Seoul PS Consultations Tips

paxsky

Member
Dec 6, 2013
112
3
Hi,
I'm going to be consulting w/some clinics soon and would appreciate any consultation tips. Here's what I gathered from reading this forum so far:

1. go with a friend or group if possible.
2. don't use a translator or take your host mom.
3. don't tell anyone where you're going and when because someone may contact the clinic and pretend to have "sent you" and take commission.
4. whatever price they give you, bargain down at least 30%.
5. ask for a CD of the 3d scan, so you only have to do it once and use it at other clinics. (Has anyone have luck w/this yet? someone mentioned recently that they paid TLPS $30 to do it and they gave her a blank disk.)
6. know the going rates for native koreans, as a reference point for bargaining.

For #6, I'm using the price list given by Golden Ration clinic, which I posted here on the forum awhile back, but was disappointed to see that they no longer publicly post their prices anymore.
So I tried to research korean websites and found a price list page for Dream PS Clinic (the one run by Dr. Song, not the main one...)

http://www.dreamsurgery.co.kr/Guide/Guide03_03.asp

To see the list in english, copy the link in Chrome browser and right click to translate into English, then click on the procedure to get done and press the button at the bottom. I wasn't surprised by some prices for facial countouring, but was surprised to see that acculift is less than a $1000. Based on these prices, it seems that may people got way over priced...

If anyone finds anymore or have other tips, please share! Thanks!
 
Hi,
I'm going to be consulting w/some clinics soon and would appreciate any consultation tips. Here's what I gathered from reading this forum so far:

1. go with a friend or group if possible.
2. don't use a translator or take your host mom.
3. don't tell anyone where you're going and when because someone may contact the clinic and pretend to have "sent you" and take commission.
4. whatever price they give you, bargain down at least 30%.
5. ask for a CD of the 3d scan, so you only have to do it once and use it at other clinics. (Has anyone have luck w/this yet? someone mentioned recently that they paid TLPS $30 to do it and they gave her a blank disk.)
6. know the going rates for native koreans, as a reference point for bargaining.

For #6, I'm using the price list given by Golden Ration clinic, which I posted here on the forum awhile back, but was disappointed to see that they no longer publicly post their prices anymore.
So I tried to research korean websites and found a price list page for Dream PS Clinic (the one run by Dr. Song, not the main one...)

http://www.dreamsurgery.co.kr/Guide/Guide03_03.asp

To see the list in english, copy the link in Chrome browser and right click to translate into English, then click on the procedure to get done and press the button at the bottom. I wasn't surprised by some prices for facial countouring, but was surprised to see that acculift is less than a $1000. Based on these prices, it seems that may people got way over priced...

If anyone finds anymore or have other tips, please share! Thanks!

Great tip! It was really useful for me as someone who just started to find out more about plastic surgery! Thanks!
 
1. go with a friend or group if possible.
2. don't use a translator or take your host mom.
3. don't tell anyone where you're going and when because someone may contact the clinic and pretend to have "sent you" and take commission.
4. whatever price they give you, bargain down at least 30%.
5. ask for a CD of the 3d scan, so you only have to do it once and use it at other clinics. (Has anyone have luck w/this yet? someone mentioned recently that they paid TLPS $30 to do it and they gave her a blank disk.)
6. know the going rates for native koreans, as a reference point for bargaining.

7. Ask for a copy of the contract and receipt of payment *they actually don't always give you this automatically
8. Ask for a stamp or paper, for example when you did really major surgery and they can't recognize you at the airport they'll still let you through (I heard this from someone haha)
9. For consultation specifically: just say I can only spend for example 5 mil KRW, I want to do double eyelid, nose augmentation and chin implant and epi. Is there something we can do to work this out?
10. Bring a notebook with all your questions, when you are there, you just forget some important questions on how you want your nose/eyes to look like due to stress or what not! Also jot down the prices!
 
Thanks for adding 7- 10, especially 10; seems like a simple thing but never thought to do this!

