Netizens accuse AOA of manipulating album sales (sajaegi)

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

AOA has been accused of doing manipulating their album sales after netizens noticed a sudden increase of over 50% in the group’s sales for June 26th.

Netizens have been pointing fingers and shaking their heads at the sudden drastic increase of AOA’s album sales during their 5th day of sales. The sales were as follows:

June 22 – 800
June 23 – 1,500
June 24 – 1,400
June 25 – 3,400
June 26 – 7,300
Total – 14,000

Netizens are particularly wary about these sales numbers because as of last year, the total number of sales for AOA albums within the first few days of their releases only came to around 5,000. In addition, their offline sales were less than 500.

Comments left on the site included:

1. 7000?
— In the morning, 3,000 were sold and in the evening, another 3,000 were sold

2. To sell 7,000, a boy group has to hold a fansign ㅋㅋ
— True. EXO’s sales are no joke but they sell 9,000 when they hold a fansign
— Indeed ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Recent fansign of SHINee sold 8,000

3. But AOA is having a fansign
— But fansign sales count as offline

4. I guess their Japanese fandom is bulk buying. I heard that more than 30,000 are being sold in Japan
— Other groups have bigger Japanese fandoms though, like Apink. But Apink didn’t even sell 3,000 at once and there was no bulk buying. If there was, they would’ve provided a receipt.

5. There are so many sajaegis these days

6. What does that make other singers…

7. Isn’t FNC a listed company?

8. Listed companies don’t pay tax and do all sorts of stuff… As long as they don’t get caught

9. They should get rid of winning #1 system. It’s getting more and more dirtier

So they think they're buying their own album is that it?

Koreaboo, Instiz

Comments

[moomoo-moonstar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, seems like they're being accused of gaming the #1 system by buying thousands of copies of their own album at the last minute.

Something about this does seem sketchy. Unless there's been some extremely intense fan campaign to boost sales on that specific day, I'm not sure how that kind of spike would happen of its own accord.

Not that it's the girls' fault either way. Even that is the case, it'll be their agency doing it, not them. The comments mention that already, but it's worth repeating.

[pbutterlion.livejournal.com]

wow cant wait for fans to find a way to confirm its not sajaegi

[supersunshiner.livejournal.com]

waiting for proof
aoa isn't popular enough for this to be legit?

[nekokonneko.livejournal.com]

They do well digitally, but these kinds of physical sales are unusual for them

[mamamoos.livejournal.com]

literally who sits there analyzing sales records for this shit

[supersunshiner.livejournal.com]

mte

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

Pressed stans

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

knetizen are detectives, they'll find evidence on a spoon

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

haters

[gray-fairy.livejournal.com]

Eh, AOA is a trendy group and they've been getting even more popular lately so I don't think it's weird. Why people can't just accept that non-Big3 groups can have good sales too?

[xxhna.livejournal.com]

mte.

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

They're pretty popular right now but I think only their title song is really charting
It would be interesting to compare their numbers to Sistar's for instance, since all of the mini is charting + they're a well established group... if they sold more than sistar than it something might be shady

[iigoru.livejournal.com]

SM stans*

[merong-xp.livejournal.com]

The numbers and sales pattern are both questionable. Fans will have to show receipts if they have them to dispell suspicions.

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

netizen 4 makes me think this is shady bc theres no way aoas more popular than apink

[evilvalenstrife.livejournal.com]

I was kinda thinking that...

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

IDK - last year was strong for AOA dance and they've been growing steadily in popularity. Beating Sistar isn't hard if you have a bigger/more loyal fan base than theirs and unless they can definitely prove FNC did something shady I can't see anything but bitter bettys at the root of these allegations.

[yuzuruhanyu.livejournal.com]

another day, another accusation of sajaegi

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

your icon is so cute

[twinkystar16.livejournal.com]

they have 3 fansigns last week+ album contest to get all 7 photocards. and apparently AOA chinese fans are bulk buying

[hinadori.livejournal.com]

Not saying if they did or not since I don't go here. But if you ARE bulk buying, why make it so obvious? Nobody was smart enough to break it up over separate days?

[donutism.livejournal.com]

I saw a lot of fans on twitter bulk buying. I dunno, I hope they speak up about it soon.

[revertigo.livejournal.com]

team girl group stans! ^_^

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

i hope this isn't true ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; the girls doesnt deserve the hate!!!!

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

Knatizen especially one particular fandom has been one a mission against them since last year

[horichansenpai.livejournal.com]

Like some have been pointing, they've had fansigns/competitions that require the 7 photocards and stuff.

I mean FNC is pretty terrible sometimes (a lot of times) but bulk-buying their own stuff ain't one of their problems. Reminds me of the time where people tried to accuse the same thing with CNB when they were winning against SNSD, and of course that was proven false.

[sandritablue.livejournal.com]

I cant hate FNC for all their crap work promoting their groups but they never do this kind of stuff bcs it's just not them, HSH CEO is too proud for that shit.....He could have done that for Nflying super faileddddd debut but he didn't.

Reminds me of that time sones tried to accused CNBLUE for doing the same only to embarass themselves when it was proven false.