I picked up a pair of pants I liked at an underground shopping arcade, and there was a small piece of paper stuck next to the register. "No exchanges or refunds." Many shops don't even have a fitting room. The international student asks, "Then how do I buy it?" and her eyes went wide. ## The Story Behind a Single Piece of Paper These shops are very small. Sometimes the owner sells alone from a stall of just one or two pyeong. There's no room for a fitting room, and no hands free to check the clothes you've tried on. In exchange, they charge low prices. It's like sharing the risk with the customer. So Koreans hold clothes up against their waist and eyeball the length of the sleeves before buying. The same person does the exact opposite when shopping online. They start by studying the review photos carefully. They look for reviews that list the reviewer's height and weight, and see how someone similar to them looks in the item. Since they can't try it on, they look at how it looks on someone else first. ## Behind the small shop is a big market Most of the clothes in underground shopping arcades come from large wholesale markets like Dongdaemun. Trends change quickly, so leftover stock means a loss. So they sell cheap and clear it out fast. That small piece of paper reflects Korea's clothing market, which moves "cheap and fast." ## Try It Right Now - First, "Can I try it on?" Ask that. It's different from store to store. - Check the buttons, zippers, and stitching on the spot. - Be sure to get a receipt. If a problem comes up, you can find out how to get advice from the Korea Consumer Agency.