1. go with a friend or group if possible.
2. don't use a translator or take your host mom.
3. don't tell anyone where you're going and when because someone may contact the clinic and pretend to have "sent you" and take commission.
4. whatever price they give you, bargain down at least 30%.
5. ask for a CD of the 3d scan, so you only have to do it once and use it at other clinics. (Has anyone have luck w/this yet? someone mentioned recently that they paid TLPS $30 to do it and they gave her a blank disk.)
***6. know the going rates for native koreans, as a reference point for bargaining. (see below)

7. Ask for a copy of the contract and receipt of payment *they actually don't always give you this automatically
8. Ask for a stamp or paper, for example when you did really major surgery and they can't recognize you at the airport they'll still let you through (I heard this from someone haha)
9. For consultation specifically: just say I can only spend for example 5 mil KRW, I want to do double eyelid, nose augmentation and chin implant and epi. Is there something we can do to work this out?
10. Bring a notebook with all your questions, when you are there, you just forget some important questions on how you want your nose/eyes to look like due to stress or what not! Also jot down the prices!

11. During negotiations, ask if paying by cash will eliminate the 10% tax.
12. Subtly work into the conversation during negotiation that you are a member of a forum/ social media; this should give the impression that your review of the clinic will influence other potential clients...
13. Look at the patients in the waiting area; do they look good/ happy? Talk to them if they are willing to share their surgery experience.

14. Look at the people who work there; these are the "faces" that represent the clinic; what they deem attractive. (Someone who went to Cinderella or Jewlery- forgot which one, said all the girls looked the same with a very high nose that looked fake, but they seem to love their nose, even offering her to touch their nose to feel how nice it was...)
Also take in the interior design of the place to give an idea of their sense of aesthetics.

15. Note during consultation whether or not the doctor is really interested/ listening to you needs/wants. If the doctor seems cavalier or standoffish, this could be a red flag; an indication that it's someone who thinks they know best and will ultimately do what he feels is right and not necessarily what you really want...

16. Research the procedures you want done. Know the terminology, the procedure, so you sound informed.

17. Trust your gut feelings. If something feels off/ weird, look elsewhere....

18. Also, I don't think it would hurt to be aware of body language both the doctors and your own. There are tons of info about this on the web. Here's one: http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/soft-skills/body-language-clinic-they-eyes-and-arms/164175

19. Make note/ be aware of any doctor that gives the impression of having left in the middle of surgery ( has his surgical gears on etc.) in order to do your consultation. This may sound crazy, but it seems to happen more than we think. In fact, according to results of an investigation, this is what apparently happened at Grand that led to the tragedy... that they injected the patient w/ more anesthesia so that the doc could go and consult...

20. Ask a few questions that you know the answer to, to "test" whether they will answer truthfully.

*** for #6, Below are the fixed prices for ps at Golden Ratio Clinic. Aside from facial lifting, their rates seem very reasonable- at the low end of the spectrum. This may be because it's a small clinic w/ one doctor/owner who can take all the profits. Anyway, below is the list:

FACIAL CONTOURING

  • two-jaw: $8500 (not including any follow up braces/dental work)
  • protruding upper lip fix: $7000 (variation on two-jaw)
  • mandible (jaw) reduction: $4000
  • cheekbone reduction: $4000
  • protruding chin: $3500
FACIAL CONTOURING COMBOS:

  • mandible + cheekbone: $6400
  • mandible + chin shave + cheekbone: $7400
  • v-line : $6000
  • mandible + chin (cutting/ repositioning) + cheekbone: $8000
OTHER:

  • eyes: $500- 2500
  • nose: $2500- 3500
  • liposuction: $200- $8000
  • fat graph: $1300- $1500
  • silicon implant to forehead and other?: $1000-$2000
  • breast implants: $4000-$6000
  • breast reduction: $6000- $7000
  • hair transplant: $3000-$4000
  • dimple surgery: (one side or both) $300- $600
  • face lift: $4000- $6000
  • filler/ botox: $69- $200
 
Great tip! It was really useful for me as someone who just started to find out more about plastic surgery! Thanks!
I'm glad it's helpful, but most of the tips I got from reading this forum. As someone else mentioned before, if you dig through the contents here- past threads etc., you'll find most of the answers you're looking for... There so much resources here... If I hadn't found this forum, I'll probably would have ended up at BK!
 
