youtube Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I was stupid enough to be referred to some so-called good clinics that only Korean go by one of Korean ladies. It's such a LIE and huge disappointment! I have spent large amount of money in one clinic for fat-grafting and now regretted it sooooo much for what I have done. I look much worse than before and have spent about 10,000 US dollars for this operation. I don't want someone else to be cheated by those Korean who would say anything to persuade you to go for the clinic they try to introduce to you. I have heard they usually would get 30% of total money you pay for the commission. And they usually introduce you to those smaller clinics filled with less experienced doctors. Anyway, I can't undo what I have done to myself..I just wish I would spend every penny wisely later. Good luck to everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virgo86 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hi, youtube, May i know which clinic u went to? How many clinics you went for consultation before you decide to go ahead with this smaller clinic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hi youtube, why don't you mention the name of the translator and clinic so people can stay away. $10000 for fat graft is VERY expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenderss Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 No offence but that is why you do extensive research before anything major like plastic surgery and pick your own clinics. Never let translators or anyone influence your choice in clinics they are there just to translate your conversation with doctor. Also pick big clinics with reputation, going to a small clinic with no reputation is like playing with fire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiongs Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 why didnt u list the clinic name or translator... if u care enough to warn people then why not specifically warn about which and who Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyglittery Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Yes, please tell us where this happened and with who Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella147 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 FIRSTLY SORRY FOR LONG POST ok this issue is close to my heart as I've tried warning people on this forum before about translators before - even posted a legitimate link to a Korean news channel's coverage of this very topic. The increase are even up to double what you should be paying - i.e. fat grafting in korea for a Korean is actually about USD$1k. my model korean friend paid that much. we get quoted between $3-5k. I paid $2.2k for non-incis eye and my same korean friend paid $300 (that's not a typo - three hundred USD). basically ALL the translators on this forum get commission - i've had offline arguments with some forumers that refuse to believe it. so i told myself...I try and try, but people won't listen - so tbh i gave up. I do my own thing and when I heard these forumers 'praising' these translators for all the help they give them i just think (depending on what surgeries ur having) for the extra USD$1-5k ur paying, they actually should be doing more. i got a funny feeling people are just going to ask me for 'proof' - my question to you is, "what 'proof' would convince you?" the korean new channel actually posed as fake patients and got undercover footage of the process in action what translators do is get your 'top 3' (or basically your top choices) - they PM you or get as much info as possible about you from the forum. they negotiate their commission prior to you even going for consult. they will say something like "Alex from NYC will be coming to you in around 1 or 2 Oct for a consult for vline - even if I don't come in with this person, this person is my client and i will expect commission of XXX %" that list of dates we post of when we're going to Korea - that tells them when you're going to consult - most ppl consult within 1-3 days of landing in Seoul. You ask question of other forumers, which tells me what surgery your after. you sometimes even post where ur saying i.e. i'll be staying at Highland Hotel bc it's closest to my top choices etc they offer you free airport transfer - you think they're being nice when really an airport transfer is like USD$30 AND you don't have to tell a stranger where u are staying - this is traight from "travelling overseas alone 101". never let people you don't know where u are staying when travelling alone. i know, i know - i've been in the same boat as all of you and paid $2.2k for my non-incis eyes so i do understand that this is a scary journey to go it on your own. and tbh you may have no option but to go with a translator - i do understand. just be informed is all i'm saying. i'm not trying to tear down this process (i'm just one person, without a lot of resources). i actually think, to an extent, we need to keep these translators around, but sometimes they just take u for a ride. getting $1k commission is (relatively) reasonable, but some of these people should be ashamed you think ur doing well by asking for a quote before you even decide ur top choices, little do you know that they then increase the prices when you get there OR the translator already contacted the clinic before you did OR the person you were PMing is actually either a translator or a person working at a particular clinic this issue does get me hot & bothered, so apologies if i sound upset (I guess it's bc i am) - but mostly at the end of the day, what can u do? u kind of can't do this without a translator So what are my suggestions to help you (these are not fool-proof ways of avoiding paying more, just ideas to hopefully assist....also maybe this will start a decent open conversation about this topic - rather than ppl just tearing me down and asking for 'proof' even tho I have tried to post 'proof' before): 1. never tell anyone where u are staying - this isn't just regarding this issue, but just good practice - just say ur staying near Sinsa Station or Myeongdong station. 