kikiknows Posted December 17, 2015 Posted December 17, 2015 I completely agree with you, Mindy. That just doesn't make sense to mark up surgery costs for foreigners (which can be 2~3 X what local pays). If clinics think they are pulling more resources for foreigners, why don't they just itemize the cost and reflect that on the bill instead of throwing a unreasonably high surgery quote. It's the clinics' way to trick us into thinking we are getting extra free services: shuttle, in house translator, etc. In face we are not, and we are paying way more to cover those extra "free services"
mindy3132 Posted December 17, 2015 Posted December 17, 2015 If I had to itemize the VIP service I got, it won't be much. Let's see cab ride to/from the apartment is $5-6 each way. They picked me up 4 times so that is around $20 USD. They dropped me off at the airport too so I guess thats about $80 USD. In house translators make 35-40k USD a year if they are lucky, plus commission which comes from your surgery fee - so a high estimate is $20 per hour base rate for their base salary. I probably took up 4 hours total of Regina's time so that's another $80. So all together I got about roughly $200 USD worth of VIP services. The aftercare they offer to everyone, regardless if you're a local or foreigner. Locals needs antibiotics and check ups too. I don't know if I believe that clinics make no money or very little money off local patients. The majority of patients are locals. The New Yorker quotes that 1 in 5 women in Seoul had PS and judging by the looks of it, it's not far off. It is a $5 BILLION dollar industry according to multiple sources. Not sure if I can post links here. If they do not actually make enough money to have a sustainable business, won't they do something else? It seems really risky to open a clinic in hopes that it will attract international patients so you can charge them 2-3x as much, and then you profit after they subsidize the costs for local patients too.
magnoliams Posted December 17, 2015 Posted December 17, 2015 How American pay for the surgery? I heard many posts said they bring cash ($?)? Do they just bring a deck of $100 dollar bills and pay cash to save money?
babysevenohx Posted December 18, 2015 Posted December 18, 2015 You can do money exchange. Clinics do take USD. I advise you to use credit card - what happens if you were to lose your cash ?
tulipfield Posted December 18, 2015 Posted December 18, 2015 The Korean won now is weak weak weak against the dollar... I think you'll get a better deal if you pay in won, unless they've thought of that and adjust their prices accordingly?
emma26 Posted December 22, 2015 Posted December 22, 2015 I think many clinics try to ask overcharge for overseas patient :S.
avene Posted December 26, 2015 Posted December 26, 2015 yeah, that's true. so you need to compare for price first
eurasianbeauty Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 They overcharge because they know what we pay at home is double to triple to what local Koreans pay. I was looking at the specials of the top clinics I am looking at on Babitalk and in total for the procedures I want and it's less than half of what I would pay in the States with the top surgeons. Charging someone 2-3 times what you would a just because you can for the same service a local would get person is a very American, Capitalist thing. Business is business, but as I have read on here, you can bargain down around 40% less than their first offer. But some people like to pay a lot so they can brag that they paid a lot. lol Those people make up for the foreigners who get closer to the local prices. I care more about the talent of the doctor than the price. I pay $15 for a mani/pedi from the best pedicurist in the world. I've had the worst mani/pedis at places that charge $50 for each service. If you fly in on your own dime and do your consults, then they shouldn't charge you for being a foreigner. I don't see why anyone would know how the South Korean plastic surgery market works and decide anything from overseas anyway. They are starting to refund the VAT to foreigners as of April 2016, so that's another thing. Also, the won is weakening every month against the dollar and has been since the MERS scare earlier this year. It's forecasted to drop even more. Know your strengths and you can negotiate a great price. You flew in to get surgery done and you're going to get it done somewhere, so it might as well be at the clinic of your choice. I don't allow myself to be pushed around when I want something. Do you want my money or not? Because I can literally walk across the street and get the same procedures done. lol
princezombie Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 I had surgery last year at a major plastic surgery hospital. I am a foreigner but live in Korea and can speak the language. One of the first places I went to was BA because the maxillofacial surgeon was so popular at Jewelry that he and the rhinoplasty doctor opened their own clinic. He wasn't that great at explaining what he would do besides "making my face smaller" and didnt even point out that I had a slightly misaligned bottom jaw. Then the pricing they offered was ridiculous. In korean I said that I know that isn't the price of for locals. I was getting two jaw as well as rhinoplasty. the rhinoplasty alone they said 6,000,000won (mind you i didnt require silicone or any implant). Some places you can stand your ground and get a deal Others might not budge. Don't feel pressured to pay. But also dont try to find the cheapest bargain around cause surgery is very serious. Also. Many offer discount for cash because they can file the payment in a way that decreases the tax they most pay on it. Sometimes the markup for foreigners is to also make up for the taxes they must pay on foreign money coming into the practice cause of policy changes that occurred three years ago.