I'm glad it's helpful, but most of the tips I got from reading this forum. As someone else mentioned before, if you dig through the contents here- past threads etc., you'll find most of the answers you're looking for... There so much resources here... If I hadn't found this forum, I'll probably would have ended up at BK!
hahahaha has bk become the butt of jokes now? lol.

Anyways with number 9, depending on the clinic i would not necessarily discuss price and budget with the surgeon. Often that solely concerns the consultant. You can generally decide what to do by observing the infrastructure of the clinic. eg. a clinic like oz (i wouldn't recommend it) where its pretty much self run vs clinics where there's multiple surgeons. But by all means, always bring it up to the consultant AFTER you meet with the surgeon. Avoid being too specific with the consultant at the start because they may assign you to the surgeon of THEIR CHOICE, not yours. Ive had forumers who told me that the consultant actually refused to let them see their requested surgeon with the explanation that their expectations requires a different specialist. After getting kakaoed a couple of times by different forumers i realized this occurs more often than i expected. This one time i actually had to step in and tell the consultant that she was wrong before she allowed the patient to see her chosen surgeon. It was a ridiculous situation as consultant rarely knows what is best for you as they have little to no medical training. They merely recommend procedures and discuss prices according to the company guidelines.

And with number 11 about the 10% tax, you would want to check if the tax is already subsized into the price they offer you as this what they did at my clinic. I asked if we could forfeit the 10% tax and i was told that as it is mandatory, what they do is subsidize it in the total for their clients so we only end up paying a small portion of it. That's why i just paid for everything with my credit card since it made no difference and i got reward points along with it hehe. Plus i feel very uneasy carrying wafts of cash on me.
 
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Hi girls,

thanks for compiling the tips! sorry to hijack this thread but apparently im too new to create a new thread for my own question. Thus here i am!

I just had chin + cheek liposuction at 365mc and after some slight bargaining i managed to get the price down to 4.4mil nett (from 4.93mil as quoted by them). I paid everything by card btw.

I know this is going to sound like im crying over spilled milk but......... The cost information mail that i received prior to the consultation stated that the price for chin and cheek lipo was 1.8mil each, which means that it should only have been 3.6mil and it seems that i overpaid by a whopping 30%!!

I agreed on the price because

1) i forgot the price stated on the email and just assumed the price that i was quoted was the standard price

2) i assumed that 365mc, being such a big hospital, wouldn't resort to these marketing gimmicks like the other smaller clinics (quoting 1 price and charging another)


so i made my payment and had the surgery.

Looking at the cost information mail now, i can't help but feel imbalanced.. actually im fine if it's a couple hundred dollars since the skills of the surgeon is my top priority but 1mil won is enough to pay for my air tickets -.-

I approached the staff at 365 (nicely) and asked them about the price discrepancies and was told that the automated email that was sent with the cost was actually the outdated one (might be believable cuz i think no one really updates the english website).

So now, what do you guys think? Am i too naive to believe what i've been told? Is there still a chance to get back the 1mil won if i have indeed been overcharged?

TIA!
 
the only explanation i would accept for this bs would be "your surgery is more complicated than we initially thought before examining you" and only if this were in fact true. Other than that they clearly did a dodgey move on you. You will find that the clinics with the unethical reputations tend to be the large ones because they operate so impersonally.
 
the only explanation i would accept for this bs would be "your surgery is more complicated than we initially thought before examining you" and only if this were in fact true. Other than that they clearly did a dodgey move on you. You will find that the clinics with the unethical reputations tend to be the large ones because they operate so impersonally.
omg you're so fast in replying! i know my surgery is definitely not one the more complicated one as the person already told me that i don't have that much fats to remove and my op is going to be a short one.

Ok i need to accept the fact that i'm like that dumbest person on earth to get overcharged even after knowing the price. ARGH 1mil won gone OMG I'M SO SAD :sad::sad::sad:
 
omg you're so fast in replying! i know my surgery is definitely not one the more complicated one as the person already told me that i don't have that much fats to remove and my op is going to be a short one.

Ok i need to accept the fact that i'm like that dumbest person on earth to get overcharged even after knowing the price. ARGH 1mil won gone OMG I'M SO SAD :sad::sad::sad:
I understand how you feel. I have overpaid upfront for another service (not PS) and was unable to get my money back, and I just could not swallow how stupid I was to overpay (the amount was also about USD 1000 ) That would have been more well spent on a new iphone or some new designer bags.