2. try looking for translators outside of this forum (this isn't fool-proof as these translator are smart, i'll give them that!!) - try universities. university students studying english offer free translation services (for tourist traditionally and not medical tourists) or get creative make 'friends' with koreans from random website for 'language exchange' - that's what i've done. even if they can't act as translators they certainly can help looking at websites for you or get quotes (which floors me sometimes, bc I'll ALWAYS get quote more as a foreigner) - i always offer to pay or take them out for dinner, shopping (buy cosmetics if they're female) or drinks...it is also a genuinely good way to make friends. again, i wouldn't tell them where i'm staying or anything - friendship only builds up after i met them f2f 3. government also offer some translators, but these guys are expensive bc they are totally legitimate i.e. these are the guys that translate official documents etc - they may be expensive per hour, but if you can save money from surgery then u could be better off 4. use naver - this is where the 'real' information is at. yes, i don't know korean either but google translate is great. took a good 2 mths or so to figure out how to use naver, but once u get the hang of it - the information is priceless. i have a pretty good book of b&a pics from naver - from actual patients and not pics from websites...of all sorts of surgeries 5. if ur going to the big clinics then ur basically going to pay a lot more - with or without a translator, why? bc they can and bc we pay. nothing wrong with that if u feel comfortable with ur choice please add to this list is u have good advice to share PLEASE i'm not taking anyone down. i've had ps before, and i'm going back for seconds in nov (for fat grafting) so i know exactly how you all feel. i just want to keep u all informed and empower each of u to make a more informed choice no hate and thanks fo rreading to this point (if u got this far) :lolots: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyglittery Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Do not ever apologise and never give up! ^_^ your words definitely touched me though there wasn't too much new info... I'm not flying to korea, I'd never in a million years even consider airport pickup, I wouldn't tell strangers where I live and so on... xD I was already considering 'grabbing a translator off the street' (though your suggestion of uni students sounds better... haha) Anyway I fully believe every single translator that even comes NEAR this forum is getting commission, there's no doubt about it and I've even seen some people defend that, little short of "the poor little translator would starve to death with a measely $150 a day, of course s/he needs commission..." ew much? nothing wrong with asking commission and paying commission if you have money to burn but I'd rather use it on surgeries and stuff for myself I have to admit I was considering asking people here for translators they've used but your post made me want to forget the idea altogether I'm going to stay in Korea for like 3 months anyway so I'll have plenty of time to find a translator not hired by a clinic ^^ and yeah... that's another reason why I'm hesitant to meet up with anyone for consultations etc. I rather get my surgeries first and then meat people... ^-^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella147 Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 thanks Shiny!! yeah i think you've got the right way of thinking, but it's not like the forumers are not smart, it's just that sometimes the translators are smarter!! if ur going to be there for 3 mths, then i would try the universities. i'm going to use my korean friend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyglittery Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 okay I'll do that ^^ thanks for your advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookiedee Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Great info, Bella. Ergh I emailed one of the translators that I got info from this forum now I'm scared I'll get charged more when I go to korea even if I don't use her (I told her approx when i was going.. I guess I could go a bit earlier haha) =.= Do you think you could link me to the naver site with b/a pictures? I'm past 10 posts but it seems PM still doesnt work :/ The $300 for non-incisional is shocking!! Ahh I wish it were that cheap for us :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyglittery Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 $300 actually sounds pretty normal for non-incisional and I'd never EVER pay more than that for non-incisional~ incisional you should also get for max $800 but it is what it is... I know where I could get it for $300 (not in Korea) but I'm not willing to take that risk (or in another place: pay for nothing since the results are so conservative...) so... I'll pay what I have to~ still, should probably start learning Korean... can't hurt... xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella147 Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Thanks ldpark for picking this up - true, my friend did pay $300 BUT it was about 3 years ago. so you're kind of right, locals probaly won't pay that now. i'm sure prices have gone up. my friend did enquire some quotes for me for PRP fat grafting and she got quoted USD$1k for full face....so I'm hoping when i go there with her i'll pay that amount as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bella147 Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Naver is kind of like the korean version of google (kind of) - so there isn't just this one site with everyone's b&a pics posted. you need to be able to navigate the site, contact people and ask for their b&a pics....this is why it took an non-korean (such as myself) about 2 months to figure out how to navigate. a LOT of effort using google translate, copying & pasting text and trying to teach myself basic Korean to ask some simple questions. BTW: I can now communicate using VERY basic hangul LOL all the pics i got I then copied and pasted this into a word doc for future reference i think a past forumer (who used to be active) Marir posted her naver research results on a post, but it'll be hard to find. i think she was last active around early this yr!! she was the one that basically inspired me to use naver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookiedee Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Oh I see!! Since I have a lot of time before my planned travel period, I might just do that as well. Great idea ^^ I can read hangul but not understand what it means haha. So people on forums are pretty open to sharing their photos? Do you think you could share that reference document and some basic tips to navigating naver? And maybe questions written in korean for asking b/a photos XD I wonder if it's ok to post an email address I don't use often since PM doesn't work for me still.. T_T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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