방문판매법상 다단계판매 도입과 소비자 보호

Multi-level marketing is recognized as a legal form of transaction through the Door-to-Door Sales Act, and pyramid sales are strictly prohibited in Korea. When multi-level marketing was legalized through the full revision of the Door-to-Door Sales Act in 1995, strong regulations on sales and consumer protection, restrictions on the total amount of sponsorship allowances, multi-level sales products and services, expansion of subscription withdrawal period and targets, refund deposit system, were also introduced. Unlike general sales, multi-level marketing has the characteristics of recruiting salespeople and maintaining the organization through sequential payment of sponsorship allowances in addition to sales revenues such as products, so there is a high risk of attracting speculation and degenerating into pyramid sales may cause consumer harm. However, as much time has passed since these regulations were introduced into the Door-to-Door Sales Act, requests for deregulation are being raised. Therefore, this study examines the legal environment when multi-level marketing is legalized compared to the present, and examines the meaning of the current multi-level marketing regulation in terms of establishing distribution order and consumer protection.