In the end, my regret and the uneasy feeling subsided in me after like a few weeks, I view it as a 'stupidity' fee I paid to learn a lesson, plus I feel if I keep those sadness and negative feeling I am charging myself even more emotionally. So by letting go and see it as 'stupidity' fee, I can stop charging myself more emotion and biting myself over mistakes.

The concern now if you make a fuss about it with 365mc is that they might not take care of you properly post op. As much as we know how unethical it will be if they badly treated you post op for making a fuss about it, it is highly possible. If it was me I will accept that it is a mistake made by carelessness just to make sure everything during post op is well taken care of by them because your body and the result is the most important. THEN when the recovery has gone well, if your bitterness is still there you can consider different options like reporting to the korean plastic surgery consumer agency to get your money back etc (although I would not highly recommend as it is very bureaucratic and will drive you crazier)
 
I understand how you feel. I have overpaid upfront for another service (not PS) and was unable to get my money back, and I just could not swallow how stupid I was to overpay (the amount was also about USD 1000 ) That would have been more well spent on a new iphone or some new designer bags.

In the end, my regret and the uneasy feeling subsided in me after like a few weeks, I view it as a 'stupidity' fee I paid to learn a lesson, plus I feel if I keep those sadness and negative feeling I am charging myself even more emotionally. So by letting go and see it as 'stupidity' fee, I can stop charging myself more emotion and biting myself over mistakes.

The concern now if you make a fuss about it with 365mc is that they might not take care of you properly post op. As much as we know how unethical it will be if they badly treated you post op for making a fuss about it, it is highly possible. If it was me I will accept that it is a mistake made by carelessness just to make sure everything during post op is well taken care of by them because your body and the result is the most important. THEN when the recovery has gone well, if your bitterness is still there you can consider different options like reporting to the korean plastic surgery consumer agency to get your money back etc (although I would not highly recommend as it is very bureaucratic and will drive you crazier)

Hi MaiQ, thanks for your reply. I tucked myself to bed yesterday night thinking the same thing "$1k for a stupidity lesson learnt". At least now i know that i'm wayyy too naive and I guess i will have to scrimp on my shopping needs when i get back home to make up for this $1000.

Thanks for the reassurance. It really helped lift my mood :smile:
 
Wish I were joking! BK has a pretty impressive website and looked legit to a newbie like myself- almost got suck in! but hey, I'm here to learn...

You're mentioning things I hadn't even thought of; I assumed if you requested a consultation w/ a certain doctor on a certain date, then that would be the doctor that you would see and the one that would operate on you! Reading this I have to practice being "assertive" and definitely proactive. Based on your experience, how far in advance do you think we should set up a consultation date? Is two weeks to long a notice?



hahahaha has bk become the butt of jokes now? lol.

Anyways with number 9, depending on the clinic i would not necessarily discuss price and budget with the surgeon. Often that solely concerns the consultant. You can generally decide what to do by observing the infrastructure of the clinic. eg. a clinic like oz (i wouldn't recommend it) where its pretty much self run vs clinics where there's multiple surgeons. But by all means, always bring it up to the consultant AFTER you meet with the surgeon. Avoid being too specific with the consultant at the start because they may assign you to the surgeon of THEIR CHOICE, not yours. Ive had forumers who told me that the consultant actually refused to let them see their requested surgeon with the explanation that their expectations requires a different specialist. After getting kakaoed a couple of times by different forumers i realized this occurs more often than i expected. This one time i actually had to step in and tell the consultant that she was wrong before she allowed the patient to see her chosen surgeon. It was a ridiculous situation as consultant rarely knows what is best for you as they have little to no medical training. They merely recommend procedures and discuss prices according to the company guidelines.

And with number 11 about the 10% tax, you would want to check if the tax is already subsized into the price they offer you as this what they did at my clinic. I asked if we could forfeit the 10% tax and i was told that as it is mandatory, what they do is subsidize it in the total for their clients so we only end up paying a small portion of it. That's why i just paid for everything with my credit card since it made no difference and i got reward points along with it hehe. Plus i feel very uneasy carrying wafts of cash on me.