your shipment number.

Carriers usually need this evidence, and many have time limits for claims, so contact us as soon as you can. What you can recover depends on the shipping method and any extra cover you added.

It's worth considering for valuable boxes, or when you ship with a method that doesn't include compensation. Extra loss & damage cover costs 2% of the value of your box, with a minimum of ₩2,000. For comparison, EMS already includes compensation up to ₩700,000.

If you're unsure what's covered for your method, ask us in a support ticket before you ship.

Customs may ask for a tax ID, an invoice or payment of duties and taxes. Reply as soon as you can, because parcels that aren't cleared can be returned or destroyed. If you need the invoice or item list for your shipment, open a support ticket and we'll send it.

If customs refuses the parcel or you decline it, return shipping and other charges may apply. Customs in your country decides what's allowed in.

Usually because it contains something that can't be shipped as is, such as perfume or a device with a built-in lithium battery. We hold the parcel, send you photos and ask what you'd like to do:

• remove and dispose of the item, free of charge
• return it to the seller, if possible (return costs apply)
• ship it by courier with dangerous-goods approval, where available

See prohibited items for the full rules.

Open a support ticket or e-mail support@hotdealskorea.com. Tell us your request, parcel or shipment number, what went wrong and what you'd like us to do, and add photos if you have them. We reply within one business day, Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 KST. Keeping everything in one ticket helps us sort it out faster.

Sign up with your e-mail address and confirm it with the link we send you. You'll need a confirmed e-mail address to pay, and to post or comment in the community.

Signing up is free. Your personal Korean warehouse address and suite code are ready as soon as you sign up, in your Korea box.

Your suite code is a unique code, like HDK123456, that identifies your parcels at our warehouse. It goes on line 2 of your Korean address. Keep it on every store order you send to us.

Please don't let other people use your address for their parcels. Each person should have their own free account, including members of a group order.

Yes. Save the addresses you need and choose one each time you ship. Write addresses in Latin letters, which work best for customs, and add a phone number the carrier can call.

If your country needs a tax ID on the customs form, such as a CPF for Brazil or a RUT for Chile, save it with the address so it's ready when you ship.

Only your display name and what you post or comment. Your real name, e-mail address, Korean warehouse address, suite code and delivery addresses aren't shown on the community boards.

Please don't share personal details, tax IDs or order information in posts or comments. If you need help with a specific order, use a support ticket instead.

What we need to run your orders: your name and e-mail address, delivery addresses and phone numbers, any tax ID you add, your requests, parcels, shipments and payments, parcel photos, and your support tickets. Carriers and customs receive what's needed to deliver your parcel. Card details are handled by PayPal, so we don't see your card number. We don't sell your personal information.

Our privacy policy explains what we collect, who we share it with and how long we keep it.

Only if you opt in. We'll always send service e-mails about your requests, parcels, payments and refunds, because you need those to use the service. Marketing e-mails, like sale news, are off unless you choose to receive them, and you can unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy for details.

Open a support ticket and ask us to close it. Before we do, make sure your Korea box is empty and you have no open requests, shipments or refunds.

When we close your account, we delete your profile, addresses and community posts, and keep only the records the law requires, such as payment records. The privacy policy has the details.