Vell*m says I have to sign a settlement if I want compensation for their exploding charger.

This post is not intended to slander or defame any specific company. It was written solely for the public interest—to share information regarding unfair settlement conditions and to ensure the safety and right to know for consumers who might experience similar charger explosion accidents.

Before I get into the details, I'd like to apologize for the length of this post. Even though this was a shocking incident where a Vell*m charger exploded during normal use and almost caused a major fire, the company's irresponsible handling of the situation left me feeling so frustrated that I ended up documenting everything exactly as it happened. I am writing this with the sincere hope that other consumers won't have to face the same risks and damages I did, so please read this to the end and help spread the word.

Immediately after the accident, I contacted the company's CS center with photos of the burnt charger and the scorched outlet. During that first consultation, I received a clear promise that they would compensate me for any repairs needed for peripheral devices (like my MacBook) that were connected when the explosion occurred. It seemed like a normal response, acknowledging the damage caused by a product defect.

However, the real problem started with the representative assigned to me after that.

Contrary to the initial guidance from the CS center, the new rep suddenly demanded a settlement agreement as a condition for compensation. The core of this agreement was a confidentiality clause stating that I would "not raise any civil or criminal objections regarding this matter in the future and would not post any related facts on the internet or in communities."

They promised to cover the damages in the first call, but as soon as the person in charge changed, they started acting contradictory, claiming they couldn't determine the causal relationship. It honestly felt like they were holding a few dozen dollars hostage to try and buy my silence about the explosion.

The representative informed me that the compensation limit for peripherals was around 50,000 KRW (approx. $35). When I explained that the combined price of just the adapter and power bank connected to the exploding charger already exceeded 50,000 KRW, the rep immediately agreed and changed the criteria without any verification process. Since the initial CS team had already promised to cover MacBook repair costs, it was hard to shake the impression that they were just making up compensation standards on the fly, on top of the inconsistent communication between departments.

Regardless of the amount, I found this approach to a serious safety issue like a product explosion to be incredibly complacent. It ended with just device damage this time, but I have to wonder if they would have tried the same "hush money" settlement tactics with arbitrary compensation amounts if someone had actually been hurt.

To make matters worse, the rep claimed I had arbitrarily canceled the product retrieval process that the CS department had set up. When I pointed out that it was actually canceled due to the delivery driver's circumstances, the rep didn't even offer an apology and just brushed it off, saying that part wasn't important.

When I told them I would refuse the settlement terms for the sake of consumer safety—even if it meant giving up the compensation—and asked to just be refunded for the charger itself, the rep shifted the responsibility, telling me I now had to apply for a refund directly through the original retailer.

So, I've decided to give up all compensation and transparently share the facts of the explosion without signing any settlement, just as the company rep suggested. I believe warning others about the explosion risks of Vell*m products and exposing the company's irresponsible response is far more valuable than receiving a small payout.

Regardless of the amount, I plan to follow through with formal investigation procedures regarding the evasion of refund responsibility and the unpaid damages by filing a victim redress request with the Korea Consumer Agency and reporting the hazardous accident to the Product Safety Information Center of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

I urge anyone using Vell*m products, including this specific charger line, to be extremely careful. If you notice any signs of trouble during use, I strongly recommend checking your devices immediately.

• The high-end product (Mac) mentioned in the initial stages fortunately functioned normally, so I did not bring it up during subsequent communication with the rep. ** The final compensation amount I requested was approximately 80,000 KRW (the purchase price of the damaged adapter, charging cable, and connected power bank).

I will continue to share updates if there is any significant news.

Thank you sincerely for reading this long post.