princezombie Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 Oh. And I'm a longtime creeper of this forum and finally decided to join to offer an help or advice i can ^^
eurasianbeauty Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 That's why I posted some of the information I did above. Frankly, they aren't in the position to overcharge anyone. An extra 10%? Ok, I can give them that. But 2-3 times what locals pay? Um, no. I am having my surgery done before the VAT refund starts and paying in cash. The VAT refund is a way to get more people in for plastic surgery, but it's also the government's way of insuring they are getting paid the taxes they are supposed to by the hospitals. I don't care what they report, but I am sure they will raise prices starting in April 2016. Also, they need to consider that the yuan isn't doing well so only the wealthy Chinese will be coming in for surgery. More Americans will be coming in for the great surgery and the dollar power over the won. I'm a longtime lurker, too! lol
princezombie Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 Oh. For sure. Before they tried creating policies to make pricing more "transparent" but now with the prices advertised on sns: you usually get the "bait and switch". Also. When you go in for consultations you will meet with the pricing woman. They are pros at spinning in price into an itemized way to where many might think "okay. That makes since." DONT BELIEVE THEM. That's their job to make money for the hospital or clinic. I agree about prices probably increasing. At least for a short period. Then I believe that might actually go down below some current prices because all major Korean companies are making cuts right now in preparation for the decreased market. Many smaller branches of the major banks are shutting down starting January. One friend who just started working not three months ago is losing his bank job due to its branch closure. ㅠㅠ I hope you have a good surgery experience and a speedy recovery ^^
lovelet Posted March 14, 2016 Posted March 14, 2016 OMG, i got quoted by regen Cost for breast augmentation 8,000,000~15,000,000 KRW. Full face fat graft 4,000,000 KRW. Rhinoplasty 4,500,000~7,500,000 KRW. Alar reduction 800,000~1,500,000 KRW. Eyelid surgery 1,500,000~3,500,000 KRW. When they are having a promotion on their Korean webpage (translated by fellow forum user miso soup) Yes 2016 A new face Dreaming a new start For everyone Cheap benefits! ①360 eyes molding Burial ₩ 490,000 Buried + front / rear teuim ₩ 1,190,000 ②360 also Rhinoplasty + Sassy nose ₩ 1,390,000 ③360 also facial contours Clown ₩ 2,500,000 ₩ 3,500,000 square jaw ④360 also breast Round breasts ₩ 4,500,000 Drip chest ₩ 5,500,000 ⑤360 also fat graft Full Face Transplant local ₩ 890,000 Petit also ⑥360 molding Contour injections twice ₩ 250,000 Nose filler ₩ 180,000 ₩ 100,000 square jaw botox Contour + co-filler injections twice ₩ 400,000 + Kotbol nose filler injections reduced ₩ 230,000 ※ After consultations during the day of booking Gift Customer Center: 1577-8766 Such a great disparity is prices, I'm completely lost for words! They are definitely off my list now!
velvetcloset Posted March 19, 2016 Posted March 19, 2016 If I pay in cash, do I still need to pay the 10% VAT?
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